The study of control mechanisms and corporate headquarters (CHQ) has a long and rich tradition in international business (IB) research. However, the physical building of CHQ, which is infused with meaning and serves as a symbolic resource of control in the hands of corporate management, has been overlooked. We conceptualize the CHQ building as a form of symbol-based spatial control that communicates desired organizational identity and strategic ambitions to internal and external audiences. In doing so, we go beyond viewing buildings as passive containers of organizational life and give them agency by asking the following research question: how are CHQ buildings used as mechanisms of symbol-based spatial control in contemporary MNCs? Our case study examines three highly visible landmark CHQ buildings recently built in the Helsinki metropolitan region in Finland. The findings show how CHQ buildings function as a totem of organizational identity, packaging and symbol of corporate strategic profile. While each CHQ building was designed to tell its unique story, we also identified a shared narrative of sustainability, which reinforces and controls the corporate identity. We initiate a conversation in IB by arguing that physical buildings can be turned into symbolic resources to exercise spatial control.
