This book is a detailed account of the evolution and theory of multinational trading companies. The book features contributions from an international selection of US, European and Asian economists and business historians which demonstrate the importance of trading companies in trade and investment flows in the world economy from the nineteenth century to the present. The authors adopt evolutionary and comparative perspectives to examine diversification strategies and organizational structures. This innovative study provides a major new dimension to our knowledge of the history and theory of international business.

This volume is a detailed account of the evolution and theory of multinational trading companies. In the history of multinational business, trading companies have played an especially significant and strategic role which continues until the present day, when Japan's "sogo shosha" and giant commodity traders feature among the world's largest businesses. However, the origins and strategies of multinational trading companies are little known compared to those of manufacturing multinationals. The book features contributions from an international selection of US, European and Asian economists and business historians which demonstrate the importance of trading companies in trade and investment flows in the world economy from the 19th century to the late 1990s. The authors adopt evolutionary and comparative perspectives to examine diversification strategies and organizational structures. This study contributes to our knowledge of the history and theory of international business.

In this volume, leading scholars in international business and business history in the United States, Europe and Japan examine the experiences of a range of firms in the United States. They survey British, Canadian, French, German, Spanish and Japanese firms, and span a range of sectors including automobiles, banking, electricals, petroleum and steel. Together, their contributions present a unique evolutionary and comparative perspective on the management and performance of foreign companies in the United States since 1945.
This book is essential reading for all those with a professional or academic interest in international business, management, business history or business in the United States.