This book summarises Mark Casson’s recent research on the multinational enterprise. This work is firmly rooted in history and examines the evolution of the internalisation theory of the multinational enterprise over the past forty years and, in the light of this, considers its potential for further development. The book also explores internationalisation theory in respect to marketing and brands, the supply chain, risk management as well as methodology.
The articles in this volume explore aspects of multinational enterprises & apply the theory of internalization to North America, Europe & Japan. Rugman provides the reader with insights into the intellectual & personal history of the papers.
As foreign direct investment of U.S. multinational firms increases rapidly, some key questions emerge from this trend: What is the true nature of multinationality and what are its impacts on firm performance? Both questions are answered in this book through an examination of the nature of multinationality and its alternative measures and the effect of the degree of multinationality on firm performance, where firm performance is expressed by firm value, financial performance, prediction performance of earnings forecasts, diversification strategy and ownership structure, and corporate financing. The book is of value to all those interested in international business, finance and accounting issues, including professional accountants, business executives, teachers, researchers, and students.
Mario Krist explores if, how, and why internationalization and performance are related to each other and explicitly considers the role of intangible resources in this context.
The book focuses on the major environmental implications stemming from the growth of the multinational enterprise in a multiple currency world. A survey of the background to the multinational enterprise and concluding summaries ensure that this book is one of the most widely embracing volumes available on the subject.
Large, diversified firms face unique challenges as they compete worldwide, and corporate restructuring is one way multinationals strive for competitive advantage. Weighing the pros and cons of a variety of approaches to restructuring, Downscoping offers executives a clear, strategic path through the maze. The authors show that when a multinational conglomerate fails to compete effectively, too much diversification may be the culprit. Whether the result of weak corporate governance or poor corporate strategy, over-diversification can make managers, unfamiliar with some of the markets in which they compete, opt for safety over innovation. This risk-aversion and lack of long-range commitment to innovation lead inevitably to stagnation over the longer term. The answer is not downsizing--closing offices and laying off personnel--but downscoping: a strategic approach to restructuring. The options include incentive and compensation adjustments for executives, leveraged buy-outs and capital structure changes, focusing on core skills, diversifying internationally while focusing on businesses in which a firm has strong competencies, and buying and selling mature businesses where product development is not a great concern. Regardless of the approach, executives must exercise strategic leadership during and after restructuring, including providing strategic direction, exploiting core competencies, developing human capital, and sustaining the corporate culture. Based on systematic research rather than casual observation, Downscoping provides a strong description of restructuring alternatives and their resulting tradeoffs. Its specific guidelines for maintaining competitiveness will be essential reading for managers involved in corporate restructuring.
For many years to come this volume. . .is surely going to be the ultimate reference work on international business. . . thanks to Dunning and Lundan, have at their disposal, a wealth of relevant data, as well as theoretical and empirical analyses, which will enable them to assess the capabilities, contributions and challenges posed by the multinational enterprises to the global economy. Seev Hirsch, International Business Review Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy has become a classic in international business. . . Yet , the book s second edition is even better than the first, in part because of Professor Dunning s wise decision to choose Dr Lundan as his co-author and to draw upon her deep knowledge of various strands of research on business government relations and the societal effects of firm behaviour. . . In addition to being a remarkably useful reference book, Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy is the first book any IB doctoral student should read to understand the significance and richness of IB scholarship as it has developed over the past 50 years. Alain Verbeke, Journal of International Business Studies The second edition of Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy provides unparalleled coverage not only of the literature relevant to IB research but also of the evolution of IB in the world economy. Dunning and Lundan offer powerful insights into the societal effects of MNEs and the role of business government relations in the IB context. Journal of International Business Studies This wonderful book offers the definitive synthesis of the modern literature on the economic aspects of international business. It is encyclopedic yet full of incisive insights. It is a creative masterpiece which unbundles the DNA of the multinational enterprise and shows how it is the cornerstone of the field of international business. Alan M. Rugman, University of Reading, UK The rise of the multinational enterprise, and the consequent globalisation of the world economy, was arguably the single most important phenomenon of the second half of the twentieth century. This magisterial book, written by two leading authorities, examines this phenomenon in depth. It explains how foreign investment by multinationals diffused advanced technologies and novel management methods, driving productivity growth in Europe, Asia and North America; however, economic inequalities were reinforced as rich countries attracted more foreign investment than poor ones. This new edition of a classic work is not only an authoritative guide to contemporary multinational business, but a major historical resource for the future. Mark Casson, University of Reading, UK This thoroughly updated and revised edition of a widely acclaimed, classic text will be required reading for academics, policymakers and advanced students of international business worldwide. Employing a distinctive and unified framework, this book draws together research across a range of academic fields to offer a synthesis of the determinants of MNE activity, and its effects on the economic and social well-being of developed and developing countries. Unique to the new edition is its focus on the institutional underpinnings of the resources and capabilities of MNEs, and the role of MNE activity in transmitting and facilitating institutional change. Since the initial publication of this book more than a decade ago, the economic, managerial and social implications of globalisation and technological advancement have become even more varied and prominent. Accompanying these developments, there has been a rise in scholarly interest in interdisciplinary research addressing the important challenges of an ever-changing physical and human environment. Drawing on articles and books from international business and economics, as well as economic geography, political economy and strategic management, a systematic overview of the developments in scholarly thinking is prese
John Dunning’s general theory of international production, first propounded in the late 1970’s, has generated considerable debate. This work thoughtfully reassesses the paradigm, and extends the analysis to embrace issues of theoretical and empirical importance. In a collection of essays, the changing characteristics of international production are examined, and an interdisciplinary approach suggested for understanding the multinational enterprise in the world economy. This book, first published in 1988, will be of value not only to economists and international business analysts, but to scholars in other fields, notably organizational, marketing and management specialists.
