A Text Analytic Approach to Study Host Country Nationalist Sentiments and MNE Responses during National Conflicts

Abstract

International business scholars have conducted lots of studies on MNE strategic choices in host country. However, most of the strategic choices are those need a long time to be implemented and to take effect, and we known little about how MNEs can instantly respond to host country environmental changes. Using social media textual data, I focus on nationalist sentiment and develop two types of nationalist sentiment, namely expressive nationalist sentiment and instrumental nationalist sentiment, through textual analysis. Then, I examine what rhetorical strategies MNEs adopt when different types of nationalist sentiment are high.