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Konsten att (inte) vara neutral

Lagerstedt, Astrid LU and Berggren, Agnes LU (2026) SKOK11 20261
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract (Swedish)
Studien syftar till att bidra med en fördjupad förståelse för hur organisatoriskt ansvar och legitimitet konstrueras i svenska nyhetsmediers rapportering om företag som indirekt kopplas till en geopolitisk kris. Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys undersöker studien medierapporteringen om Ikea och Mondelez i relation till Rysslands invasion av Ukraina 2022, där företag fattade skilda strategiska beslut på den ryska marknaden. Studien utgår från ett interpretativt och socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv och bygger på ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av diskursiv institutionalism, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Corporate Moral Responsibility och legitimitetsteorin. Analysen visar att organisatoriskt ansvar inte enbart konstrueras... (More)
Studien syftar till att bidra med en fördjupad förståelse för hur organisatoriskt ansvar och legitimitet konstrueras i svenska nyhetsmediers rapportering om företag som indirekt kopplas till en geopolitisk kris. Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys undersöker studien medierapporteringen om Ikea och Mondelez i relation till Rysslands invasion av Ukraina 2022, där företag fattade skilda strategiska beslut på den ryska marknaden. Studien utgår från ett interpretativt och socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv och bygger på ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av diskursiv institutionalism, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Corporate Moral Responsibility och legitimitetsteorin. Analysen visar att organisatoriskt ansvar inte enbart konstrueras genom direkt skuld, utan även genom företagens geografiska närvaro, ekonomiska relationer och förväntningar på moraliskt agerande. Resultatet visar vidare att Ikeas beslut att minska och avveckla verksamheten i Ryssland i högre grad framställs som ansvarstagande och legitimt, medan Mondelez fortsatta verksamhet i landet i större utsträckning kopplas till kritik, ifrågasättande och legitimitetsproblem. Sammantaget visar studien att nyhetsmedier utgör en central arena där indirekt organisatoriskt ansvar tillskrivs och där företags legitimitet formas, förhandlas och omvärderas i samband med geopolitiska kriser. (Less)
Abstract
The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how organizational responsibility and legitimacy are constructed in Swedish news media coverage of companies indirectly linked to a geopolitical conflict. Through a qualitative content analysis, the study examines coverage of Ikea and Mondelez in relation to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, during which the companies made different strategic decisions regarding the Russian market. The study adopts an interpretive and social constructionist perspective and is based on a theoretical framework comprising discursive institutionalism, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Corporate Moral Responsibility, and legitimacy theory. The analysis shows that organizational responsibility is... (More)
The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how organizational responsibility and legitimacy are constructed in Swedish news media coverage of companies indirectly linked to a geopolitical conflict. Through a qualitative content analysis, the study examines coverage of Ikea and Mondelez in relation to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, during which the companies made different strategic decisions regarding the Russian market. The study adopts an interpretive and social constructionist perspective and is based on a theoretical framework comprising discursive institutionalism, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Corporate Moral Responsibility, and legitimacy theory. The analysis shows that organizational responsibility is constructed not only through direct culpability but also through the companies’ geographic presence, economic relationships, and expectations of moral behavior.
The results further show that Ikea’s decision to scale back and phase out its operations in Russia is portrayed to a greater extent as responsible and legitimate, while Mondelez’s continued operations in the country are more frequently linked to criticism, questioning, and legitimacy issues. Overall, the study shows that news media constitute a central arena where indirect organizational responsibility is attributed and where corporate legitimacy is shaped, negotiated, and reevaluated in connection with geopolitical crises. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lagerstedt, Astrid LU and Berggren, Agnes LU
supervisor
organization
course
SKOK11 20261
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Indirect responsibility, organizational responsibility, attribution of responsibility, legitimacy, courses of action, media discourse, geopolitical crisis, Ikea, Mondelez
language
Swedish
id
9229558
date added to LUP
2026-06-25 11:09:34
date last changed
2026-06-25 11:09:34
@misc{9229558,
  abstract     = {{The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how organizational responsibility and legitimacy are constructed in Swedish news media coverage of companies indirectly linked to a geopolitical conflict. Through a qualitative content analysis, the study examines coverage of Ikea and Mondelez in relation to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, during which the companies made different strategic decisions regarding the Russian market. The study adopts an interpretive and social constructionist perspective and is based on a theoretical framework comprising discursive institutionalism, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Corporate Moral Responsibility, and legitimacy theory. The analysis shows that organizational responsibility is constructed not only through direct culpability but also through the companies’ geographic presence, economic relationships, and expectations of moral behavior.
The results further show that Ikea’s decision to scale back and phase out its operations in Russia is portrayed to a greater extent as responsible and legitimate, while Mondelez’s continued operations in the country are more frequently linked to criticism, questioning, and legitimacy issues. Overall, the study shows that news media constitute a central arena where indirect organizational responsibility is attributed and where corporate legitimacy is shaped, negotiated, and reevaluated in connection with geopolitical crises.}},
  author       = {{Lagerstedt, Astrid and Berggren, Agnes}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Konsten att (inte) vara neutral}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}