Scandals and failures in some of the best known international Japanese-owned companies have shown that there is sometimes a considerable difference between the public and internal narratives of Japanese firms. This book explores the extent to which Japanese firms' public claims reflect wider reality. Exploring how and why corporate narrative-management is 'accepted' or 'rejected' by external and internal audiences in Japan, the book clarifies what narrative-management means for Japanese organizations. It argues that the role of narrative-management has become much more prevalent in Japan in recent years, but that it does not serve quite the same role as it does in the Western environments where the theory and practice first emerged. The author presents interview-based case studies within four very different large Japanese organisations, all of which have deployed and loudly announced new restructuring plans based largely on Western models of corporate 'best practice'. The book aims to describe and account for these Japanese corporate narratives, and asks what they are, why they are deployed and who believes in them. As the first narrative-related work in the Japanese context, this volume provides an insight into the development of Japanese narrative-management. It will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese Business, International Business and Organizational Studies.

First published in 1998, this volume focuses on the special category of countries popularly referred to as 'transition economies' through an analysis of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and their role in Asian economies, with a view to assessing whether they could or should provide a model for African countries. The present volume explores the institutional peculiarities displayed by 'transition economies'. These are economies which are undergoing a comprehensive and fundamental societal transformation with a view to creating a utopian communist society within the frame of a centrally administered economy, then a pluralistic society based on a market economy and the rule of law. Much of the debate on the economic performance of African LCD's has focused on informal sector activities or on the imperative to achieve structural adjustment. By highlighting instead the challenges facing two of the least successful among the African economies - Ethiopia and Tanzania, both of which share a socialist past - this book moves beyond the above issues. It argues that institutional adjustment is critical to the prospects for success in developing transition economies. As such the book investigates the transaction costs environment within which small-scale industrial activities are set. By drawing extensively on the Asian experience, (predominantly China and Vietnam but also India and Taiwan), it identifies sources of transaction costs by examining not only the transactional disadvantages of small-scale production, but also the past and present sources of institutional inefficiency.

The Chinese characters for "danger" and "opportunity" form the word "crisis". Ancient Chinese wisdom sees an opportunity in danger. While cultural diversity brings challenges to the workplace, how do we turn these challenges into opportunities? Drawing on their extensive experience working with multicultural and multinational organizations, Lionel Laroche and Caroline Yang provide an in-depth analysis of cross-cultural dynamics in the workplace and offer practical suggestions at both the individual and organizational levels. The book analyzes cross-cultural challenges in six areas: the relative importance of technical and soft skills; cross-cultural communication; cross-cultural feedback; hierarchy; individualism; and risk tolerance. It then provides a solutions framework that encompasses people, systems and environment to bridge the issues that arise from cultural differences. The analysis and solutions are applied in four business contexts: managing a multicultural workforce; competing in the global talent market; collaborating with joint venture partners; and working with offshore resources. If you work with colleagues, managers, employees and customers from diverse cultures, if you are with an organization that has a multicultural workforce and/or global operations, or if your organization collaborates with joint venture partners or offshore resources from different cultures, then Danger and Opportunity: Bridging Cultural Diversity for Competitive Advantage is the book for you.

In the twenty-first century, the global community constantly strives to bring structure and order to the world through strategic means. From the highest levels of governments and militaries to multilateral institutions, NGOs, and corporations, a strategy for the future of a company, region, country, or even the world is tantamount to success. Yet few understand what strategy actually is and how it can be developed, planned, and implemented. Strategy for the Global Market combines a fundamental study of the theory of strategy with its practical applications to provide a new approach to the global emerging market. Due to the technological transformations in communications and transportation, and the birth and development of both the global community and the global marketplace over the past twenty years, the world's population and corporations are in much closer contact with their counterparts across the globe than ever before. This has led to increasing competition and even rivalries. Understanding the strategic environment, as well as solving problems either through amicable means or conflict, requires the powerful instrument of strategy to remain efficient and to triumph. Features of this book include: Methodology and practical recommendations for all stages of developing and implementing strategy. A comprehensive guide with explanations and descriptions, for the preparation and orderly compilation of all necessary strategy documents. Real-world examples taken from corporate, government, and military strategizing practices in emerging market countries and the global marketplace. This book should be on the desk of every national, regional, and military leader, corporate executive, manager, and student of strategy.

'International Project Management' provides specific guidelines for achieving greater project success. It is the result of 15 years of work on international projects by the authors across various project areas and industries. The authors address a need for modern techniques in project management geared and suited to international projects. They offer lessons learned from failures and problems in international projects, and suggest alternative solutions for project issues. Industry examples include manufacturing, distribution, communications, media, transportation, government, IT, marketing, energy, medical care, tourism, and others in forty countries across five continents. The purpose of this book is to answer: * What is an international project and why is it different? * What are the critical success factors for managing international projects? * How are vendors and outsourcing managed across national boundaries? * How do businesses effectively address cross- cultural, social, and political issues? * How are international communications set up and coordinated? * What should a manager look for in an international project leader? * How does a business select the right vendors for an international project? * How are inadequate or incompatible infrastructure and technology issues overcome? * How are the legal and bureaucratic limitations on project management dealt with?

As a result of the budgetary crises facing many European economies, the third edition of European Business is published at a time of turbulence in the European Business environment. The resulting uncertainty has put at risk those features which have made Europe unique the market and policy integration which has shaped the strategy of businesses with a European presence during the preceding decades.

This new edition assesses the importance of the key features of integration for business and how individual member states affect the integration process and bring diversity to European business. In recognition of the ever increasing interdependence of Europe with the rest of the world, this new edition of European Business also puts greater emphasis on the links between Europe and the world s other main regions.

The text has been fully updated to take account of the fast moving changes affecting the discipline and contains a range of pedagogical features to help students make sense of what can seem a confusing and complex environment. In addition to the numerous case studies, the features include clear objectives, discussion questions, activities, boxed supporting information and extensive up-to-date reading.

The crucial actors of a global knowledge-based economy are multinational enterprises (MNEs). MNEs depend on the embeddedness in an institutional framework; their competitive advantage depends on the cross-border utilisation of regional and national capabilities. The innovativeness of a company is therefore based also on regional innovation systems. Multinational Enterprises and Innovation contributes to a better understanding of the interconnectedness between organisational and regional learning. On the basis of case studies in Germany and France, this volume investigates how MNEs cope with technical, economic and institutional uncertainties by drawing upon the complementary strengths of organisational and regional networks in national and European contexts. The book links two theoretical debates which are currently still largely disconnected -- the debate on learning processes in MNEs and the debate on the regional bases of innovativeness and competitiveness -- answering the question of how the internationalisation of R&D is reconciled with regional competences.

For the last 60 years, Saudi Arabia has assumed a vital economic role and has been situated on the center stage of the global economic and political scene. While the market was once dominated by American and British firms, and later Japanese corporations, Korean and Chinese companies have now aggressively entered the market and have posed serious challenges to entrenched multinational corporations. The Saudi market has newly become an arena for unbridled competition. As companies must adapt and embark on creative means to sustain their positions in dynamic markets, multinational corporations must also find a comprehensive approach to dealing with cultural and political developments. Having a competitive edge demands familiarity with market nuances and peculiarities in addition to providing quality product and service. Business and Management Environment in Saudi Arabia is not primarily about how to conduct business in the region, but rather it provides insightful information to optimally guide western managers in conducting their operations in Saudi Arabia. The book offers essential information to engage effectively, manage business activities, resolve cultural understandings, and tackle appropriate issues of group dynamics, human resource management, managing change, and development and relations with the government and the general public. As such, it is required reading for both business leaders and academics alike.

Globalization processes have resulted in the emergence of business and management networks in which the sharing of knowledge is of crucial importance. Combining two contemporary and important subject areas - namely that of international management and also language and communication in multi-language contexts - the author of this book presents a wealth of ideas, examples and applications taken from international and global contexts, which show that 'language matters' in the pursuit of international business affairs. The book establishes the theoretical core of its main ideas by introducing two orientations (social construction and linguistic relativity) and demonstrates how they can be drawn on to frame and understand the activities of managers. Highly innovative and topical, Susanne Tietze's book will appeal to students of international management and international human resource management as well as those studying intercultural communication. It is also useful for managers and practitioners who work internationally.

First Published in 1965. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This exhaustive resource provides comprehensive coverage of the major players in the Chinese economy since the reform era, which began in 1978. It includes 200 entries briefly summarizing each individual's life and career, with a central focus on his or her accomplishments and the key roles played in the economic development of China. The emphasis of the book is on the movers and shakers of China's new economy, highlighting notable figures from both the initial economic liberalization period and the renewed growth from the early 1990s to the present time. This invaluable dictionary is the result of collaborative efforts across the globe. Over forty scholars from the United States, mainland China and Taiwan, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Norway, Israel and Malaysia contributed. They cover the full spectrum of Chinese industries from banking, finance and investment, real estate, transportation and infrastructure, to manufacturing, telecommunications, media, agriculture, automobile, pharmaceutical, food, trade, service and retail industries. The book includes not only business leaders from mainland China, but also entrepreneurs from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia who have strong ties with the Chinese economy. Because of the key roles they played in economic development, some leading economists and high-ranking government officials are also included. The editors do not shy away from controversial figures, whose actions have had profound impacts on the Chinese economy, and who may have gotten into legal problems later in their career. Scholars, practitioners and librarians in international business, entrepreneurship and Asian studies will find this volume an essential addition to their reference shelf.

Over the past decades, the total value of executive compensation packages has been rising dramatically, contributing to a wider pay gap between the chief executive officer and the average worker. In the midst of the financial turmoil that brought about a massive wave of corporate failures, the lavish executive compensation package has come under an intense spotlight. Public pressure has mounted to revise the levels and the structure of executive pay in a way that will tie more closely the executive wealth to that of shareholders. Merger and acquisition (M&A) activities represent an opportune setting for gauging whether shareholder value creation or managerial opportunism guides executive compensation. M&As constitute major examples of high-profile events prompted by managers who typically conceive them as a means for achieving higher levels of pay, even though they are frequently associated with disappointing returns to acquiring shareholders. Mergers and Acquisitions and Executive Compensation reviews the existing empirical evidence and provides an integrative framework for the growing body of literature that is situated at the intersection of two highly debated topics: M&A activities and executive compensation. The proposed framework structures the literature along two dimensions, such as M&A phases and firm's role in a M&A deal, allowing readers to identify three main streams of research and five different conceptualizations of causal relationships between M&A transactions and executive compensation. The book makes a comprehensive review of empirical studies conducted to date, aiming to shed more light on the current and emerging knowledge in this field of investigation, discuss the inconsistencies encountered within each stream of research, and suggest promising directions for further exploration. This book will appeal to researchers and students alike in the fields of organizational behavior and governance as well as accounting and accountability.

Showcasing methodological rigour and state-of-the-art methods as hallmarks of modern international business (IB) research, this book offers a collection of the most relevant and highly cited research methods articles from the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS). Each piece is accompanied by a new Commentary written by experts in the field; some also include Further Reflections by the original authors. Encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches, this comprehensive volume explores research design, testing and reporting, as well as specific methodological issues such as endogeneity, common method variance, and theorising from case studies. With recommendations for best practices relating to interaction effects, hypothesis testing, and replicability, this book is a unique and up-to-date reference source on the latest research methods and practices in international business. The book will also be essential reading for those studying any sub-discipline of IB research, including international economics, entrepreneurship, finance, management and marketing.

Organizational Change and Global Standardization: Solutions to Standards and Norms Overwhelming Organizations takes an organizational change approach to the overflow of standards and norms, looking at how to deal effectively and ethically with four kinds of standards and norms businesses face when they go global: (1) accounting & finance (2) international & world trade,(3) social and (4) safety & quality & environment. It is part of a larger problem faced by not only business, but every sort of organization - how to live with the epidemic of standards and norms, often in conflict, many just unnecessary, and a few that are quite helpful and important. There are good reasons to have International Standards Organization (ISO), International Labor Organization (ILO), World Trade Organization (WTO), North Atlantic Treaty Association (NAFTA), International accounting Standards Boards (IASB), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)), and many more standard-setting organizations issuing, auditing, proposing codes of ethics, and certifying standards and norms. However, there are important, poorly understood organizational change consequences to the contagion of standards and norms. This volume brings together a unique group of authors who are working on a pragmatic way for organizations to deal with an overflow of standards and norms that are often at heads, ambiguous, or simply created to produce more work for a burgeoning standards setting industry. The aim of Organizational Change and Global Standardization is to stimulate a critical analysis within the framework of analytical and pragmatic approach to an overwhelming bureaucratization of the managed and organized global activities.

Over the last few decades, the field of management enlarged its boundaries, especially in international terms, in a very rapid fashion-mainly because of the arrival of the so-called era of globalization. Many renowned scholars have criticized the universal approach given to 'management' in the United States and its subsequent automatic conversion into 'international management,' but their arguments too can fall into the trap of universalism at times. This book has a more specific concern: to challenge the conversion of 'management' into 'international management' from a Latin American perspective. This challenge might be taken as a first step toward the construction of a Latin American perspective in International Management and a potential contribution to the development of this field in other parts of the world. Drawing upon such critical standpoint, several authors in the book converge upon the idea that researchers, practitioners and authorities in Latin America should challenge the US dominance in International Management and foster interdisciplinary developments within International Relations. The critical perspective provided in this book challenges the US's narrow viewpoint on management as it clearly does not fit the governance features of 'international management' in Latin America. So far, we have not observed the constitution of sub-areas such as international management of international organizations, international management of transnational institutions, international management of public-private networks, international management of public companies, and international public administration or international public management, all of which would be extremely important in Latin America.

This Routledge Companion provides a timely and authoritative overview of cross-cultural management as an academic domain and field of practice for academics and students. With contributions from over 60 authors from 20 countries, the book is organised in to five thematic areas: Review, survey and critique Language and languages: moving from the periphery to the core Cross-cultural management research and education The new international business landscape Rethinking a multidisciplinary paradigm. Edited by an international team of scholars and featuring contributions from a range of leading cross-cultural management experts, this prestigious volume represents the most comprehensive guide to the development and scope of cross-cultural management as an academic discipline.

Focusing on international entrepreneurship, this research book explores the accelerated internationalization of young firms. Known variously as international new ventures (INVs) or "born globals," such firms have come to be viewed as legitimate actors on the global stage alongside large multinational enterprises (MNEs). However, the current approach taken by scholars - studying large MNEs and born globals separately - is questionable. This book explores the crucial MNE/INV interface - a fascinating, yet under-researched relationship in international entrepreneurship. Drawing upon a decade of case-based research, the author argues that the MNE influence on born globals must be considered more carefully and suggests how new ventures can leverage MNE networks in the pursuit of their rapid internationalization. Furthermore, it demonstrates that, as firms enhance their levels of innovation, new pathways emerge via multinational corporation networks, a phenomenon vividly demonstrated in the emerging economy context of the Bangalore software industry. This innovative research text will be of interest to academics, researchers, and advanced students with an interest in international entrepreneurship and business, strategy, innovation, and new ventures.

International technology transfer has been an essential element of the 'catching up' process in developing countries over the last thirty years. This book reappraises its role in economic development in light of the globalization of the world economy. The author provides an excellent overview and historiography of technology transfer mechanisms. He then discusses the new technology transfer issues, particularly 'sourcing', which have emerged as a result of increasing globalization. International Technology Transfer and Catch-up in Economic Development significantly improves our understanding of how developing economies and economies in transition could approach technology transfer policy in an increasingly globalized and open economic environment.

Design is central to every service or good produced, sold and consumed. Manufacturing and service companies located in high cost locations increasingly find it difficult to compete with producers located in countries such as India and China. Companies in high-cost locations either have to shift production abroad or create competitive advantage through design, innovation, brand and the geographic distribution of tasks rather than price. Design Economies and the Changing World Economy provides the first comprehensive account of the relationship between innovation, design, corporate competitiveness and place. Design economies are explored through an analysis of corporate strategies, the relationship between product and designer, copying and imitation including nefarious learning, design and competitiveness, and design-centred regional policies. The design process plays a critical role in corporate competitiveness as it functions at the intersection between production and consumption and the interface between consumer behaviour and the development and design of products. This book focuses on firms, individuals, as well as national policy, drawing attention to the development of corporate and nation based design strategies that are intended to enhance competitive advantage. Increasingly products are designed in one location and made in another. This separation of design from the place of production highlights the continued development of the international division of labour as tasks are distributed in different places, but blended together to produce design-intensive branded products. This book provides a distinctive analysis of the ways in which companies located in developed market economies compete on the basis of design, brand and the geographic distribution of tasks. The text contains case studies of major manufacturing and service companies and will be of valuable interest to students and researchers interested in Geography, Economics and Planning.

In the 1990s Brazil launched a comprehensive economic liberalization program. It lifted its trade barriers, adopted new market-oriented regulations, opened up its capital market and abandoned earlier efforts to internalize production and to build vertically integrated systems across several sectors of the economy. In spite of the visible gap that separated the top global giants from the large local enterprises, Brazilian companies seemed to be willing to join in an economic liberalization process that was bound to expose them to unprecedented levels of competition, bring about a high degree of uncertainty and, in many cases, ultimately put their own businesses at risk. Big Business and Brazil's Economic Reforms examines the most emblematic aspect of the Brazilian economic reforms, the support from parts of the local entrepreneurial class for the opening up of the economy. It investigates the reasons why Brazil carried out these economic reforms in the 1990s, the transition process and the impact of the opening up of the economy on some of its most important sectors, such as the aerospace, auto and auto parts, food processing, oil and petrochemicals, ethanol, steel, telecoms and telecom equipment industries. This book offers an in-depth analysis of Brazil's distinctive development paths, from the Latin American economic thinking of the early stages of its industrialization to the neo-liberal stance of the present day. It sheds new light on one of the main challenges facing all the large developing economies in their move to become more integrated into the world economy, the fostering of large enterprises, and is a great resource for students and researchers interested in global business, development economics, and Latin American economic history.

This book introduces law in the context of international business. The basics of law are explored using a clear comparative methodology. International and regional economic institutions are discussed, next to the fundaments of private law. These include contract law, liability law, labour law, company law, privacy law, intellectual property law and international private law. The book goes beyond the usual focus on Western legal systems and uses examples from all over the world to provide students with comprehensive knowledge of business law. It is set up rather broadly, so that it can be used by teachers throughout their entire curriculum. Each chapter ends with a clear summary, and practice questions. Due to its colourful cases, this book is accessible and fun to read.

In Future Luxe: What's Ahead for the Business of Luxury, Erwan Rambourg identifies the major forces and emerging trends that are set to reshape luxury over the next decade. The expansion of Chinese consumption and the boost in women's spending power around the world will fuel continued growth in the industry-but even more importantly, fundamental changes are on the horizon. The younger generation is entering the luxury market, bringing new values and demands that will redefine the very meaning of luxury. The sector should expand in the realms of travel, health, leisure, even cannabis. For brands to resonate with these younger consumers they will have to develop substance beyond a high-quality product or a desirable logo. Greenwashing won't cut it-brands will need to take seriously issues like diversity, sustainability, and ethical production. To ensure his portrait of the industry has the depth and nuance of real-world experience, Rambourg interviews several CEOs from the largest groups and brands, including Kering, Cartier, Puma, and Moncler, in addition to drawing on his own observations from over two decades in luxury. Future Luxe is engaging, wise, and deeply informed, a vital read for those new to the industry as well as veterans planning for continued success.

The global economic system is experiencing a profound period of rapid change. The emergence of globalised production and distribution systems, which bring together diverse constellations of economic actors through a complex regime of global corporate governance, state regulation and new international divisions of labour, demands corresponding and innovative explanatory models. Global value chains (GVCs) and global production networks (GPNs) have been particularly useful as conceptual frameworks for understanding the global market engagement of firms, regions and nations. This book examines the rise of GVCs and GPNs as dominant features of the international political economy. It brings together leading thinkers in the field and sets out new directions for future scholarship in understanding the contemporary global economic system. In doing so, this book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the international political economy and the global economic system in the post-Washington Consensus era of contemporary capitalism. This book was published as a special issue of the Review of International Political Economy.

Why does a customer choose one brand over another? What are the factors which would make an individual more inclined to choose your brand? This book offers a way to predict which brand a buyer will purchase. It looks at brand performance within a product category and tests it in different countries with very different cultures. Following the Predictive Brand Choice (PBC) model, this book seeks to predict a consumer's loyalty and choice. Results have shown that PBC can achieve a high level of predictive accuracy, in excess of 70% in mature markets. This accuracy holds even in the face of price competition from a less preferred brand. PBC uses a prospective predicting method which does not have to rely on a brand's past performance or a customer's purchase history for prediction. Choice data is gathered in the retail setting - at the point of sale. The Strategy of Global Branding and Brand Equity presents survey data and quantitative analyses that prove the method described to be practical, useful and implementable for both researchers and practitioners of commercial brand strategies.

The global impact of so-called 'offshoring', including of information technology (IT) and related services, continues to be a topic of great interest to academics, practitioners and policy makers. The Indian IT industry has sustained high levels of growth in revenues and employment since the late 1980s. Even following the global financial crisis and meltdown in 2008, the industry has reported growth, albeit at a lower rate. Furthermore, the high rates of technological change and increased competition has forced businesses and managers to be innovative and create new business models. This book examines how managers and entrepreneurs in the Indian IT industry have explored and exploited human capital opportunities at various stages of the industry's evolution to create innovative human resources (HR) practices and new business models. Based on extensive academic research and deep reflective practitioner accounts, this collection presents expert content, views and a coherent picture of the challenges and changes in the Indian IT industry and analyses how the industry has remained competitive in a constantly changing environment. This book will appeal to researchers, students and practitioners, particularly in the fields of human resources and strategic management.