Multinational Enterprises Driving Sustainability: An institutional perspective

Abstract

The urgency of sustainability has gained global traction, with Agenda 2030 and its goals framing the need for joint action by public, private, and civil actors. Within this landscape, multinational enterprises (MNEs) play a pivotal role: they operate across diverse institutional contexts and possess unique capabilities to mobilize resources and governance structures in support of sustainable development. This book addresses scholars and professionals in management, sustainability, and international business. Drawing on the theoretical lens of institutional entrepreneurship, it explores how MNEs act as institutional entrepreneurs, strategically shaping institutions through both top-down and bottom-up strategies that engage civil society and public actors. Relying on a mixed-method design, which combines qualitative case studies with topic modeling of sustainability reports from four MNEs, the study examines how MNEs contribute to institutional change for sustainability. Its main contributions lie in advancing international business research on sustainability, highlighting the dynamic interplay between formal and informal institutions, and uncovering sector-specific patterns in sustainability strategies, with implications for both theory and practice.