Seminar - The Multinational Enterprise and its role in affecting inequalities

Rajneesh Narula, Henley Business School is giving a seminar presentation during the International Business and Strategy lunchtime seminar series on 13th October, at 13.00-14.30 in room 108, Henley Business School. If you would like to join the seminar online please contact department administrator Jana Oslejova.

Abstract:

The potential of the MNE to impact global divides, either positively or negatively, was a key interest in the early IB literature, though largely limited to addressing income inequality between first and third world countries. Gradually, the discourse shifted to a predominantly positive view of FDI as a driver of global economic convergence. In the last two decades, with the rise of GVCs, scholarly attention in IB has shifted to the MNE and the issue of within-country inequality. At the same time, there has been growing acknowledgement that globalization has excluded significant swathes of society, and that focusing on income inequality is insufficient. We argue the case for taking a broader view on inequality that would allow for a more nuanced understanding of the scope of inequalities deriving from MNE activity. We discuss emerging new insights on these divides and avenues to advance the research agenda on the impact of MNEs on their broader social context.