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This chapter aims to identify integrated marketing communication (IMC) in the context of business to business to consumer (B2B2C) and empirically test a number of hypotheses related to the selected constructs. A model of the IMC was tested in a survey conducted among stakeholders in the selected field. Professionals responsible for communication and branding activities need to evaluate the relative contributions of the IMC in the B2B2C perspective.

The estimates by both Russian and foreign authoritative organizations show the signs of the transition from stagnation to moderate growth, and this process should be accounted for by the largest transnational corporations (TNCs) traditionally active in Russia, such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Adidas, and others. However, despite the optimistic predictions of many analysts, macroeconomic (and geopolitical) situation in the world remains unstable. Russia is aiming at the trajectory of economic growth in the face of continuing pressure from the macroeconomic, foreign policy, and internal institutional factors. In response to this strain, the government has intensified efforts to implement the strategy of import substitution, which objectively affects the interests of TNCs at the Russian markets. The objective process of import substitution creates both challenges and opportunities for TNCs. Problems are connected with a direct displacement of their traditional products and brands due to both administrative restrictions and a change in consumer attitudes and preferences (“Buy Russian” approach gaining momentum). However, the opportunities lie within the participation in the future satiation of demand and fulfilling the consumer expectations during the upcoming revival of the positive economic dynamics. It can generally be noted that the TNCs should integrate into a specific project of import substitution in the postcrisis environment despite the variety of their corporate policies. This relatively new situation for TNCs in the context of general economic and geopolitical instability requires scenario modeling of the possible strategies of TNCs depending on both the overall macroeconomic and political situation in the country, as well as the internal factors affecting various commodity markets in Russia.

This study explores the nature and role of CEO discourse in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and especially during the highly complex post-merger integration process. Abstraction from two extensive empirical data sources suggests that executive discourse in M&A can be seen as fitting a taxonomy involving four categories: dubbed the cartel, aesthetic, videogame and holistic communicator. It is furthermore purported that executive sense-making through discourse may need to be monitored around an ideal and permanently oscillating distance between the executive promise and the many different realities that stakeholders experience in the post-merger process: too little distance prevents change from happening, too much distance erodes the belief in the promised possibilities. This distance, named the promise–realities gap, is different for each (type of) stakeholder, as stakeholders perceive both the discoursed promise as also their everyday corporate realities in different manners. This individual perception of discourse and of the multitude of perceived realities and the volatility of their influencing variables exacerbate the successful management of the promise–realities gap.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the recent changes in the role played by Africa as a traditional natural resources supplier for the world economy in a multipolar context. We highlight, on the one hand, how Africa remains a prominent supplier of critical minerals needed for information and communication technologies (ICT), including platinum, vanadium, coltan, chromium, manganese, zirconium, etc., and how the boomerang effect results in Africa also importing electronic waste. On the other hand, we show how the BRICS’ growth model, based on a very intensive use of natural resources acquired through international trade, is now being fuelled by Africa too. BRICS countries (especially China and India) are making foreign direct investments in Africa using their state companies to ensure the supply of natural resources under favourable economic terms. Thus, Africa appears as a disputed territory between the old domination of the advanced capitalist countries and emerging powers like the BRICS. However, this should not mask the fact that the European Union and North America are still the dominant foreign powers in the continent. Finally, we discuss which scenarios are open to further this multipolar moment, particularly in the wake of the great crisis.

The aim of this chapter is to draw attention to the changes that have taken place in Czechia in the last 20 years in the field of foreign trade, focussing on the key milestones of 2002, 2012 and 2022. The chapter also explains the important link between the performance of foreign trade and economic growth; this link has its support in theory, and above all in empiricism. The importance of foreign trade for economic growth is key, especially from the point of view of changes in the territorial and commodity structure, which saw several important changes in the observed period 2002–2022, so we can relevantly explain the effects on the economic growth of Czechia. However, the chapter finds a connection with yet another economic category, which is competitiveness. The method of measuring and subsequent ranking of competitiveness is also of utmost importance. If the economy is to be competitive, it must have its own strategy, and this directly concerns the key instruments of pro-export policy.

In this chapter, I present the development of enterprise risk management (ERM) in Poland from the policy and the organizational point of view. I examine the impact of ERM research on practice, and the professionalization of ERM, being facilitated by professional bodies and associations, and promoted by the evolvement of principles and practices. At the organizational level, I analyse and present the effects of laws and regulations on ERMs development, the advantages and disadvantages of decentralized corporate governance. While Poland is considered to be behind other European countries in leveraging the value creation aspects of ERM, I see evidence at the individual firm level that organizations in different industries are actively working with their version of ERM to realize organizational benefits, and that certain dimensions of integration can still be reached even in the absence of some of the formalized structural components of ERM to create value for the firm.