Some of the key questions in employment relations, comparative business, and globalization revolve around the extent to which businesses embody a national business system, and what happens when these employment models are exported to other national settings. By exploring the variety of ways in which US multinationals deal with these issues, and their reception, when operating in Europe, Phil Almond, Anthony Ferner, and their contributors examine the interaction between globalization and national 'Varieties of Capitalism'. Using the findings of a four-year international exploration of the management of employment relations in US multinationals in the UK, Germany, Ireland, and Spain, this book examines what is distinctively 'American' about these companies, and how this notion is exported. The process is shown to be one that is not a technical managerial one, but one that is highly political, and 'negotiated', in which groups and individuals at different levels within the company try to influence the terms of transfer. These questions are not only of theoretical importance, but also of practical significance in terms of the transfer of management knowledge and 'best practice'. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers, and advanced students of HRM, International Business, and Organization Studies, as well as HR practitioners concerned with US multinationals operating in Europe.

Two recent developments from globalization have fundamentally altered the nature of work organizations: (1) the workforce has become increasingly diverse in national and cultural origins, and (2) work assignments are increasingly performed by teams consisting of members located in different countries. Together, these changes have resulted in employees increasingly finding themselves working in culturally diverse, geographical dispersed, multinational teams. Yet, relatively little scholarship has been done to study the dynamics of such teams and how they can be better managed. The current volume presents cutting-edge theorizing and research from a multidisciplinary (e.g., psychology-,
communications/technology-, organizational behavior-, and strategy-oriented) group of scholars who have been active in studying multinational teams in a global context.

This book is divided into three parts. The first includes four chapters focusing on culture and other intra-group factors that affect the effective functioning of multinational teams. The second includes five chapters that examine the effect of technology and other external influences on team processes and outcomes. The third part includes four chapters dealing with leadership and management issues. The two final chapters were written by authors who have been actively involved as organizers of multi-country academic research teams whose life spans many years and continues today. Cumulatively, this book??'s chapters provide management scholars a diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives, at many levels of analysis, and include insights borne from the authors??? observation-based and/or living-based experience withthe culturally-challenging issues they discuss. Additionally, these chapters also provide practicing managers useful ideas on both intra- and external-group dynamics that help increase their understanding about the effective functioning of multinational teams. As a result, this book offers both breadth and depth on the topic of managing multinational teams in a global context that promise to make its contents of interest to many audiences.

This book provides a unique contribution to contemporary globalization debates by providing an accessible survey of the growth and role of multinational enterprises in the world economy over the last two hundred years. The author shows how entrepreneurs built a global economy in the nineteenth century by creating firms that pursued resources and markets across borders. It demonstrates how multinationals shifted strategies as the first global economy disintegrated in the political and economic chaos between the two world wars, and how they have driven the creation of the contemporary global economy.
Many of the issues of the global economy have been encountered in the past. This book shows how entrepreneurs and managers met the political, ethical, cultural and organizational challenges of operating across national borders at different times and in different environments. The role of multinationals is placed within their wider political and economic context. There are chapters on the impact of multinationals, and on relations with governments.
The focus on the shifting roles of firms and industries over time rather than abstract trade and capital flows provides compelling evidence on the diversity and discontinuities of the globalization process. The book explains the history of multinationals across a wide spectrum of manufacturing, service and natural resource industries from an international perspective, which ranges widely across different countries. It provides an essential historical framework for understanding global business.
An accessible survey of the history of international business worldwide, this book will be key reading for students taking courses inInternational Business, Business History, Multinationals, and Entrepreneurship; and of interest to academics and researchers working in these areas.

Banking on Multinationals addresses two fundamental puzzles in Japanese industrial policy: Why does the Japanese state-better known for its attempts to control markets, protect infant industries, and maximize national exports-administer the world's largest public program to support the expansion of multinational corporations? And why does the Japanese state not fear loss of control over mobile multinational corporations and erosion of the domestic export base through foreign direct investment (FDI)? Solis's explanation of Japan's lead in state financing of FDI takes into account both the industrial policy goals behind the extension of FDI loans and the political uses of subsidized credit to appease economically weak but politically powerful constituencies. As the first systematic study of Japan's public FDI loan program, Banking on Multinationals reveals a previously unexamined dimension of Japanese government policy and helps explain the uncanny ability of stagnant sectors and small firms to participate in FDI activities. Rather than simply espousing the familiar idea that Japan's preeminent role as banker to multinationals is evidence of mercantilism in Japanese foreign economic policy, this book brings to life the domestic political conflicts underlying FDI policy.

One of the most vexing human rights issues of our time has been how to protect the rights of individuals and communities worldwide in an age of globalization and multinational business. Indeed, from Indonesian sweatshops to oil-based violence in Nigeria, the challenges of regulating harmful corporate practices in some of the world's most difficult regions long seemed insurmountable. Human rights groups and businesses were locked in a stalemate, unable to find common ground. In 2005, the United Nations appointed John Gerard Ruggie to the modest task of clarifying the main issues. Six years later, he had accomplished much more than that. Ruggie had developed his now-famous "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," which provided a road map for ensuring responsible global corporate practices. The principles were unanimously endorsed by the UN and embraced and implemented by other international bodies, businesses, governments, workers' organizations, and human rights groups, keying a revolution in corporate social responsibility. Just Business tells the powerful story of how these landmark "Ruggie Rules" came to exist. Ruggie demonstrates how, to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem, he had to abandon many widespread and long-held understandings about the relationships between businesses, governments, rights, and law, and develop fresh ways of viewing the issues. He also takes us through the journey of assembling the right type of team, of witnessing the severity of the problem firsthand, and of pressing through the many obstacles such a daunting endeavor faced. Just Business is an illuminating inside look at one of the most important human rights developments of recent times. It is also an invaluable book for anyone wanting to learn how to navigate the tricky processes of global problem-solving and consensus-building and how to tackle big issues with ambition, pragmatism, perseverance, and creativity.

Leadership selection in the major global economic organizations produced unprecedented levels of public conflict during the 1990s. The convention that awards the IMF managing directorship to a European and the World Bank presidency to an American sparked conflict between the United States and Europe as well as growing discontent on the part of Japan and the developing countries. At the WTO, successive conflicts demonstrate deeper shortcomings in governance as membership expands rapidly and consensus decision making fails. Protracted efforts to choose new heads of these increasingly important organizations have undermined their legitimacy and distracted members from their core agendas. This selection process and its flaws provide a central theme for the analysis and prescriptions presented in this study, which focuses on the major international financial institutions (IFIs) and other global and regional multilaterals. Miles Kahler looks at the sources of conflict and presents recommendations for reform: in the short run, changes in the process, such as the use of search committees; in the long run, the dismantling of the US-European convention at the IFIs and changes in representation at the WTO. The author's diagnosis and policy recommendations have important implications for leadership selection in other regional and global organizations.

Brewer and Young examine the future of the world economy and the key economic and political forces that will shape it. Considering the implications of historically important changes in the world economy in recent years, including the expansion of the international investments of multinational corporations and the new role of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the authors present numerous examples of how countries have changed their international trade and investment policies, and examine how these changes are affecting firms' strategies and operations worldwide. This book explains the importance to international investment, as well as trade and technology transfer, of the many agreements being implemented by the WTO, and discusses the roles of other international agencies such as the UN, World Bank, OECD, EU, and NAFTA.

This volume introduces the AICM Distinguished Scholar Award and Research Forum which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding scholarly contributions to the cross-national or cross-cultural study of organizations and management. This volume offers an important article by Professor Harry C. Triandis of the University of Illinois who was the recipient of the 1998 AICM Distinguished Scholar Award, with commentaries by leading researchers in the areas of international organizational behavior and human resource management. Additional articles cover a wide range of management topics with an international focus, including: organizational risk taking, corporate governance, performance appraisal, distributive justice values, strategic human resource management, and expatriate performance. These articles, along with the Research Forum papers, present a rich diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches and represent some of the best thinking in the field.

The challenges faced by Latin American multinational companies, or multilatinas, often require unique strategies tailored to a demanding global environment. This book studies the strategies of internationalism exercised by large multilatinas, offering the first systematic, quantitative effort to examine the pattern of their international investments within the context of their competitive position in the domestic market. Multilatinas uncovers common strategies among sixty-two multilatinas from six countries, and emphasizes the unique challenges they face, as well as the diversity of their organizational resources. It also brings the institutional environment of Latin American countries to the fore, assessing its role as an essential component in understanding internationalization decisions. Finally, the book studies the role of non-market organizational resources such as bribes, negotiations and favours in business strategies. Multilatinas is an invaluable read for students, scholars, practitioners and executives studying Latin America's place in international business.

Combining comprehensive coverage with a wide variety of real-life cases, International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing, and Managing a Global Venture gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully launch international ventures in today's hypercompetitive world. Bestselling author Dr. Robert D. Hisrich helps students and entrepreneurs develop global business plans, select international opportunities, and determine the best entry strategy. The text also covers practical considerations such as legal concerns, the global monetary systems, global marketing, and global human resource management for entrepreneurs. The Third Edition provides increased attention to culture and reflects recent changes in our increasingly globalized world. Readers will also be exposed to new cases featuring international activities of entrepreneurs and ventures throughout the world.

Make informed decisions in today's dynamic international business environments
International accounting has never been so exciting. Not only is the pace of international business, finance, and investment rapidly increasing, but we are also moving closer than ever before toward a convergence of accounting standards worldwide.
Updated and revised to keep pace with these changes, this Sixth Edition of Radebaugh, Gray, and Black's International Accounting and Multinational Enterprises focuses on international business strategies and how accounting applies to these strategies. You'll learn how to use financial and accounting information across borders, and make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex international business environment. The authors also explain the key factors, including cultural differences, that influence accounting standards and practices in different countries, and how those factors impact the harmonization of standards worldwide.
New to This Edition:
* New coauthor, Ervin L. Black of Brigham Young University.
* Updated coverage on corporate governance, Sarbanes-Oxley, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and how these forces affect U.S.-based multinationals, as well as companies in other countries.
* Increased coverage of the efforts of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to establish a uniform set of International Financial Reporting Standards (IRFS) worldwide and its interface with different national standard setters, especially the FASB. Special attention is given to the experience of the European Union and Australia in adopting IFRS in 2005.
* A web-based International Accounting Practice Problem, which helps students see how to apply IFRS to a set of transactions.
* Brief, user-oriented examples called Strategic Decision Points at the beginning of each chapter.
* Expanded end-of-chapter material, including more discussion questions and exercises.
* New cases (two per chapter) on the web.
* Accounting for foreign exchange is now covered in two chapters. One chapter focuses on accounting issues, and the other chapter, which is new, focuses on foreign exchange risk management.

This contributed volume seeks to provide a unique window on the globalization process by analyzing the dynamics of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Europe and Asia, as well as its influence on the renewal of public policies and regulations, both transnational and local. It discusses the link between the trans-nationalization of productive and business systems and the renewal of local regulations in the light of concerns over competitiveness and attractiveness, as well as new social tensions. Multinational corporations (MNCs) as key actors of globalization are central for understanding the new interactions between the global, regional and local dimensions as well as for highlighting the challenges of regulation both at transnational level and within national boundaries.

Research approaches along two broad lines are presented: First, a theoretical and empirical approach that examines links between the strategies of multinationals and local public policy in order to contribute to a better understanding of the institutional dynamics of social regulation. Second, a comparative approach that compares regional spaces, with particular attention to Europe on the one hand, and to the two great emerging powers, China and India, on the other.

This is the first full account of how an influential form of commercial organization - the multinational enterprise - drove globalization and contributed to the making of the modern world. Robert Fitzgerald explores the major role of multinational enterprises in the events of world history, from the nineteenth century to the present, revealing how the growth of businesses that operated across borders contributed to an unprecedented worldwide transformation and deepening interdependence between countries. He demonstrates how international businesses shaped the economic development and competitiveness of nations, their politics and sovereignty, and the balance of power in international relations. The Rise of the Global Company uses the lessons of history to question prominent contemporary interpretations of multinationals and their consequences, and offers a truly wide-ranging survey of multinational enterprise, spanning two hundred years and five continents.

Why have relatively poor and underdeveloped countries been able to spawn so many global firms in the last two decades? Are emerging market multinationals (EMNCs) really different from successful multinationals from developed economies? This book tackles these and other fundamental theoretical questions about EMNCs. A distinguished group of researchers assesses the unique strategies and behavior of successful EMNCs, from the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei to the Indian conglomerate Tata, to the South African beverages firm SABMiller. They address a range of topics, such as the drivers of internationalization by EMNCs; their distinctive process capabilities; how they catch up with established rivals on technology; how state ownership or business-group affiliation affects their behavior; and why they sometimes relocate their headquarters to advanced economies. This book will appeal to scholars and graduate students in global strategy and international business, as well as consultants of multinational companies, looking for state-of-the-art analysis of EMNCs.

Transnational corporations are one of the most important actors in the global economy, occupying a more powerful position than ever before. In their persistent battle to increase profits, they have increasingly turned to the developing world, a world that holds many attractions for them. But what is their impact on the poor? Now in its second edition, Big Business, Poor Peoples finds that these corporations are damaging the lives of millions of poor people in developing countries. Looking at every sector where transnational corporations are involved, this vital book is packed with detail on how the poor are affected. The book exposes how developing countries' natural resources are being ceded to TNCs and how governments are unwilling or unable to control them. The author argues that TNCs, answerable to no one but their shareholders, have used their money, size and power to influence international negotiations and taken full advantage of the move towards privatization to influence government policies; sovereignty is passing into corporate hands, and the poor are paying the price. But people are fighting back: citizens, workers, and communities are exposing the corporations and looking for alternatives. The first edition of this path-breaking book put the issue of transnational corporations and the poor firmly on the agenda. This second edition contains significant new and updated material and is an essential read for anyone who wants to know more about the effects of corporate power on the poor.

Latin American multinationals (multilatinas) have been central in the rise of emerging markets in the last few decades. Their development comprises part of the global shift of wealth and power between nations. The rise of firms in a broad range of sectors - including construction, oil, telecommunications and the aeronautical industry - as important regional and global players is spreading: companies in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and many others are part of this increasing phenomenon. This book analyses the trends, the countries and the firms involved, and explores the implications for the US, China, Spain and the rest of Europe. In particular, Javier Santiso examines how Spain might profit from positioning itself as a unique hub between Europe and Latin America. The Decade of the Multilatinas includes a wide range of statistical data which will be useful to scholars, policymakers and commentators on Latin America in particular, and international business and emerging markets more generally.

Why have relatively poor and underdeveloped countries been able to spawn so many global firms in the last two decades? Are emerging market multinationals (EMNCs) really different from successful multinationals from developed economies? This book tackles these and other fundamental theoretical questions about EMNCs. A distinguished group of researchers assesses the unique strategies and behavior of successful EMNCs, from the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei to the Indian conglomerate Tata, to the South African beverages firm SABMiller. They address a range of topics, such as the drivers of internationalization by EMNCs; their distinctive process capabilities; how they catch up with established rivals on technology; how state ownership or business-group affiliation affects their behavior; and why they sometimes relocate their headquarters to advanced economies. This book will appeal to scholars and graduate students in global strategy and international business, as well as consultants of multinational companies, looking for state-of-the-art analysis of EMNCs.

The purpose of this book is to study an unexplored area of corporate governance. The authors examine whether the corporate governance system can be affected by organizational culture, leader culture, and the operations management system in general. In addition, they study how a specific corporate governance system can affect the organizational culture and operations management system and create a different type of leader culture. This is an in-depth study of Japanese multinational companies and a comparison of their corporate governance system at home (in Japan) and in host countries like Britain, India, and Thailand.The authors conducted a series of in-depth interviews with the senior executives of major Japanese multinational companies to construct quantitative models for Japan, Thailand and India, and to analyze the aforementioned propositions.

In a world focused on science and new technology, brands help to explain why several of the world's multinational corporations have little to do with either. Rather they are old firms with little critical investment in patents or copyrights. For these firms, the critical intellectual property is trademarks. Global Brands, first published in 2007, explains how the world's largest multinationals in alcoholic beverages achieved global leadership; considers the predominant corporate governance structures for such firms; and looks at why these firms form alliances with direct competitors. Brands also determine the waves of mergers and acquisitions in the beverage industry. Global Brands contrasts with existing studies by providing a new dimension to the literature on the growth of multinationals through the focus on brands, using an institutional and evolutionary approach based on original and published sources about the industry and the firms.

Multinationals from Brazil, Russia, India and China, known as the BRIC countries, are a new and powerful force in global competition and are challenging the incumbency of much older global companies from the developed world. Emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) now account for a quarter of foreign investment in the world, are a prolific source of innovation and make almost one in three cross-border acquisitions globally. Despite this, traditional theories of international business do not provide a satisfactory explanation of their behaviour or performance. The authors of this book shine new light on the rise of the EMNEs and how they have built a competitive advantage through innovation, novel configurations of their international value chains and the acquisition of companies overseas. Any manager, policy maker or researcher who wishes to understand the emergence of this new breed of multinational will find this book an invaluable resource.

Managing an international operation is seen by many as one of the most challenging activities in an enterprise. Uwe Sachse offers substantial answers to the question of how companies behave after they have entered a particular foreign market. The results of the empirical study show that the mode switch is an important option for improving performance in foreign markets. Uwe Sachse shows that, over the duration of foreign business activity, companies pursue characteristic internationalisation pathways through their choice of mode.

Since the 1950s, subsidiaries of the most prestigious foreign multinationals have played a key role in Brazilian economic development, thus creating a very competitive domestic market. On top of this, government interventions in the last few decades have been inconsistent and contradictory, resulting in a series of economic crises. Only the most resilient Brazilian firms have been able to survive and prosper in this challenging environment. This book, first published in 2011, analyzes a variety of leading Brazilian multinationals and examines their competencies and competitive strategies in a variety of different settings. It develops an innovative analytical framework based on international business, international operations management, and international human resources management. This framework is then applied not only to Brazilian multinationals, but also firms from Latin America, Russia, India and China. This provides novel insights into the rise of Brazilian multinationals and the increasingly important role played by emerging economy multinationals in the global economy.

This book was first published in 2011. The current financial and economic crisis has negatively underlined the vital role of multinational companies (MNCs) in our daily lives. The breakdown and crisis of flagship MNCs, such as Enron, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers, Toyota and General Motors, does not merely reveal the problems of corporate malfeasance and market dysfunction. It also raises important questions, both for the public and the academic community, about the use and misuse of power by MNCs in the wider society, as well as the exercise of power by key actors within internationally operating firms. This book examines how issues of power and politics affect MNCs at three different levels; the macro-level, the meso-level and the micro-level. This wide-ranging analysis shows not only that power matters but also how and why it matters, pointing to the political interactions of key power holders and actors within the MNC, both managers and employees.

The increasing importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) means that companies must consider multi-stakeholder interests as well as the social, political, economic, environmental and developmental impact of their actions. However, the pursuit of profits by multinational corporations has led to a series of questionable corporate actions and the consequences of such practices are particularly evident in developing countries. Adefolake O. Adeyeye explores how CSR has evolved to aid the anti-corruption campaign. By examining voluntary rules applicable for curbing corruption, particularly bribery and analysing the domestic and extra-territorial laws of Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States for holding corporations liable for bribery, she assesses the adequacy of international law's approach towards corporate liability for bribery and explores direct corporate responsibility for international corruption. The roles of corporate governance, global governance and civil liability in curbing corporate corrupt practices are given special focus.

A new breed of multinational companies is reshaping competition in global industries. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, multinational firms came from the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Over the last two decades, however, new multinational firms from upper-middle-income economies (e.g. Spain, Ireland, Portugal, South Korea, and Taiwan), developing countries (e.g. Egypt, Indonesia, and Thailand), and oil-rich countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Russia, and Venezuela) have become formidable global competitors. These firms do not necessarily possess technological or marketing skills. In contrast to the classic multinationals, they found strength in their ability to organize, manage, execute, and network. They pursued a variety of strategies including vertical integration, product diversification, learning by doing, exploration of new capabilities, and collaboration with other firms. This book documents this phenomenon, identifies key capabilities of the new multinationals, and provides a new conceptual framework to understand its causes and implications.