Recent political and societal developments have created a backlash against a prevailing world order that for nearly four decades has favoured globalisation and free movement of trade, capital, innovation, and people.
The new political and regulatory era that we are entering is likely to challenge the economics, business models and governance structures of established multinational corporations (MNCs). While we are clearly facing a rise in ‘nationalism’, ‘protectionism’ and ‘de-globalisation’, the pace of change and final state is unclear. There is hope that the current flux settles in an equilibrium allowing still favourable terms for global business models, but there is a clear risk as well that the current wave of populism will swell, triggering a worsening environment for MNCs, who need to respond to these developments.
In this context, the report explores how the current political shift impacts MNCs on various perspectives and how MNCs should fundamentally rethink their business models and governance principles in order to successfully navigate against these headwinds.
