Foreign exits and re-location on a rugged performance landscape: a theoretical perspective

Foreign divestments and relocations are a central topic in the management of a multinational company, but interestingly received relatively less attention in research than its growth counterpart. While there is a growing body of literature on the topic, there are still many issues that deserve further investigation. We provide a bibliometric analysis of the broad literature in this field, structurally summarize the main findings, and identify a research direction that warrants further attention. Based on this, we draw on research on rugged performance landscapes and propose a theoretical angle that can help advance our knowledge of foreign divestments and relocations. We highlight the interdependent nature of the company's international portfolio of locations and argue how complexity in this configuration can hinder an effective adaption process. We further discuss factors that influence this search and adaption process.