Political Imperatives And Firm-Level Political Activities: A Study Of U.S. Multinationals

Abstract

The existence of political threats, also known as “political imperatives”, represents one of the key distinctions between home country and international operations.  At the same time, little published research exists which addresses how firms deal with these types of threats.  This study explores the types of political activities firms use when faced with particular political imperatives.  The findings show that firm-level political activities vary depending upon the form of political imperative faced by the firm.