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This paper aims to present a new survey data set of 9,065 private sector respondents and other stakeholder groups, in Myanmar. The primary aim of this paper is to offer new insight avenues on local business–conflict–development interactions, and offer the full survey data set itself as an open-source research tool for scholars and practitioners.

The survey was conducted over smartphone in 2018. It asked questions that aimed to better understand the relationships between business, ethnic conflict, investment, corporate social responsibility and the United Nations sustainable development goals in Myanmar and in Rakhine State in particular.

The data set captures a series of significant differences in corporate leadership perspectives on the role of business in society, across sectors (e.g. banking, agriculture, retail, manufacturing, extractives) and variations across firm country of ownership (e.g. national firms, Global North firms, Indian firms, Chinese firms).

The authors conclude with a brief discussion of possible research findings from the survey, offering suggestions for possible forward analysis. The authors offer here the raw survey data as an attachment for full global open-source use and application.

This data set offers a unique window into stakeholder perceptions and understandings of working through conflict, and the role of business in development in a fragile conflict-affected state (Myanmar). The authors also conduct two example analyses of the data set using ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests to illustrate possible uses and findings of the data set.

The authors briefly discuss social implications as well, particularly regarding the role of business in peacebuilding and development.

This data set offers a unique window into stakeholder perceptions and understandings of working through conflict, and the role of business in development in a fragile conflict-affected state (Myanmar). The authors also conduct two example analyses of the data set using ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests to illustrate possible uses and findings of the data set.

The purpose of this paper is to reconceptualize how managers of multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage risk, particularly in fragile and/or conflict-affected areas of operation. The authors suggest that MNEs consider reducing risk at its source rather than trying to avoid or react to risks as they occur. By incorporating peacebuilding strategies, managers may not only reduce investment risk but also contribute to stability and prosperity in the communities where they operate, and gain a competitive advantage in doing so.

The authors show how firms can take a more holistic approach to working in conflict-affected areas. They do so by overlaying conceptualizations of risk with those of peacebuilding and then use case examples to illustrate how such actions work in practice.

Using a series of examples, the authors find that MNEs that incorporate peacebuilding frameworks in their risk calculations in complex settings tend to have a better understanding of local environments and how they affect firm operations and profitability. These same MNEs may hold a long-term advantage over international competitors that do not share the same understanding.

The authors argue that the study of relationships between international businesses and society in conflict-affected or fragile areas of operation is under-developed and tends to focus on negative (risk-aversion) aspects as opposed to positive (value-added) opportunities. This paper offers new ways in which these relationships can be reconceptualized. The authors’ main takeaway is that a peacebuilding approach does not require corporations to be arbitrators of peace at the expense of profit. Rather, it is instead a broader way to conceptualize and weigh risk when working in the world’s most challenging regions. This approach is more likely to be in the long-term interest of both the firm and the local society where the firm operates.

Businesses are increasingly engaged in actions to support peace in conflict- and violence-affected communities. Yet there is limited knowledge about why business leaders engage in peace or how citizens perceive the importance, efficacy and impacts of business contributions to address conflict and violence. These gaps are particularly acute for small business scholarship. This paper aims to address these.

This paper considers how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) view their peace-positive actions and how these are perceived by communities. This paper examines this by using two original primary surveys conducted concurrently in May 2021 in Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia. Question themes included: SMEs operating environments, relationships and networks, experiences of violence, SMEs community contributions and citizen perceptions of businesses as peacebuilding agents.

The results show that small business leaders who supported their communities with peace-positive actions saw their businesses perform better and held positive views of the benefits of engagement. Further, citizen perceptions of businesses contributions to peace declined where insecurity increased and improved where businesses – and in particular MSMSEs – engaged more in their communities.

This paper discusses certain limitations related to the use of a mobile-phone based sampling methodology enumerated during an ongoing pandemic.

This paper presents an original contribution that examines both SME and citizen perceptions of businesses peace-positive actions. The findings inform notions of SME leadership in fragile contexts, as well as the role of the private sector in conflict spaces more generally. They also suggest a greater focus on understanding the broader perceptions of businesses actions toward peacebuilding within society.