Managing socio-political risk at the subnational level: Lessons from MNE subsidiaries in Indonesia

Within emerging markets, institutional conditions vary significantly at both the country and subnational levels. Although the extant literature recognises the types of risk faced by multinational enterprises (MNEs) in emerging markets, it has hitherto paid scarce attention to explaining how MNEs manage such risk at the subnational level. Reporting on four case studies from Indonesia, we outline how MNEs ensure their success by maintaining active relationships with a variety of non-market actors—including opinion leaders, government officials, and communities at the subnational level. In our study, we developed a conceptual framework, showcasing how MNEs can manage socio-political risk within heterogeneous institutional settings.     

Are 1-endings the new 9-endings? An alternative for generating price discount perceptions

Although extant literature confirms the efficacy of 9-endings, how consumers perceive multi-digit prices with repeating identical ending digits such as $1999 is less clear. Research indicates that consumers tend to truncate 9-ending prices and associate them with discounts. Five experiments demonstrate, however, that consumers are likely to perceive multi-digit prices with 1-endings (e.g., $2111) as being more on a discount than prices with 9-endings (e.g., $1999). Moreover, a year-long field study shows that 1-ending (vs. 9-ending) prices receive more click-through rates when presented in online ads. These novel findings inform retailers on how they can generate higher discount perceptions by using 1-endings rather than 9-endings in multi-digit prices.     

Go small or go home: Operational exposure to violent conflicts and foreign subsidiary exit

This study aims to open the black box of heterogeneous responses to violent conflicts by focusing on subsidiaries’ operational exposure to violent conflict and their decisions to exit host countries. Drawing on real options theory, we propose a viable approach multinational enterprises can take when they encounter violent conflicts in their operating locations. Our analysis of 3,479 foreign subsidiaries operating in 11 countries over 26 years suggests that the exit decision of any given subsidiary located in a conflict-affected country depends on its operational scope. However, this effect depends on the characteristics of the operations the subsidiary undertakes, specifically, whether the subsidiary conducts natural resource-seeking operations and the degree of operational overlap with the same-parent affiliates.