A typology of de-coupling in international sourcing by MNEs in selective de-globalization

IF 4.2 2区管理学 Q1 MANAGEMENT

Journal of International Management Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-23 DOI:10.1016/j.intman.2025.101304

Xuemeng Liu, Joel Hassan, Hongzhi Gao, Revti Raman Sharma

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Abstract

The 2018 U.S.–China trade war signaled the emergence of selective de-globalization, fueled by China's rapid technological advancement and growing U.S. concerns over national security and economic rivalry. Government interventions have disrupted global supply chains, compelling MNEs to reassess their sourcing strategies. This study draws on neo-institutional theory, integrating geopolitical coercive pressures and geopolitical legitimacy to analyze firms' strategic responses under selective de-globalization.

Applying an abductive approach, we examine five case studies of firms from the U.S. and India. These cases reveal a shift from regulatory to geopolitical coercion, prompting a redefinition of legitimacy as geopolitical legitimacy. Through this new understanding of geopolitical legitimacy, which incorporates both home-country and global dimensions, we provide a framework for assessing MNE responses to escalating geopolitical pressures. We categorize firms' sourcing strategies into four types: substantial decoupling, symbolic decoupling, balanced decoupling, and no decoupling. Our study provides a new institutional framework for understanding MNE sourcing adjustments under selective de-globalization, offering practical insights for businesses and policymakers and suggesting future research directions.

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跨国公司在选择性去全球化中国际采购的去耦合类型

2018年的中美贸易战标志着选择性去全球化的出现，这是由中国的快速技术进步和美国对国家安全和经济竞争的日益担忧所推动的。政府干预扰乱了全球供应链，迫使跨国公司重新评估其采购策略。本研究利用新制度理论，整合地缘政治强制压力和地缘政治合法性，分析了企业在选择性去全球化下的战略反应。运用诱拐的方法，我们研究了美国和印度公司的五个案例研究。这些案例揭示了从监管到地缘政治胁迫的转变，促使人们将合法性重新定义为地缘政治合法性。通过对地缘政治合法性的新理解（包括母国和全球层面），我们提供了一个评估跨国公司应对不断升级的地缘政治压力的框架。我们将企业采购策略分为四种类型：实质脱钩、象征性脱钩、平衡脱钩和不脱钩。我们的研究为理解跨国公司在选择性去全球化下的采购调整提供了一个新的制度框架，为企业和政策制定者提供了实用的见解，并为未来的研究方向提出了建议。

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来源期刊

Journal of International Management MANAGEMENT-

自引率

9.80%

发文量

审稿时长

81 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of International Management is devoted to advancing an understanding of issues in the management of global enterprises, global management theory, and practice; and providing theoretical and managerial implications useful for the further development of research. It is designed to serve an audience of academic researchers and educators, as well as business professionals, by publishing both theoretical and empirical research relating to international management and strategy issues. JIM publishes theoretical and empirical research addressing international business strategy, comparative and cross-cultural management, risk management, organizational behavior, and human resource management, among others.