Firms as Political Forces for Good: Navigating Disorder and State Interventionism in A Multipolar World - Sergio Mariotti (Thunderbird International Business Review)

Firms as Political Forces for Good: Navigating Disorder and State Interventionism in A Multipolar World

Sergio Mariotti

Thunderbird International Business Review

Dear colleagues and friends,

I’m pleased to share my recent article, published in Thunderbird International Business Review, which examines the evolving role of firms as a political force for good in today’s volatile global economic environment—reshaped by rising fragmentation and by nation-states’ increasingly assertive, and often confrontational, strategies. These include shifts in industrial policy, rising protectionism, and tit-for-tat measures.

In this shifting context, the article argues that firms can adopt a more constructive and proactive role by working with stakeholders and policymakers to support balanced, well-being-enhancing outcomes. Revisiting the literature on Corporate Political Responsibility and Corporate Diplomacy, it explores how companies—particularly in economic-industrial and geoeconomic spheres—may begin to take on quasi state-like functions, such as providing public goods and building systemic resilience to help mitigate global tensions.

In addition to offering a conceptual reframing, the piece outlines practical implications for both scholars and practitioners and suggests avenues for future research at the intersection of international business, political economy, and strategy.

The article is open access and can be freely downloaded and shared using the following link:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tie.70014

I would be delighted to hear your thoughts and feedback.

With warm regards,

Sergio Mariotti

===========

Sergio Mariotti

Professor Emeritus

Politecnico di Milano

Dept. of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering