Storytelling the internationalization of the multinational enterprise

Internationalization deals with expansion across space and time. Researchers have framed internationalization as market growth and expansion through foreign direct investment (FDI). We use narrative theory to frame a bigger, richer picture. Using Mikhail Bakhtin's typology of nine space-time conceptions and directed observations of McDonald's Corporation, we show how multinational enterprises (MNEs) create narratives of internationalization to mitigate the risks of FDI. Competing space-time conceptions in consumers', authors' and societies' stories interact with managerial narratives to affect international product and task environments. We increase awareness of MNEs' storytelling by offering a typology of stakeholders' stories across space and time.