Panel: MNEs’ Societal Impact: What do we know, where do we go?

The objective of this panel is to engage in a critical discussion and present state-of-the art research and government actions on Multinationals’ Societal Impact, focusing on how these firms can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable development for all stakeholders whilst achieving economic return for shareholders. The panel will focus on challenges of poverty, marginalisation and inequality, and how firms address these societal challenges. Panelists will present MNEs’ interactions with poor marginalised communities (e.g., addressing issues of education, health and growing local entrepreneurial capacity at grassroot level), and strategies to address different types of inequalities (e.g., gender and wage inequalities), before engaging in a critical conversation on how MNEs actions can lead to positive but also potentially negative societal impact.