This podcast dives into the high-stakes geopolitical tug-of-war over Latin America’s critical minerals, where the U.S. and China are deploying rival strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative to the Minerals Security Partnership to secure the resources powering the global energy transition. This podcast uncovers how nations like Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina are leveraging this competition, swinging between resource nationalism and open-market policies to demand value-added industrialization rather than just raw extraction. This podcast offers a crucial playbook for multinational enterprises, revealing how to navigate complex regulations like the Inflation Reduction Act while forging local partnerships that survive the crossfire of superpower rivalry.

Citation: Li, J., Shapiro, D. & Vecino, C. (2025). Geopolitics, Host Country Policy, and Critical Mineral Investment in Latin America. AIB Insights. https://doi.org/10.46697/001c.146203

Gender wage discrimination is a grand challenge that constrains economic growth worldwide and denies women fair opportunities. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how women’s own experiences of wage discrimination steer their career decisions. The article discussed in this podcast episode adopts the perspective of job-seeking women and argues that prior exposure to wage discrimination reshapes their employer preferences.

Citation: Sofka, W., Grimpe, C. & Kaiser, U. (2025). Gender wage discrimination and the attractiveness of foreign MNC subsidiaries as employers for women. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00811-0

Discover how firms are transforming from passive victims of geopolitical disruptions into active agents capable of shaping the very political environments that constrain them. This podcast unpacks a new model that traces how shocks from trade wars to military conflicts filter through specific institutional mechanisms like sanctions and media narratives that inform firms’ strategy and performance. Join us in this podcast to learn why some firms aren't just surviving these disruptions, but are engaging with them head-on.

Citation: Andrews, D.S., Puhr, H. & Knill, A. (2026). Transmission of geopolitical shocks to firm behavior: a synthesis and integrative model. Journal of International Business Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-025-00232-8

Join us as we explore how multinational enterprises can wield their immense power to end exploitative practices and finally make "decent work" a reality rather than just a pipe dream. This podcast breaks down a new actionable framework designed to protect marginalized communities, including migrant workers and the LGBTIQ+ community, by enforcing strict supply chain accountability and leveraging transparency technology. This podcast can be your blueprint for moving beyond corporate rhetoric to implement concrete strategies like living wages and inclusive hiring that truly transform global operations.

Citation: Röell, C., Ocampo, A., & Özbilgin, M. F. (2025). From Pipe Dream to Meaningful Action: How MNEs Can Deliver Decent Work. AIB Insights. https:/​/​doi.org/​10.46697/​001c.145892.

While the world fixates on the economic damage caused by trade wars, a new study reveals how "outsider" multinational firms are quietly turning geopolitical chaos into a massive growth opportunity. This podcast explores how companies, like Volkswagen and Airbus, which are from neutral nations, are leveraging their outsider status to aggressively scale up operations inside conflict zones like China, capitalizing on cheaper assets and reduced competition from American rivals. Join this podcast to discover why possessing a vast global network, strong local partnerships, and favorable bilateral agreements are the ultimate keys to transforming trade barriers into competitive windfalls.

Citation: Ma, H., & Clougherty, J.A. (2025). Third-country MNEs, trade wars, and competitive opportunities: a real-options perspective. Journal of International Business Studies https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00821-y

Check out this podcast to explore a groundbreaking new framework that finally moves beyond the simplistic "good vs. bad" debate on corporate sustainability, revealing how global supply chains impact our planet in four distinct, context-dependent ways. By listening, you will uncover why the same environmental initiative can be a game-changer in a healthy ecosystem but barely scratch the surface in a degraded one, and what this means for the future of business strategy. This podcast is your guide to understanding how tailored policy tools such as financial incentives and strict regulations can transform supply chains from drivers of ecological damage into powerful engines for restoration and resilience.

Citation: Bass, A.E., Bu, M. & Sartor, M.A. (2025). Reconceptualizing global value chain impact on the natural environment: a framework for integrating context, upgrading, and downgrading with policy implications. Journal of International Business Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-025-00227-5

This podcast highlights how big global companies can team up with small startups to make real progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Using Bayer’s partnership with Ghana’s digital health venture Bisa, it shows a three-step process which involves matching complementary skills, linking with non-profits, and expanding into underserved regions, that can create both business and social impact. It’s an inspiring story of how “win-win-win” partnerships can turn innovation into meaningful change for communities that need it most.

Citation: Prashantham, S. (2025). MNE–SME Engagement for the SDGs. AIB Insights. https://doi.org/10.46697/001c.144863.

This podcast dives into a fascinating “crowdsourced science” experiment where 57 analysts across the world tackled the same research questions with the same data but still came to considerably different conclusions, often with opposing effects for the same sets of variables. It shows how much research outcomes can depend on the analyst’s choices, yet also how combining many perspectives can reveal meaningful patterns beneath the noise. It’s an energetic look at how science can be more open, transparent, and collaborative, proving that even messy data stories can yield real insight when many minds work together.

Citation: Delios, A., Hu, T., Yu, S. et al. (2025). The insights from the crowd: Drawing inferences from many approaches to key empirical questions in international business. Journal of International Business Studies. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-025-00808-9