Managing, theorizing, and policymaking in an age of sociopolitical uncertainty: Introduction to the special issue

Abstract

The last 15 years have brought a fracturing of the relative stability of the post-Cold War world, an era characterized by the ascendance of free markets, consumer choice, globalization, and social change valuing individual autonomy. This move away from the placid waters of the 1990s is being driven by a combination of formal and informal sociopolitical actors and in both coordinated and uncoordinated forms at the local and global levels. However, while these historical currents we are seeing may be different in form, content, and nuance, it is hardly a radical departure from previous instances of instability in global commerce. This special issue examines the rise of sociopolitical uncertainty and how it matters for international business and policy. Following on the heels of other recent research into social movements, civil society, and the actions of insiders and outsiders, we call for greater understanding of political personalities, actors, and movements in altering the landscape for international business.