Decisions, Decisions - An exploratory case study on individual decision-making in an MNC

Abstract

The international business (IB) landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent decades, bringing multifaceted challenges for decision-makers to address with limited resources at their hands. Therefore, decision-making is a complex process that is crucial for organisational success. However, research in the IB field on individual-level explanations behind this significant activity are few and far between, necessitating an exploration that seeks to highlight the micro-level behaviours and choices underlying macro-level outcomes within multinational corporations (MNCs). To take on this quest, we incorporated insights from behavioural economics and management studies. We conducted a case study within a Swedish MNC, interviewing 30 employees from various units operating within a matrix structure. Our findings reveal that employees often struggle to attend to all stakeholder claims, requiring conscious evaluation and prioritisation. Employees frequently prioritise competing demands that they perceive as most impactful on the organisation or themselves, with managers having more autonomy than non-managerial employees, subsequently using varied problem solving approaches through which competing demands are fulfilled.