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The current developments of geopolitical rivalry, pandemic disruptions, and techno-nationalism have led to a fundamental reconfiguration of the global economic order, creating strategic imperatives for the multinational enterprises (MNEs) that go beyond the traditional internationalization theory. This paper aims to contribute to the literature with a systematic review of the adaptation process of MNEs in the time of geopolitical fragmentation and deglobalization. We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to screen 200 initial records from Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and JSTOR databases, resulting in 47 peer-reviewed articles, mostly published in the last eight years (2018–2026), and a few seminal articles from the past 30 years of international business studies. The analysis of our themes indicates that there are six main strategic response clusters: (1) reconfiguration of the supply chain, including reshoring, nearshoring, and friend-shoring; (2) geopolitical risk management via real options and diversification; (3) a renewed focus on regionalization over global integration; (4) digitalization as a strategic buffer; (5) nonmarket strategies, such as political adaptation and lobbying; and (6) de-internationalization, including staged divestment. We combine these themes into an integrative conceptual framework by integrating the EDGES themes (Economic Systems, Digital Disruptions, Geopolitical Fracture, Environmental Sustainability, and Socio-Cultural Ideology) with firm-level dynamic capability responses and performance outcomes. We find certain gaps that are of critical importance: lack of micro-level empirical evidence, lack of MNE perspectives from the emerging markets, and limited integration of artificial intelligence and geopolitics. The review contributes to the international business theory and provides practical guidelines for the management of MNEs in an increasingly fragmented world economy.

The study examines how quality of governance influences the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopts a quantitative research strategy that utilises panel data of selected countries during 28 years, that is, 1996-2023. Indicators of governance like Government Effectiveness (GE), Political Stability and Absence of Violence (AV), Rule of Law (RL), Regulatory Quality (RQ) and Voice and Accountability (VA). The findings indicate that Strong Governance frameworks significantly enhance FDI inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. VA was found to be a very strong positive determinant. GE and PS were also found to have negative relationships in within-country analyses. The IFRS adoption, being a uniform variable throughout the sampled countries, was observed to increase investor confidence. These results imply that the improvement of governance are synergies that help to establish the stable, transparent, and predictable environment sought by investors. Thus, policymakers can improve the governance systems and provide citizen involvement in order to boost foreign investment and attract sustainable capital and economic growth in the region.

Foreign capital inflows (FCI) are essential for economic growth in developing countries. This study examines the socioeconomic factors affecting FCI in 31 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, utilizing panel data from 1985 to 2019 and employing the System GMM dynamic modeling approach. The findings indicate that when foreign direct investment (FDI) is treated as an endogenous variable, real interest rate (RIR), life expectancy (LEX), GDP growth rate, and food security (foodsec) have significant positive impacts. Conversely, the real exchange rate (RER) and inflation (INF) negatively correlate with FDI. Human capital investment is not statistically significant while the relationship between lagged FDI and current FDI is positive but nonsignificant. When foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is considered an endogenous variable, only food security exhibits a positive and statistically significant factor, suggesting that food security can enhance FPI flows. The study recommends that SSA countries aiming to attract more FCI should focus on improving healthcare, food security, and education. It is also suggested that countries should develop highly skilled R&D employees, public and private scientific research institutions, and industrial concentration in a country because they fundamentally drive the development and success of foreign capital flow levels. Central banks should also implement effective strategies to optimize capital flows by advancing financial institutions.

The overarching aim of this study is to shed light on the effects of the competitive dynamics between local and international enterprises in townships and rural regions of the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM), Eastern Cape province, South Africa. To achieve this aim, our study compares the effects of these selected strategies between local and foreign businesses owned by local and foreign traders in townships and rural areas in the CHDM. We employed a quantitative research approach using questionnaires to gather data. In the complete model, the indirect effect of product diversification (PD) on competition dynamics (CD) through pricing strategy (PS) is minimal and non-significant. Similarly, for foreign businesses and local businesses, the mediation effect remains negligible. These findings suggest that while PD influences CD directly in some contexts, PS does not play a significant intermediary role. Overall, the results highlight the direct impact of PD on CD, particularly for foreign businesses. The mediating role of PS is negligible, and the importance of diversification for competition differs significantly between foreign and local businesses. These findings suggest the need for tailored diversification strategies based on the business context to enhance competitive positioning

This paper explores the role of strategic government communication in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Zimbabwe in the post-Mugabe era, using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology. The study investigates how government communication strategies, including diplomatic engagement, national branding, and media outreach, influence investor perceptions and contribute to economic growth. The review identifies key insights, noting that Zimbabwe’s efforts to rebrand itself through campaigns like "Zimbabwe is Open for Business" have enhanced its image internationally and attracted investments, particularly in the mining and infrastructure sectors. However, the study highlights several challenges, including political instability, inconsistent policies, and competition from other African nations, which continue to hinder Zimbabwe's full potential in attracting FDI. The findings suggest that while strategic communication has been effective in improving Zimbabwe’s image, further steps are needed to ensure consistent policy frameworks and address investor concerns regarding security and economic stability. The paper concludes that sustained efforts in refining communication strategies, alongside policy consistency, are essential for Zimbabwe to become a more competitive investment destination. Additionally, future research directions are proposed, including comparative studies with other African nations and an exploration of the role of non-governmental actors and digital platforms in enhancing FDI attraction.  

The purpose is to identify the role and importance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the Kosovo economy, emphasizing FDI in the banking sector and their impact on employment growth - comparing FDI levels with countries of the Western Balkans. Data processing design is in line with a focus on data published by local and international organizations and institutions, using methods deductive, comparing research data synthetically and analytically with direct access to literature, scientific journals, official reports published domestically and abroad. Kosovo aims to regulate favorable legal infrastructure by attracting as much FDI as possible to other countries in the region. In this context, in Kosovo the economic field is regulated by legal provisions covering the area of FDI, which is very favorable compared to other Western Balkan countries. This paper provides sufficient data to show the current state of FDI in Kosovo compared to the countries of the Balkan region, as well as the extent to which FDI has affected employment growth in the Kosovo banking sector. The practical implication also relates to identifying the improvement of positive legal conditions for more FDI attraction. The data in the paper present the real situation of FDI in Kosovo and their role in economic development, emphasizing the country's banking sector and how Kosovo stands for FDI relative to the Western Balkan countries.

Multinational companies (MNCs) show an apparent tendency toward research and development (R&D) for the last three decades. Many kinds of research have recently focused on R&D in emerging countries (ECs) to reveal the differences from R&D in developed countries. This paper presents a literature review consisting of 23 articles from 2004-2019 on R&D in emerging markets. By conducting content analysis, it has been analyzed their prominent concepts and results. According to the research focus, the articles examined have been classified into five main groups – internationalization of R&D, R&D activities, R&D investments, technology-based R&D, R&D offshoring – along with articles that cannot be grouped. The main purpose of this study is to determine the current tendency of R&D in emerging markets. Thus, it provides to understand in which position R&D has in emerging markets, and under which circumstances it is successful. Furthermore, practitioners can benefit from the results of the presented study. The systematic evaluation of the findings contributes to the formation of a general view for future research.