Multinational corporations (MNCs) are navigating unprecedented challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts in the current era of re-globalization. Amid these external shocks, some MNCs ensure their resilient survival and growth in the host country markets. This research adopts a multi-case study approach, examining nine cases from three Chinese engineering MNCs, to explore the resilience during the internationalization transition of MNCs within the re-globalization context. The study identifies three distinct internationalization transition patterns linked to resilience: "bounce back", "bounce aside", and "bounce forward". These patterns emerge from MNCs' diverse capability bundles, specifically categorized by robustness and adaptability.

The COVID-19 health crisis had a significant impact on companies across the world, making significant changes to their operations and performance especially during the years 2020 and 2021, when national institutions were introducing drastic changes to contain the spread of the pandemic. With scarce resources and experiential knowledge, the survival of born global firms during this time depended on their ability to rapidly adapt to these changes. This paper studies the case of born global firms in India to understand how they utilized their formal and informal network ties to be agile and survive the crisis. Using primary data collected through a survey, the results demonstrate the importance of network learning capabilities that these firms must possess in order to remain agile.

This paper examines how advanced economy diaspora networks support the internationalisation of a UK healthcare consulting SME in developing countries. Adopting critical realist ontology, this embedded single-case study combined interviews, archival data and observations. Analysis revealed the heterogeneous and evolving nature of SME-diaspora ties across informal, formal and intermediary dimensions, motivated by the firm’s need to rapidly gain foreign market knowledge and legitimacy. Findings demonstrate diaspora networks mitigated unfamiliarity challenges through market expertise, culturally attuned insights, guidance on healthcare ecosystems, interpretation of regulations and norms, contribution to socially attuned innovations, and validation of the SME's genuine intentions to boost credibility as an unknown entity. Furthermore, SME-diaspora interactions strengthened diversity and inclusion within the UK NHS, boosted healthcare access and brain gain in developing countries, producing reciprocal benefits for the firm’s competitiveness and sustainability.

The present study addresses a lacuna in research on the effects of work stressors among subsidiary top management teams in headquarters–subsidiary relationships. Drawing on the job demands–resources (JD–R) theory, it investigates the mediating role of work engagement in the associations between challenge-hindrance stressors and subsidiary performance (i.e., operating revenue and local responsiveness). It also examines how slack resources moderate the relationships between these stressors and work engagement. Surveying 222 Chinese subsidiaries, the results confirm that work engagement mediates positively for challenge stressors and negatively for hindrance stressors on subsidiary performance. Furthermore, slack resources enhance the relationship between challenge stressors and work engagement. The study’s implications for theoretical development and managerial practice are also discussed.