Identity work in longstanding subsidiaries during crisis: reinforcing, preserving and reconstructing subsidiary identity

Lopez-Vega, Henry; Tell, Fredrik; Gillmore, Edward

Abstract

During a national crisis, longstanding subsidiaries' roles are placed under considerable pressure. At the same time, the connotation of longstanding subsidiaries implies that they have existed for a significant period of time, during which they would have developed legacies and identities related to these roles. However, there is limited understanding on how longstanding subsidiaries work with their legacies and identities to influence their roles in the MNE or in the local environment. This study examines how longstanding subsidiaries of Swedish MNEs in Brazil engage in identity work during an economic crisis. Drawing on a comparative case study of 16 competence-exploring and competence-exploiting subsidiaries, the findings reveal three distinct foci of identity work: reinforcing, preserving, and reconstructing. The study contributes to the emerging literature on subsidiary identity work by demonstrating how identity work relates to subsidiary roles over time. It also contributes to subsidiary evolution research by revealing how longstanding subsidiaries manage legacy in response to environmental turbulence.

Citation

Lopez-Vega, H., Tell, F., & Gillmore, E. (2025). Identity work in longstanding subsidiaries during crisis: reinforcing, preserving and reconstructing subsidiary identity. Journal of International Management, 31(4), Article 101259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2025.101259

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 6, 2025
• Online Publication Date: May 23, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-08
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2025
• Journal: Journal of International Management
• Print ISSN: 1075-4253
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-0620
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: 101259
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2025.101259
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4089108