Christian Stutz

How can firms adapt to the constraints and opportunities created by geopolitical uncertainty and the growing role of states in international business? I study how firms adjust their business strategies and engage with governments to compete internationally. 

Expertise

Geopolitics and international business · Non-market strategy  · Historical and qualitative methodologies

Current projects

My current projects examine these questions through Finnish industries and firms, generating insights relevant to businesses facing similar challenges internationally. Finnish exporters, particularly those in strategic sectors such as dual use and defense, are an important audience for this work.

A particular strength of my work is advancing historical approaches in international business research. Alongside this work, I conduct case-study and interview-based research with contemporary firms.

• Firm behaviour under industrial policy — Research Council of Finland, 2024–2028. Using historical research methods, I examine how firms align their interests with national goals and secure state support for international competition.
• Finnish firms in changing competitive landscapes — SUE Foundation, 2025–2026. Through case studies and interviews, I investigate how dual-use firms compete internationally as states play a growing role in markets, and what Finland can do better to support them.

Selected outputs

My research has appeared in top management journals, such as the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Business Ethics, and Business History. Representative outputs include:

• Manufacturing national consent for industrial policy: a microhistorical analysis of Finnish shipbuilding — Journal of International Business Studies (2025).
• When great powers struggle: How geopolitical alignments of small states are influenced by their MNEs — Journal of Management Studies (2025).
• When trade walls rise: Lessons from Finnish companies on navigating market collapse — I by IMD (2025).

Collaboration and contact

In my teaching and company workshops, I have developed and brought together techniques that help participants spot geopolitical changes early, explore possible scenarios, and prepare options for responding. These include scenario planning and real options thinking—considering which commitments to make now and which choices to keep open as conditions change.

I welcome joint research with firms on their international business challenges and invitations to give research-based talks on geopolitics, business–government relations, and corporate strategy.

christian.stutz[at]jyu.fi