Strategic Actions in Response to Uncertainty

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis was to identify the strategic actions taken by multinational firms in the banking and automotive industries in response to Brexit, complementing the development of Brexit-based literature. A secondary purpose was to present the actions’ relation to previous theoretical and categorical models concerning strategy, facilitating a categorical model for further instances of similar uncertainty. After an extensive external analysis consisting of news articles and company publications, empirical industry-specific categories were proposed. Utilizing theories and previous models, these categories were further developed into common, more theoretical categories. These four categories, named “Stay put”, ”Plan and prepare”, “Move” and “Alternate” are proposed to enable more general conclusions regarding strategy under political uncertainty. Suggestions for further research include additional industries, further effects and future cases to be observed in a similar context.