Richard Youngs
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199274468
- eISBN:
- 9780191602030
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199274460.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This book adds to debates on the international dimensions of democratisation by exploring the politics and actions of Western governments, multinational companies, and non-profit organisations ...
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This book adds to debates on the international dimensions of democratisation by exploring the politics and actions of Western governments, multinational companies, and non-profit organisations (NGOs). It finds that governments, businesses and NGOs all show increased concern for democratic trends, but their strategies are beset by uncertainty and ambivalence.Less
This book adds to debates on the international dimensions of democratisation by exploring the politics and actions of Western governments, multinational companies, and non-profit organisations (NGOs). It finds that governments, businesses and NGOs all show increased concern for democratic trends, but their strategies are beset by uncertainty and ambivalence.
Keith Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
When running a global company of 10,000 employees who have to be kept in work, in markets which are unforgiving for the long term, tipping points have to be placed in context. Yet convulsions are ...
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When running a global company of 10,000 employees who have to be kept in work, in markets which are unforgiving for the long term, tipping points have to be placed in context. Yet convulsions are becoming more extreme, violent, and unpredictable. This is not conducive for promoting sustainable business practice. Any successful adaptation will require sound regulation based on excellent academia and civil society guidance working within companies so that everyone learns and acts accordingly.Less
When running a global company of 10,000 employees who have to be kept in work, in markets which are unforgiving for the long term, tipping points have to be placed in context. Yet convulsions are becoming more extreme, violent, and unpredictable. This is not conducive for promoting sustainable business practice. Any successful adaptation will require sound regulation based on excellent academia and civil society guidance working within companies so that everyone learns and acts accordingly.
Simon Learmount
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199269082
- eISBN:
- 9780191719257
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199269082.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This book explores current thinking on corporate governance by way of a detailed study of the governance practices of fourteen Japanese companies. The author of this book was granted extensive access ...
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This book explores current thinking on corporate governance by way of a detailed study of the governance practices of fourteen Japanese companies. The author of this book was granted extensive access to these Japanese companies, as well as to their partner companies, their shareholders, and their banks, and was therefore able to provide a detailed insight into the way that Japanese companies are actually governed on a day-to-day basis. The book suggests that current mainstream conceptualizations of corporate governance are inadequate, as they do not help to understand the way that these Japanese companies are directed and controlled in practice. In the majority of cases, governance operates through a system which draws on the reciprocal obligations, responsibilities, and trust generated in everyday interactions at the individual and organizational level. The conclusions of the research have important implications not only for our understanding of the Japanese system of corporate governance, but also for international corporate governance policy and research in general. In particular, the book commends greater recognition that alongside the currently dominant concern ‘controlling’ the behaviour of company managers, the governance of companies might equally be considered in terms of the responsibilities, reciprocal obligations, and trust inherent in everyday interactions.Less
This book explores current thinking on corporate governance by way of a detailed study of the governance practices of fourteen Japanese companies. The author of this book was granted extensive access to these Japanese companies, as well as to their partner companies, their shareholders, and their banks, and was therefore able to provide a detailed insight into the way that Japanese companies are actually governed on a day-to-day basis. The book suggests that current mainstream conceptualizations of corporate governance are inadequate, as they do not help to understand the way that these Japanese companies are directed and controlled in practice. In the majority of cases, governance operates through a system which draws on the reciprocal obligations, responsibilities, and trust generated in everyday interactions at the individual and organizational level. The conclusions of the research have important implications not only for our understanding of the Japanese system of corporate governance, but also for international corporate governance policy and research in general. In particular, the book commends greater recognition that alongside the currently dominant concern ‘controlling’ the behaviour of company managers, the governance of companies might equally be considered in terms of the responsibilities, reciprocal obligations, and trust inherent in everyday interactions.
Robin Archer
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198295389
- eISBN:
- 9780191598722
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198295383.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book argues that by pursuing the goal of economic democracy, socialism can return to the centre of political life in the advanced capitalist countries. It seeks to demonstrate, to socialists and ...
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This book argues that by pursuing the goal of economic democracy, socialism can return to the centre of political life in the advanced capitalist countries. It seeks to demonstrate, to socialists and non‐socialists alike, that there is both a strong moral case for economic democracy and a feasible strategy for achieving it. In an economic democracy, companies operate in a market economy, but are governed by their workers. The argument that economic democracy is a morally desirable goal rests on an appeal to the value of individual freedom. Since workers are the only individuals who are subject to the authority of companies, it is workers, and not capitalists, who should exercise direct decision‐making control over those companies. The argument that economic democracy is a feasible goal rests on an appeal to the advantages of a corporatist industrial relations system. Corporatism enables workers to pursue economic democracy through a series of trade‐offs in which they exchange wage rises or other goods for incremental increases in control. But rational capitalists and governments—even social democratic governments—will only agree to these trade‐offs if certain conditions are met. The book sets out these conditions and shows that they have in fact been met in recent years.Less
This book argues that by pursuing the goal of economic democracy, socialism can return to the centre of political life in the advanced capitalist countries. It seeks to demonstrate, to socialists and non‐socialists alike, that there is both a strong moral case for economic democracy and a feasible strategy for achieving it. In an economic democracy, companies operate in a market economy, but are governed by their workers. The argument that economic democracy is a morally desirable goal rests on an appeal to the value of individual freedom. Since workers are the only individuals who are subject to the authority of companies, it is workers, and not capitalists, who should exercise direct decision‐making control over those companies. The argument that economic democracy is a feasible goal rests on an appeal to the advantages of a corporatist industrial relations system. Corporatism enables workers to pursue economic democracy through a series of trade‐offs in which they exchange wage rises or other goods for incremental increases in control. But rational capitalists and governments—even social democratic governments—will only agree to these trade‐offs if certain conditions are met. The book sets out these conditions and shows that they have in fact been met in recent years.
Caroline M. Barron
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199257775
- eISBN:
- 9780191717758
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199257775.003.09
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This chapter charts the evolution of groups of craftsmen living in the same areas and occasionally co-operating together to achieve short-term objectives into the chartered city companies to be found ...
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This chapter charts the evolution of groups of craftsmen living in the same areas and occasionally co-operating together to achieve short-term objectives into the chartered city companies to be found at the end of the period. The roles played by religious fraternities within the crafts and the charitable activities of the companies are also examined. The ways in which the craft organisations, sometimes seen as hostile to organised civic government, were firmly incorporated within the structures of civic government by 1500, is fully discussed.Less
This chapter charts the evolution of groups of craftsmen living in the same areas and occasionally co-operating together to achieve short-term objectives into the chartered city companies to be found at the end of the period. The roles played by religious fraternities within the crafts and the charitable activities of the companies are also examined. The ways in which the craft organisations, sometimes seen as hostile to organised civic government, were firmly incorporated within the structures of civic government by 1500, is fully discussed.
Arad Reisberg
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199204892
- eISBN:
- 9780191709487
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199204892.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Company and Commercial Law
This book provides the first comprehensive law scholarship to focus solely on the subject of derivative actions, which is an important aspect of the current ever-expanding debate in the UK, and in ...
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This book provides the first comprehensive law scholarship to focus solely on the subject of derivative actions, which is an important aspect of the current ever-expanding debate in the UK, and in other jurisdictions, about corporate governance. In particular it: (1) provides the first detailed and clear overview, commentary and theoretically informed explanation of the law governing derivative actions by revealing underlying principles, making it an essential resource for corporate law academics, law makers and practitioners; (2) uses these principles to suggest how the law should develop in the future; (3) provides the first, most comprehensive and detailed assessment of the new regime governing derivative actions under the new Companies Act 2006 including a commentary on all the new provisions of the Act on the subject; and (4) includes a comparative perspective to derivative actions in foreign jurisdictions focusing in particular on recent developments so as to compare and explain how the law might develop. The book attempts a fundamental rethink of the content of the derivative action and its objectives. Intertwining these objectives into a cohesive model of derivative actions, the book conceptualizes the derivative action mechanism and argues that action should be taken at three parallel levels: (1) conceptual (i.e., adoption of a new framework in the guise of the ‘Functional and Focused Model’ as set out in the book); (2) strategic (i.e., employment of appropriate incentives and fee rules which advance the premises behind the Model); and (3) maintaining doctrinal consistency (i.e., clarification of the interaction between the derivative action and other remedies available to shareholders.Less
This book provides the first comprehensive law scholarship to focus solely on the subject of derivative actions, which is an important aspect of the current ever-expanding debate in the UK, and in other jurisdictions, about corporate governance. In particular it: (1) provides the first detailed and clear overview, commentary and theoretically informed explanation of the law governing derivative actions by revealing underlying principles, making it an essential resource for corporate law academics, law makers and practitioners; (2) uses these principles to suggest how the law should develop in the future; (3) provides the first, most comprehensive and detailed assessment of the new regime governing derivative actions under the new Companies Act 2006 including a commentary on all the new provisions of the Act on the subject; and (4) includes a comparative perspective to derivative actions in foreign jurisdictions focusing in particular on recent developments so as to compare and explain how the law might develop. The book attempts a fundamental rethink of the content of the derivative action and its objectives. Intertwining these objectives into a cohesive model of derivative actions, the book conceptualizes the derivative action mechanism and argues that action should be taken at three parallel levels: (1) conceptual (i.e., adoption of a new framework in the guise of the ‘Functional and Focused Model’ as set out in the book); (2) strategic (i.e., employment of appropriate incentives and fee rules which advance the premises behind the Model); and (3) maintaining doctrinal consistency (i.e., clarification of the interaction between the derivative action and other remedies available to shareholders.
Arad Reisberg
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199204892
- eISBN:
- 9780191709487
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199204892.003.0005
- Subject:
- Law, Company and Commercial Law
This chapter analyses the reforms of the derivative action in the UK. It begins by highlighting the deficiencies in the common law, the approach to reform, and the guiding principles for resolving ...
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This chapter analyses the reforms of the derivative action in the UK. It begins by highlighting the deficiencies in the common law, the approach to reform, and the guiding principles for resolving the problems identified. Section 4.3 analyses the new statutory derivative action introduced by the Companies Act 2006. It provides a summary of the reform package while discussing the scope of the new derivative action and the procedural framework for the application for leave. Section 4.4 assesses critically the recent reforms, looking in particular at major possible obstacles, drawing on recent experience in foreign jurisdictions in which the derivative action has been put on a statutory footing. This analysis is meant to bring the reader forward to see the impact (in cost/benefit terms) of reforms in what proved to be a rather contentious area of reform.Less
This chapter analyses the reforms of the derivative action in the UK. It begins by highlighting the deficiencies in the common law, the approach to reform, and the guiding principles for resolving the problems identified. Section 4.3 analyses the new statutory derivative action introduced by the Companies Act 2006. It provides a summary of the reform package while discussing the scope of the new derivative action and the procedural framework for the application for leave. Section 4.4 assesses critically the recent reforms, looking in particular at major possible obstacles, drawing on recent experience in foreign jurisdictions in which the derivative action has been put on a statutory footing. This analysis is meant to bring the reader forward to see the impact (in cost/benefit terms) of reforms in what proved to be a rather contentious area of reform.
Irit Mevorach
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199544721
- eISBN:
- 9780191705564
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544721.003.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Company and Commercial Law
This introductory chapter sets the scope and focus of this work. It explains that the book deals with multinational enterprise groups (MEGs) and the event of their financial distress, and it ...
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This introductory chapter sets the scope and focus of this work. It explains that the book deals with multinational enterprise groups (MEGs) and the event of their financial distress, and it delineates the key complexities involved with this issue. It explains that the book attempts to offer a framework for critically analysing means of treating insolvencies within MEGs, and that it also applies this framework when examining possible rules and procedures for dealing with MEG insolvencies. It explains that the works takes a multi-tiered approach considering for any insolvency mechanism how it fits with problems of insolvency, company law theory (the problem of groups), and of private international law. The chapter also delineates the structure of the book.Less
This introductory chapter sets the scope and focus of this work. It explains that the book deals with multinational enterprise groups (MEGs) and the event of their financial distress, and it delineates the key complexities involved with this issue. It explains that the book attempts to offer a framework for critically analysing means of treating insolvencies within MEGs, and that it also applies this framework when examining possible rules and procedures for dealing with MEG insolvencies. It explains that the works takes a multi-tiered approach considering for any insolvency mechanism how it fits with problems of insolvency, company law theory (the problem of groups), and of private international law. The chapter also delineates the structure of the book.
Richard Whitley and Steven Casper
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199205172
- eISBN:
- 9780191709555
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205172.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
This chapter explores the mechanisms linking dominant institutions to distinctive business competences in Germany, Sweden, and the UK, and looks at the relative success of these mechanisms in some ...
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This chapter explores the mechanisms linking dominant institutions to distinctive business competences in Germany, Sweden, and the UK, and looks at the relative success of these mechanisms in some detail by focusing on the characteristics of different subsectors. Specifically, it compares how the institutional frameworks in these countries have affected strategies for dealing with two major kinds of organizational problems that firms have to manage in developing new technologies in the biotechnology and software industries. It focuses on the role of different kinds of skill formation systems and labour market institutions in encouraging the development of contrasting kinds of organizational capabilities. While the predominantly arm's length institutions in countries such as the USA or UK are conducive to the development of project-based entrepreneurial technology start-ups focusing on discontinuous radical innovations, there are other subsectors of these industries where more complex and stable organizations are effective. Success in such segments is strongly advantaged by institutional structures that encourage competence enhancing human resource strategies.Less
This chapter explores the mechanisms linking dominant institutions to distinctive business competences in Germany, Sweden, and the UK, and looks at the relative success of these mechanisms in some detail by focusing on the characteristics of different subsectors. Specifically, it compares how the institutional frameworks in these countries have affected strategies for dealing with two major kinds of organizational problems that firms have to manage in developing new technologies in the biotechnology and software industries. It focuses on the role of different kinds of skill formation systems and labour market institutions in encouraging the development of contrasting kinds of organizational capabilities. While the predominantly arm's length institutions in countries such as the USA or UK are conducive to the development of project-based entrepreneurial technology start-ups focusing on discontinuous radical innovations, there are other subsectors of these industries where more complex and stable organizations are effective. Success in such segments is strongly advantaged by institutional structures that encourage competence enhancing human resource strategies.
Jonathan Charkham and Anne Simpson
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198292142
- eISBN:
- 9780191684876
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198292142.003.0020
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability, Business History
This chapter examines the multinational company, the shareholders, diversification through international investment, private shareholders, and future developments to globalization. There will ...
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This chapter examines the multinational company, the shareholders, diversification through international investment, private shareholders, and future developments to globalization. There will inevitably be further convergence on accounting practices; the more firms seek to raise capital internationally or seek quotation on overseas stock exchanges, the more likely this becomes. If tax is simplified too, so that expenses are reduced, another obstacle will be easier to surmount — as a more efficient flow of capital should ensue. All this may lead to foreign-held stakes growing in significance and if so the incentive for foreign institutions to monitor their investments will increase. The trends towards globalization will not lead to an erosion of differences in domestic markets, other than what is absolutely essential for transparency of information and protection of shareholder rights in order to attract international capital; but beyond this, nations will cherish their special emphasis on particular aspects of a corporate purpose.Less
This chapter examines the multinational company, the shareholders, diversification through international investment, private shareholders, and future developments to globalization. There will inevitably be further convergence on accounting practices; the more firms seek to raise capital internationally or seek quotation on overseas stock exchanges, the more likely this becomes. If tax is simplified too, so that expenses are reduced, another obstacle will be easier to surmount — as a more efficient flow of capital should ensue. All this may lead to foreign-held stakes growing in significance and if so the incentive for foreign institutions to monitor their investments will increase. The trends towards globalization will not lead to an erosion of differences in domestic markets, other than what is absolutely essential for transparency of information and protection of shareholder rights in order to attract international capital; but beyond this, nations will cherish their special emphasis on particular aspects of a corporate purpose.
Richard Coopey and Donald Clarke
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289449
- eISBN:
- 9780191684708
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289449.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Business History
This chapter provides a historical perspective of the development of 3i and its impact on British industry. The institution, established initially as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation ...
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This chapter provides a historical perspective of the development of 3i and its impact on British industry. The institution, established initially as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation and commonly known by its initials, has come a long way since its origins in the aftermath of the Second World War, although it has never lost sight of its original purpose — to serve the small- and medium-sized company sector by providing the long-term and permanent capital which larger companies are able to raise through the capital markets. This book includes a series of case studies illustrating particular aspects of 3i's investment method, aiming to give due weight to the relationship with its customers without distracting attention from the main narrative.Less
This chapter provides a historical perspective of the development of 3i and its impact on British industry. The institution, established initially as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation and commonly known by its initials, has come a long way since its origins in the aftermath of the Second World War, although it has never lost sight of its original purpose — to serve the small- and medium-sized company sector by providing the long-term and permanent capital which larger companies are able to raise through the capital markets. This book includes a series of case studies illustrating particular aspects of 3i's investment method, aiming to give due weight to the relationship with its customers without distracting attention from the main narrative.
Robert J. Flanagan
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195306002
- eISBN:
- 9780199783564
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195306007.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
This chapter studies the effects of multinational companies on labor conditions around the world. The evidence shows that (1) the economic presence of multinationals in foreign countries is often ...
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This chapter studies the effects of multinational companies on labor conditions around the world. The evidence shows that (1) the economic presence of multinationals in foreign countries is often overstated, (2) multinationals pay higher wages than host-country companies in both industrialized and developing countries, and (3) when multinationals acquire host country businesses, they institute changes in production methods and human resource management practices that raise productivity sufficiently to support higher wages. The evidence also rejects the race-to-the-bottom view that poor labor conditions attract multinational companies. Most flows of foreign direct investment occur between advanced countries with high labor standards and are influenced by market size and potential investment risk rather than labor conditions. The chapter also examines and evaluates the efficacy of corporate codes of conduct for improving labor conditions.Less
This chapter studies the effects of multinational companies on labor conditions around the world. The evidence shows that (1) the economic presence of multinationals in foreign countries is often overstated, (2) multinationals pay higher wages than host-country companies in both industrialized and developing countries, and (3) when multinationals acquire host country businesses, they institute changes in production methods and human resource management practices that raise productivity sufficiently to support higher wages. The evidence also rejects the race-to-the-bottom view that poor labor conditions attract multinational companies. Most flows of foreign direct investment occur between advanced countries with high labor standards and are influenced by market size and potential investment risk rather than labor conditions. The chapter also examines and evaluates the efficacy of corporate codes of conduct for improving labor conditions.
George Wagoner, Anna Rappaport, Brian Fuller, and Frank Yeager
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199204656
- eISBN:
- 9780191603822
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199204659.003.0008
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Financial Economics
The increase in both retiree medical care expenditures and the retired fraction of the population has put pressure on retiree health care insurance providers. This chapter assesses future prospects ...
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The increase in both retiree medical care expenditures and the retired fraction of the population has put pressure on retiree health care insurance providers. This chapter assesses future prospects for retiree health insurance, focusing on traditional approaches to retiree health benefits where the employer assumes most risk, and on defined contribution approaches where significant risk is shifted to the retiree. It also examines government benefits for retirees, including new Medicare prescription drug benefits. It models future retiree health care costs and opportunities to save before retiring, highlighting public policy obstacles and issues for employer-provided retiree health benefits.Less
The increase in both retiree medical care expenditures and the retired fraction of the population has put pressure on retiree health care insurance providers. This chapter assesses future prospects for retiree health insurance, focusing on traditional approaches to retiree health benefits where the employer assumes most risk, and on defined contribution approaches where significant risk is shifted to the retiree. It also examines government benefits for retirees, including new Medicare prescription drug benefits. It models future retiree health care costs and opportunities to save before retiring, highlighting public policy obstacles and issues for employer-provided retiree health benefits.
Lorraine Code
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195159431
- eISBN:
- 9780199786411
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195159438.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy
Taking its point of departure from the suppression of research findings by a Canadian drug company with a vested interest in keeping them from the public eye, this chapter reads the ambiguous ...
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Taking its point of departure from the suppression of research findings by a Canadian drug company with a vested interest in keeping them from the public eye, this chapter reads the ambiguous gendered implications of the positioning of Dr. Nancy Olivieri, a scientist and physician, as the principal player in the story. Issues of credibility, answerability, academic freedom, and the role of trust in knowledge figure centrally in the analysis. It shows how ecological thinking allows for the development of a productive reading of responsibility, rooted neither in individualism nor in an implausible voluntarism; and attentive to the climatic conditions in which much scientific research in the 21st century takes place. It extends the discussion of collective responsibility that begins in chapter six to raise questions about ecologically sound research practices, justice, and citizenship.Less
Taking its point of departure from the suppression of research findings by a Canadian drug company with a vested interest in keeping them from the public eye, this chapter reads the ambiguous gendered implications of the positioning of Dr. Nancy Olivieri, a scientist and physician, as the principal player in the story. Issues of credibility, answerability, academic freedom, and the role of trust in knowledge figure centrally in the analysis. It shows how ecological thinking allows for the development of a productive reading of responsibility, rooted neither in individualism nor in an implausible voluntarism; and attentive to the climatic conditions in which much scientific research in the 21st century takes place. It extends the discussion of collective responsibility that begins in chapter six to raise questions about ecologically sound research practices, justice, and citizenship.
Richard Whitley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199205172
- eISBN:
- 9780191709555
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205172.003.0010
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
Multinational companies vary considerably in the extent to which they invest key resources in different kinds of market economy and encourage learning from these diverse environments. They therefore ...
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Multinational companies vary considerably in the extent to which they invest key resources in different kinds of market economy and encourage learning from these diverse environments. They therefore differ greatly in the level of organizational innovation and change they undergo as the result of internationalization, and in their development of novel and distinctive characteristics. These variations stem from both the governance and capabilities of the firms concerned, which in turn are connected to their dominant domestic business system characteristics and institutional pressures, and the nature of the business systems to which they commit significant resources. This chapter explores these connections in more detail and shows how companies from different kinds of economies are likely to internationalize their activities in different ways. How three very different ideal types of firms are likely to follow contrasting internationalization strategies is also considered.Less
Multinational companies vary considerably in the extent to which they invest key resources in different kinds of market economy and encourage learning from these diverse environments. They therefore differ greatly in the level of organizational innovation and change they undergo as the result of internationalization, and in their development of novel and distinctive characteristics. These variations stem from both the governance and capabilities of the firms concerned, which in turn are connected to their dominant domestic business system characteristics and institutional pressures, and the nature of the business systems to which they commit significant resources. This chapter explores these connections in more detail and shows how companies from different kinds of economies are likely to internationalize their activities in different ways. How three very different ideal types of firms are likely to follow contrasting internationalization strategies is also considered.
Richard Whitley, Glenn Morgan, William Kelly, and Diana Sharpe
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199205172
- eISBN:
- 9780191709555
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205172.003.0012
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
This chapter examines how international managerial careers and attitudes are changing in Japanese companies in two different industries: car manufacturing and banking. This assessment is based on a ...
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This chapter examines how international managerial careers and attitudes are changing in Japanese companies in two different industries: car manufacturing and banking. This assessment is based on a series of interviews with Japanese and British managers working in Japanese firms in the UK, and with head office managers of these multinational companies (MNCs). It seems that Japanese car firms were primarily using expatriate managers to apply their domestically developed recipes to foreign subsidiaries, and then to transmit new information about plant operations to Japan to improve them. They were not, however, encouraging them to develop novel kinds of capabilities in diverse environments that could lead to the adaptation of the basic business recipe. In the case of Japanese banking, the central position of the City and Long-term Credit banks in the domestic business system, together with their largely domestic client-driven internationalization in the 1970s and 1980s, limited their adaptation to, and learning from, foreign operations. The changed conditions of the 1990s have mostly resulted in a retreat to traditional customers and sources of competitive advantage, i.e., their knowledge of, and centrality to, the domestic business system, and so foreign subsidiaries are greatly subordinated to domestic decisions and routines.Less
This chapter examines how international managerial careers and attitudes are changing in Japanese companies in two different industries: car manufacturing and banking. This assessment is based on a series of interviews with Japanese and British managers working in Japanese firms in the UK, and with head office managers of these multinational companies (MNCs). It seems that Japanese car firms were primarily using expatriate managers to apply their domestically developed recipes to foreign subsidiaries, and then to transmit new information about plant operations to Japan to improve them. They were not, however, encouraging them to develop novel kinds of capabilities in diverse environments that could lead to the adaptation of the basic business recipe. In the case of Japanese banking, the central position of the City and Long-term Credit banks in the domestic business system, together with their largely domestic client-driven internationalization in the 1970s and 1980s, limited their adaptation to, and learning from, foreign operations. The changed conditions of the 1990s have mostly resulted in a retreat to traditional customers and sources of competitive advantage, i.e., their knowledge of, and centrality to, the domestic business system, and so foreign subsidiaries are greatly subordinated to domestic decisions and routines.
Joanne Punzo Waghorne
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195156638
- eISBN:
- 9780199785292
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156638.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
The attention given to the 19th century in contemporary postcolonial studies skews the discussion of modernization and religion toward ideologies not materialities. Refocusing on the late 16th ...
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The attention given to the 19th century in contemporary postcolonial studies skews the discussion of modernization and religion toward ideologies not materialities. Refocusing on the late 16th century during the rise of the new world system shows Hindu temples emerging as key institutions in the resettlement and reorientation of Indian Hindus in the new global economy. The key players were classic bourgeoisie, a multi-caste group of “merchants” in the East India Company. These merchants resembled their British counterparts in their rising status within their respective societies at home and their shared society in “Blacktown”. Through the use of archival maps, a reconfiguration of the Hindus temples becomes visible within this new urban space. The pattern of deities and the basic styles of their new homes — eclectic and duplicated — prefigure contemporary temples built within Chennai but also abroad in this new era of geo-culture and geo-economics (Wallerstein).Less
The attention given to the 19th century in contemporary postcolonial studies skews the discussion of modernization and religion toward ideologies not materialities. Refocusing on the late 16th century during the rise of the new world system shows Hindu temples emerging as key institutions in the resettlement and reorientation of Indian Hindus in the new global economy. The key players were classic bourgeoisie, a multi-caste group of “merchants” in the East India Company. These merchants resembled their British counterparts in their rising status within their respective societies at home and their shared society in “Blacktown”. Through the use of archival maps, a reconfiguration of the Hindus temples becomes visible within this new urban space. The pattern of deities and the basic styles of their new homes — eclectic and duplicated — prefigure contemporary temples built within Chennai but also abroad in this new era of geo-culture and geo-economics (Wallerstein).
Asa Briggs
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780192129260
- eISBN:
- 9780191670008
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129260.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
This chapter focuses on the manufacturers' meetings concerning the formation of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first meeting was held in May 1922 at the Institution of Electrical ...
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This chapter focuses on the manufacturers' meetings concerning the formation of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first meeting was held in May 1922 at the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), which led to the led to the long-term relation between BBC and the IEE. Six companies played a key role in the formation of the BBC. These were the Marconi Company, Metropolitan-Vickers, Western Electric Company, Radio Communications Company, General Electric Company, and the British Thomson-Houston Company.Less
This chapter focuses on the manufacturers' meetings concerning the formation of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first meeting was held in May 1922 at the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), which led to the led to the long-term relation between BBC and the IEE. Six companies played a key role in the formation of the BBC. These were the Marconi Company, Metropolitan-Vickers, Western Electric Company, Radio Communications Company, General Electric Company, and the British Thomson-Houston Company.
Martin Fransman
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198289357
- eISBN:
- 9780191596261
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198289359.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Microeconomics
A conceptualization (theory) of the firm is developed in order to analyse the evolution of the major Japanese computer and communications companies: Fujitsu, NEC, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi ...
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A conceptualization (theory) of the firm is developed in order to analyse the evolution of the major Japanese computer and communications companies: Fujitsu, NEC, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, and Oki. Particular attention is paid to the paradox presented by these companies, which feature strongly in the world's top ten in terms of total sales but which, unlike Japanese consumer electronics and automobile companies, are dominant in very few markets outside Japan. According to this conceptualization, a firm may be analysed in terms of four closely related dimensions: competences––the firm's activities and knowledge––define what that firm knows and can do; organization determines how the firm's competences are coordinated and controlled in order to produce a competitive output; vision refers to the set of beliefs that guide the firm's leaders in deciding what the firm should be doing and where it should be going; and selection environment is the sum total of factors external to the firm (and to the population of firms) that determine whether the firm will prosper or not.Less
A conceptualization (theory) of the firm is developed in order to analyse the evolution of the major Japanese computer and communications companies: Fujitsu, NEC, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, and Oki. Particular attention is paid to the paradox presented by these companies, which feature strongly in the world's top ten in terms of total sales but which, unlike Japanese consumer electronics and automobile companies, are dominant in very few markets outside Japan. According to this conceptualization, a firm may be analysed in terms of four closely related dimensions: competences––the firm's activities and knowledge––define what that firm knows and can do; organization determines how the firm's competences are coordinated and controlled in order to produce a competitive output; vision refers to the set of beliefs that guide the firm's leaders in deciding what the firm should be doing and where it should be going; and selection environment is the sum total of factors external to the firm (and to the population of firms) that determine whether the firm will prosper or not.
Peter A. Swenson
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195142976
- eISBN:
- 9780199872190
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195142977.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter wraps up the analysis of solidarism's development through the 1950s with historical evidence showing how employers strongly favored continued wage compression, a fact that thoroughly ...
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This chapter wraps up the analysis of solidarism's development through the 1950s with historical evidence showing how employers strongly favored continued wage compression, a fact that thoroughly undermines the mythology that employers reluctantly traded centralized negotiation of an egalitarian structure of wages across firms and industries in exchange for the labor confederation's suppression of wage militancy. Wage solidarism and restraint, consensually pursued in multiindustry collective bargaining, generated endemic labor scarcity, which in turn gave rise to a profusion of welfare capitalist benefits offered by firms to attract and retain labor. The employers’ confederation proved unsuccessful in unilaterally suppressing this resurgent segmentalism, and these difficulties help explain employer support for welfare state politics during the 1940s and 1950s.Less
This chapter wraps up the analysis of solidarism's development through the 1950s with historical evidence showing how employers strongly favored continued wage compression, a fact that thoroughly undermines the mythology that employers reluctantly traded centralized negotiation of an egalitarian structure of wages across firms and industries in exchange for the labor confederation's suppression of wage militancy. Wage solidarism and restraint, consensually pursued in multiindustry collective bargaining, generated endemic labor scarcity, which in turn gave rise to a profusion of welfare capitalist benefits offered by firms to attract and retain labor. The employers’ confederation proved unsuccessful in unilaterally suppressing this resurgent segmentalism, and these difficulties help explain employer support for welfare state politics during the 1940s and 1950s.
