Political ideology and the multinational enterprise: Broadening the epistemological lens

Abstract

While politics and political issues such as risk have dominated the agenda of international business (IB) since the field’s founding, appreciation for the role of political ideology is nascent. In this article, we seek to shed light on the role and impact of political ideology within multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the context in which they operate. In so doing, we aim to explore the micro-foundations of ideology within MNEs, to broaden the epistemological scope of study by incorporating cross-national ideological diversity, and to examine the complex ideological landscape confronting MNEs. In addition, we hope to demonstrate that the comparative nature of IB makes the field highly suitable for investigating political ideologies within organizations rooted in numerous contexts; to date, ideology research has primarily centered its attention on U.S. firms and the simplistic conservatism-liberalism axis. By addressing the ideological dimensions of IB in an era marked by increasing multidimensional ideological polarization worldwide, we offer novel theoretical insights for scholars seeking to understand how ideology shapes MNEs, their global strategy, operations, and their larger societal impact. We hope, therefore, to put political ideology at the forefront of the IB research agenda.