Internationalized at work and localistic at home: The 'split' Europeanization behind Brexit

Area of Science:

• Socioeconomic studies
• Political science
• International relations

Background:

• The United Kingdom's membership in the European Union was a subject of significant debate.
• The 2016 referendum on EU membership, commonly known as Brexit, revealed deep societal divisions.
• Understanding the drivers of the Leave vote is crucial for analyzing the UK's political and economic trajectory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between local economic internationalization and societal openness in the context of the Brexit vote.
• To evaluate alternative explanations for the Brexit referendum outcome.
• To identify key socioeconomic factors contributing to the 'Leave' vote.

Main Methods:

• Empirical analysis of referendum results.
• Comparative assessment of public debate explanations.
• Examination of the interplay between firm internationalization and employee attitudes.

Main Results:

• A discernible link exists between the internationalization of local economies and the 'Leave' vote.
• The Brexit outcome is associated with rising tensions between globalized business interests and localistic employee sentiments.
• A 'split Europeanization' phenomenon, characterized by a mismatch between internationalized economies and localistic societies, appears to be a significant factor.

Conclusions:

• Brexit can be understood as a consequence of the growing divergence between the internationalization of local firms and the localistic attitudes of their workforce.
• Euroscepticism is fueled by the increasing disconnect between globalized economic interests and localized societal preferences and cultural values.
• The findings highlight the complex socioeconomic dynamics underlying the Brexit decision.