MIB Seminar - Prof Jennifer Oetzel (American University)

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to encourage and to extend research on natural disasters and international business (IB). More specifically, we review the characteristics of natural disasters and the unique challenges they pose to the business environment and examine how they differ from other types of disasters/crises often researched in the IB literature. Next, we investigate the applicability and challenges of core IB theories to the study of natural disasters. By extending new internalization theory (NIT) to overcome challenges of bounded rationality and reliability, we identify effective strategies for managing the threat of natural disasters through establishing multi-sector partnerships and alternative supply chains. Integrating research on the characteristics of natural disasters and the insights from NIT, we propose natural disaster management strategies for multinational enterprises (MNEs) based on varying degrees of geographic scope of natural disasters and MNEs. This paper concludes with proposing new research opportunities for IB scholars in disaster preparedness, cross-organizational collaborations, and supply chain management. 

Bio: Professor Jennifer Oetzel’s research and teaching focus on social, economic and environmental sustainability. Specifically, she looks at how companies can reduce business risk by promoting economic, social, and environmental development as well as peace building in countries where they operate. She has won multiple research awards including the “2018 Emerald Literati Award” from Emerald Publishing for “Highly Commended” article, Best Paper Award at the European International Business Association Meeting in Vienna, Austria, 2016, Best Paper Award at the 2015 Academy of Management Meeting, Finalist for Haynes Prize for the Most Promising Scholar at the Academy of International Business Conference (2009), among others. Her overall body of research includes more than 30 articles, book chapters, working papers and a forthcoming book from Cambridge University Press on business adaptation to climate change. Her work has appeared in the Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Harvard Business Review, and the Journal of International Business Studies, among other outlets.