National identity rhetoric under bilateral geopolitical tensions: evidence from Taiwanese MNEs

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Kang, Jin-Su; Kim, Sunghoon; Lee, Chuan-Kai
• 署名单位: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; Western University (University of Western Ontario); University of Sydney; National Tsing Hua University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-026-00898-z
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: liabilities; BUSINESS

摘要

When geopolitical tensions pit home and host audiences against each other, how do multinational enterprises (MNEs) respond? We examine MNEs' organizational identity work directed at external audiences under bilateral geopolitical tensions, where efforts to gain acceptance from one side may provoke backlash from the other. Focusing on MNEs' national identity rhetoric-how firms use language to emphasize or downplay national affiliation-we analyze longitudinal data (2001-2020) from the public communications of two Taiwan-originated MNEs, Foxconn and TSMC, which operate amid the geopolitical dynamics of the Taiwan Strait. Our analysis identifies four rhetorical strategies-augmenting-localizing, augmenting-globalizing, ambiguating, and affirming-through which MNEs manage tensions associated with the expression of national affiliation. We theorize how the deployment of these strategies varies according to two key contingencies: the level of bilateral geopolitical tension and the MNE's resource dependence on the host economy. We find that rising geopolitical tensions increase pressure on firms to actively calibrate their home identity, while host-country resource dependence shapes the extent to which firms accommodate host audiences. By highlighting rhetoric as a mechanism through which MNEs strategically manage national identity, this research contributes to the literature on MNEs' responses to increasingly polarized geopolitical environments. Lorsque les tensions g & eacute;opolitiques opposent les publics du pays d'origine et ceux du pays d'accueil, comment les entreprises multinationales (EMNs) r & eacute;agissent-elles ? Nous examinons le travail d'identit & eacute; organisationnelle men & eacute; par les EMNs & agrave; l'intention de publics externes dans un contexte de tensions g & eacute;opolitiques bilat & eacute;rales, o & ugrave; les efforts visant & agrave; obtenir l'acceptation d'une partie peuvent susciter une r & eacute;action n & eacute;gative de la part de l'autre. Nous concentrant sur la rh & eacute;torique identitaire nationale des EMNs - c'est-& agrave;-dire la mani & egrave;re dont elles utilisent le langage pour mettre en avant ou minimiser leur affiliation nationale -, nous analysons des donn & eacute;es longitudinales (2001-2020) issues des communications publiques de deux EMNs d'origine ta & iuml;wanaise, Foxconn et TSMC, qui op & egrave;rent dans le contexte des dynamiques g & eacute;opolitiques du d & eacute;troit de Ta & iuml;wan. Notre analyse met en & eacute;vidence quatre strat & eacute;gies rh & eacute;toriques - l'augmentation-localisation (augmenting-localizing), l'augmentation-globalisation (augmenting-globalizing), l'ambigu & iuml;sation (ambiguating) et l'affirmation (affirming) - par lesquelles les EMNs g & egrave;rent les tensions li & eacute;es & agrave; l'expression de leur affiliation nationale. Nous th & eacute;orisons comment le d & eacute;ploiement de ces strat & eacute;gies varie en fonction de deux contingences cl & eacute;s : le niveau de tension g & eacute;opolitique bilat & eacute;rale et la d & eacute;pendance des EMNs aux ressources de l'& eacute;conomie du pays d'accueil. Nous montrons que l'intensification des tensions g & eacute;opolitiques accro & icirc;t la pression exerc & eacute;e sur les entreprises pour qu'elles ajustent activement l'expression de leur identit & eacute; nationale d'origine, tandis que leur d & eacute;pendance & agrave; l'& eacute;gard des ressources du pays d'accueil d & eacute;termine dans quelle mesure elles adaptent leur discours aux attentes des publics de ce pays. En mettant en lumi & egrave;re la rh & eacute;torique comme un m & eacute;canisme par lequel les EMNs g & egrave;rent strat & eacute;giquement leur identit & eacute; nationale, cette recherche contribue & agrave; la litt & eacute;rature sur les r & eacute;ponses des EMNs face & agrave; des environnements g & eacute;opolitiques de plus en plus polaris & eacute;s. Cuando las tensiones geopol & iacute;ticas enfrentan a las audiencias locales y extranjeras, & iquest;c & oacute;mo responden las empresas multinacionales (MNEs)? Examinamos el trabajo de identidad organizacional de las empresas multinacionales dirigido a audiencias externas bajo tensiones geopol & iacute;ticas bilaterales, donde los esfuerzos por ganar aceptaci & oacute;n de un lado pueden provocar reacciones negativas del otro. Centr & aacute;ndonos en la ret & oacute;rica de identidad nacional de las empresas multinacionales, es decir, c & oacute;mo las empresas utilizan el lenguaje para enfatizar o minimizar su afiliaci & oacute;n nacional, analizamos datos longitudinales (2001-2020) de las comunicaciones p & uacute;blicas de dos empresas multinacionales originarias de Taiw & aacute;n, Foxconn y TSMC, que operan en medio de las din & aacute;micas geopol & iacute;ticas del Estrecho de Taiw & aacute;n. Nuestro an & aacute;lisis identifica cuatro estrategias ret & oacute;ricas, esto es, aumentar-localizar, aumentar-globalizar, hacer ambiguo y afirmar, mediante las cuales las empresas multinacionales gestionan las tensiones asociadas con la expresi & oacute;n de la afiliaci & oacute;n nacional. Teorizamos c & oacute;mo la implementaci & oacute;n de estas estrategias var & iacute;a seg & uacute;n dos contingencias clave: el nivel de tensi & oacute;n geopol & iacute;tica bilateral y la dependencia de recursos de la empresa multinacional en la econom & iacute;a anfitriona. Encontramos que el aumento de las tensiones geopol & iacute;ticas incrementa la presi & oacute;n sobre las empresas para calibrar activamente su identidad nacional, mientras que la dependencia de recursos del pa & iacute;s anfitri & oacute;n determina hasta qu & eacute; punto las empresas acomodan a las audiencias locales. Al destacar la ret & oacute;rica como un mecanismo mediante el cual las empresas multinacionales gestionan estrat & eacute;gicamente su identidad nacional, esta investigaci & oacute;n contribuye a la literatura sobre las respuestas de las empresas multinacionales a entornos geopol & iacute;ticos cada vez m & aacute;s polarizados. Quando tens & otilde;es geopol & iacute;ticas colocam os p & uacute;blicos dom & eacute;stico e estrangeiro em oposi & ccedil;& atilde;o, como as empresas multinacionais (EMNs) respondem? Examinamos o trabalho de identidade organizacional das EMNs, direcionado a p & uacute;blicos externos, sob tens & otilde;es geopol & iacute;ticas bilaterais, em que esfor & ccedil;os para obter aceita & ccedil;& atilde;o de um lado podem provocar rea & ccedil;& otilde;es negativas do outro. Focando na ret & oacute;rica de identidade nacional das EMNs - como as empresas utilizam a linguagem para enfatizar ou minimizar a afilia & ccedil;& atilde;o nacional - analisamos dados longitudinais (2001-2020) das comunica & ccedil;& otilde;es p & uacute;blicas de duas EMNs originadas em Taiwan, Foxconn e TSMC, que operam no contexto das din & acirc;micas geopol & iacute;ticas do Estreito de Taiwan. Nossa an & aacute;lise identifica quatro estrat & eacute;gias ret & oacute;ricas - aumentar-localizar, aumentar-globalizar, criar ambiguidade e afirmar - por meio das quais as EMNs gerenciam tens & otilde;es associadas & agrave; express & atilde;o de afilia & ccedil;& atilde;o nacional. Teorizamos como a aplica & ccedil;& atilde;o dessas estrat & eacute;gias varia de acordo com duas conting & ecirc;ncias-chave: o n & iacute;vel de tens & atilde;o geopol & iacute;tica bilateral e a depend & ecirc;ncia da EMN de recursos na economia anfitri & atilde;. Descobrimos que o aumento das tens & otilde;es geopol & iacute;ticas intensifica a press & atilde;o sobre as empresas para calibrar ativamente sua identidade nacional, enquanto a depend & ecirc;ncia de recursos do pa & iacute;s anfitri & atilde;o molda o grau em que as empresas se acomodam aos p & uacute;blicos locais. Ao destacar a ret & oacute;rica como mecanismo pelo qual as EMNs gerenciam estrategicamente a identidade nacional, esta pesquisa contribui para a literatura sobre as respostas das EMNs a ambientes geopol & iacute;ticos cada vez mais polarizados. 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