Used internationally at undergraduate and postgraduate level, this highly successful textbook presents, analyses and compares six different theories of the multinational firm that have dominated the research in international business during the last four decades. This thoroughly updated third edition acts on end-user feedback, with major revisions including; * Chapter 1, The Multinational Firm: A Beauty or a Beast? rewritten to include recent data about foreign direct investments and multinational firms * a discussion of entrepreneurship theories and the application of these theories of/to the multinational firm added to Chapter 4 * a new chapter developing the idea of the governing multinational. The author discloses the basic building blocks and assumptions behind each theory covered in order to achieve a better understanding of why the multinational firm is looked upon so differently by researchers and stakeholders. Compact and accessible, this textbook is a required resource for students of international business, international management and international economy courses.

This book expands the business network view on managerial issues in multinational corporations. Specifically, it scrutinises the importance of a subsidiary's external and internal business network for its strategic and organizational role within the corporation. The internationalisation of firms in terms of management issues and headquarters control, the influence of subsidiaries on decisions and learning processes within multinational corporations are examined in detail. It is argued that to understand these issues, it is necessary to analyse the context of the multinational corporation in terms of the subsidiaries' external and internal business networks. The authors also explore the extent to which subsidiaries are embedded in close relationships with other business partners and the ability of headquarters to retain control if their subsidiaries are given the opportunity to influence decisions concerning strategic investments. The theoretical elements of the book are underpinned by illustrative cases from an extensive database of 20 multinational corporations. Grounding its analyses and conclusions on unique and extensive data on specific business relationships at the subsidiary level in multinational corporations, this book will be invaluable to students, researchers and lecturers focusing on management and international business.

Used internationally at undergraduate and postgraduate level, this highly successful textbook presents, analyses and compares six different theories of the multinational firm that have dominated the research in international business during the last four decades. This thoroughly updated third edition acts on end-user feedback, with major revisions including; * Chapter 1, The Multinational Firm: A Beauty or a Beast? rewritten to include recent data about foreign direct investments and multinational firms * a discussion of entrepreneurship theories and the application of these theories of/to the multinational firm added to Chapter 4 * a new chapter developing the idea of the governing multinational. The author discloses the basic building blocks and assumptions behind each theory covered in order to achieve a better understanding of why the multinational firm is looked upon so differently by researchers and stakeholders. Compact and accessible, this textbook is a required resource for students of international business, international management and international economy courses.

Few nations have internationalized their business operations as successfully as the Swedes. This book, first published in 1989, looks at the process in detail, examining the international operations of Swedish firms since 1970, including acquisitions of foreign firms. The international dimension of business is becoming increasingly important for firms of all sizes, and this analysis of what happens when companies enter and then sustain a presence in the international arena will be of great value to students and teachers of international business and management.

Few nations have internationalized their business operations as successfully as the Swedes. This book, first published in 1989, looks at the process in detail, examining the international operations of Swedish firms since 1970, including acquisitions of foreign firms. The international dimension of business is becoming increasingly important for firms of all sizes, and this analysis of what happens when companies enter and then sustain a presence in the international arena will be of great value to students and teachers of international business and management.