The Following Article has been published online and is available for all
Business & Society (BAS) subscribers. The abstract is provided below:
Business & Society
Article
From Foe to Friend: Complex Mutual Adaptation of Multinational Corporations and Nongovernmental
Organizations
Deborah E. de Lange, Daniel Armanios, Javier Delgado-Ceballos, and Sukhbir Sandhu
The relationship between multinational corporations (MNCs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on
social and environmental issues sometimes evolves from being antagonistic to cooperative. To explore how
MNCs and NGOs are able to cooperate as friends rather than remain foes, this conceptual research drawing
on complexity theory examines a proposed process of mutual adaptation occurring through more flexible
semi-structures that support the evolution of (a) joint strategic responses enabled by future gazing,
(b) communication systems that facilitate joint strategic responses, and (c) coordinated, timed-based
change that supports joint strategic responses. The article provides illustrations from MNC–NGO
collaborations. Conclusions are that mutual adaptation and cooperative resolutions are more likely when
organizations either share these capabilities or compensate for each other’s shortcomings, and make
trade-offs that align with joint strategic objectives. This article contributes to complexity theory and
the NGO–MNC literature by exploring how interorganizational cooperative behavior incorporates mutual
adaptation so that more sustainable practices are implemented and continuously improved upon by MNCs
Andy Crane, Dirk Matten, Irene Henriques, Bryan Husted
York University
Schulich School of Business
4700 Keele Street, Toronto, M3J 1P3
baseditors@schulich.yorku.ca
_______________________________________________________________________
To send a message to the list, send your email to
SIM@aomlists.pace.edu
_______________________________________________________________________
Visit the SIM Division website at:
http://sim.aomonline.org
_______________________________________________________________________
If you wish to unsubscribe from this list or change your delivery
options, you can do so online at:
http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=sim&A=1