Beyond the rent-seeking: resilience and civic transformation of Ukrainian business

What role do businesses play in wartime – opportunistic rent-seekers, or defenders of the nation? This article explores how extreme geopolitical shocks reconfigure corporate agency by triggering civic transformation, arguing that such transformation is not a deviation from business interest but is embedded within it. It introduces a novel framework of constructive responses to conceptualise how firms link societal interest with self-interest across three competing logics of business interest formation: economistic, socially embedded, and geopolitically or normatively aligned. These logics range from narrow commercial calculations to broader civic commitments and correspond to distinct tiers of constructive responses – from symbolic acts and reputational signalling to resource mobilisation and strategic collaboration. To illustrate these responses empirically, the article examines responses of two contrasting Ukrainian business groups – oligarchic conglomerates and internationally integrated IT firms – during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Despite structural differences, both groups demonstrated civic agency and transformed their interests, repurposing informal networks and mobilising resources to meet urgent societal needs. The findings show how wartime conditions activate civic transformation that redefine business interests and position firms as co-producers of societal resilience. The study contributes to debates on corporate citizenship, democratic resilience, and the evolving role of business in patronal and post-conflict political economies.