Business Diplomacy as a Tool for International Managers in Multi-National Corporations

In today’s complex globalised international arena, multinational corporations operate in and navigate through vast oceans of interconnected networks consisting of an array of relationships between business stakeholders, non-business stakeholders, and civil society. Thus, this thesis will delve into a business diplomacy toolset tailored towards managers at multi-national corporations to aid them in fulfilling these expectations whilst complying to laws and regulations, fulfilling their clients’ demands, and expanding their firm’s positive influence on the international playing field. The methodology used in this thesis consists of a series of online interviews, five multi-national firms operating in Europe have been interviewed, looking into how they currently utilise business diplomacy to their advantage, and their attitudes and perspectives regarding the topic. Overall, the results of the research show that business diplomacy mainly lives as an unspoken reality in most multi-national corporations, with some firms adapting business diplomacy instruments, yet to build strategies off it. Business diplomacy is still at the beginning of its development as a formal role in the corporate world, therefore it is up to discussion how far business diplomacy evolves further in the future.