Theories of the Multinational Firm

Book excerpt: 'Thankfully, the new edition of this popular book retains all that made the original so impressive and useful. Six important theoretical perspectives of the multinational company (MNC) are discussed at length and compared. Why MNCs exist, how they compete, and their impact on society are the big, eternal questions addressed by the book. What is new in this edition are: an updated description of the international environment, an evaluation of Buckley's recent theory about the global factory, the influence of economic clusters like Silicon Valley on internalization theory, and a revised discussion of the organizational capability perspective. The book can be read and understood at multiple levels, from learning what each theory is about to appreciating the more subtle implications of their differences for firms and society. Despite the complexity of the subject, the book is an easy and enjoyable read. It is written in a lively, user-friendly style, with many illustrated examples.' – William G. Egelhoff, Fordham University, US This expanded and updated edition of a successful textbook will be required reading for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of international business, international management and international economy courses. The current debate about the multinational firm as an actor in the global economy is intense and many-sided. This thoroughly accessible and compact textbook presents, analyzes and compares six different theories of the multinational firm that have dominated the research in international business during the last four decades. The author discloses the basic building blocks and assumptions behind each theory so the reader can reach a better understanding of why the multinational firm is looked upon in so many different ways by researchers and stakeholders.