Sweden's position in a decoupling global economy : The effects of geopolitical developments on Swedish MNEs

Sammanfattning: In recent years, an increase in geopolitical tensions has prompted discussion within International Business research regarding de-globalization and signs of decoupling between previously interconnected markets. This thesis aims to investigate if high-revenue Swedish multinational enterprises’ communications and strategies are affected by exogenous geopolitical developments in the global economy. By conducting a qualitative content analysis of contents of letters to shareholders between the years 2014 to 2022, we made use of five coded markers and aggregated observations to discern significant events and trends in communication within a sample of 28 multinational enterprises. The findings indicate a shift in market focus among Swedish multinational enterprises, from global to Western markets, as well as increased emphasis on resilience. The study contributes to knowledge of how geopolitical developments affect communication of strategy by Swedish multinational enterprises.