Contributions of international business from a postcolonial perspective: a critical review

Abstract

The mainstream literature on international business has played a key role in an asymmetric international process by prioritizing hegemonic power and dominance of developed countries. Practices of this Imperialism, especially by multinational companies, are traditionally rooted in colonial legacies. This article reviews the theoretical and empirical research on international business from the critical perspective of postcolonialism. The findings show that multinational enterprises possess advantages over their host country, suggesting further traces of dominance between colonizers and former colonies. Specifically, findings show that topics around language, slavery, control mechanisms, imperialism, and capitalism are dominant in the field of international business, suggesting a strong effect of historical colonialism on international business activities. The critical analysis grounded on post-colonial and international business perspectives draw attention to some neglected, if not untouched, strands with substantial gaps in the prevalent knowledge, opening new avenues for future research.