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.
Elisa Morgera
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199558018
- eISBN:
- 9780191705311
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558018.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Public International Law, Environmental and Energy Law
This book examines the highly topical question of the current and future role of international environmental law in directing and controlling the environmental conduct of business enterprises, in ...
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This book examines the highly topical question of the current and future role of international environmental law in directing and controlling the environmental conduct of business enterprises, in particular multinational corporations. It replies to this question through the identification of corporate accountability standards and their implementation by international organizations. The book examines systematically all international sources of corporate accountability standards in the specific area of environmental protection and elaborates on their theoretical and practical implications for international environmental law. The book argues that although international environmental treaties do not bind multinational corporations and other business entities, growing international practice points to the emergence of legal standards that allow adapting and translating inter-State obligations embodied in international environmental law into specific normative benchmarks to determine the legitimacy of the conduct of the private sector against internationally recognized values and rules. The book also focuses on the role of international organizations in selecting international environmental standards and promote their application to business entities, in the absence of State intervention. The book analyses the growing practice of international organizations, which are driving a process of emergence of international standards for corporate environmental accountability. Furthermore, the impact of international organizations' direct relations with the private sector is also assessed, as it significantly contributes to ensuring that private companies comply with international environmental standards.Less
This book examines the highly topical question of the current and future role of international environmental law in directing and controlling the environmental conduct of business enterprises, in particular multinational corporations. It replies to this question through the identification of corporate accountability standards and their implementation by international organizations. The book examines systematically all international sources of corporate accountability standards in the specific area of environmental protection and elaborates on their theoretical and practical implications for international environmental law. The book argues that although international environmental treaties do not bind multinational corporations and other business entities, growing international practice points to the emergence of legal standards that allow adapting and translating inter-State obligations embodied in international environmental law into specific normative benchmarks to determine the legitimacy of the conduct of the private sector against internationally recognized values and rules. The book also focuses on the role of international organizations in selecting international environmental standards and promote their application to business entities, in the absence of State intervention. The book analyses the growing practice of international organizations, which are driving a process of emergence of international standards for corporate environmental accountability. Furthermore, the impact of international organizations' direct relations with the private sector is also assessed, as it significantly contributes to ensuring that private companies comply with international environmental standards.
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.
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.
Lan Xue and Zheng Liang
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199574759
- eISBN:
- 9780191722660
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199574759.003.0010
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Innovation
This chapter discusses the catch‐up process of China post‐1949, especially after the initiative of “Open Doors” since 1978. Domestic firms adapted to the intellectual property right system through ...
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This chapter discusses the catch‐up process of China post‐1949, especially after the initiative of “Open Doors” since 1978. Domestic firms adapted to the intellectual property right system through gradual innovation, especially using utility models, i.e. petty patents. Even though most Chinese firms have not been able to become true innovators, several succeeded in developing innovative capabilities, such as Huawei, a communication equipment manufacturer. The litigation brought by Cisco against Huawei stimulated the formulation and improvement of Huawei's IPR strategy and, gradually, Huawei has developed new collaborative relationships with multinationals. However, this case is rather exceptional and most inventions are carried out by a handful of large firms. China's patent system has played an important role in stimulating innovation for both multinationals and domestic firms even though its net impact on technology transfer and domestic firms' catch‐up is yet unclear.Less
This chapter discusses the catch‐up process of China post‐1949, especially after the initiative of “Open Doors” since 1978. Domestic firms adapted to the intellectual property right system through gradual innovation, especially using utility models, i.e. petty patents. Even though most Chinese firms have not been able to become true innovators, several succeeded in developing innovative capabilities, such as Huawei, a communication equipment manufacturer. The litigation brought by Cisco against Huawei stimulated the formulation and improvement of Huawei's IPR strategy and, gradually, Huawei has developed new collaborative relationships with multinationals. However, this case is rather exceptional and most inventions are carried out by a handful of large firms. China's patent system has played an important role in stimulating innovation for both multinationals and domestic firms even though its net impact on technology transfer and domestic firms' catch‐up is yet unclear.
Richard Whitley
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199205172
- eISBN:
- 9780191709555
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205172.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy
Twenty-first century capitalism has been marked by an increasing international economic independence, and considerable differences between dominant economic systems of coordination and control. In ...
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Twenty-first century capitalism has been marked by an increasing international economic independence, and considerable differences between dominant economic systems of coordination and control. In this context, national competition and coordination within industries has increased, but the governance of leading firms and the kinds of competences they develop remains quite diverse. This book suggests how we can understand this combination of diversity and integration by developing the comparative business systems framework in three major ways. First, by identifying the particular circumstances in which distinctive business systems and innovation systems become nationally established and reproduced, as well as how changing endogenous and exogenous pressures have affected the major kinds of business systems that developed in many OECD states during the post-war period. Second, by showing how variations in authority sharing with employees and business partners and in the provision of organizational careers lead institutional regimes to affect the nature of organizational capabilities that dominant firms develop and enable them to deal with different kinds of risks and opportunities in particular technologies and markets. Third, by identifying the circumstances in which multinational firms are likely to develop distinctive transnational organizational capabilities through such authority sharing and careers, and so become different kinds of companies from their more domestically focused competitors. In many if not most cases of cross-national managerial coordination, these conditions rarely exist, and so the extent to which multinational firms do indeed constitute distinct organizational forms and strategic actors is much less than is sometimes claimed.Less
Twenty-first century capitalism has been marked by an increasing international economic independence, and considerable differences between dominant economic systems of coordination and control. In this context, national competition and coordination within industries has increased, but the governance of leading firms and the kinds of competences they develop remains quite diverse. This book suggests how we can understand this combination of diversity and integration by developing the comparative business systems framework in three major ways. First, by identifying the particular circumstances in which distinctive business systems and innovation systems become nationally established and reproduced, as well as how changing endogenous and exogenous pressures have affected the major kinds of business systems that developed in many OECD states during the post-war period. Second, by showing how variations in authority sharing with employees and business partners and in the provision of organizational careers lead institutional regimes to affect the nature of organizational capabilities that dominant firms develop and enable them to deal with different kinds of risks and opportunities in particular technologies and markets. Third, by identifying the circumstances in which multinational firms are likely to develop distinctive transnational organizational capabilities through such authority sharing and careers, and so become different kinds of companies from their more domestically focused competitors. In many if not most cases of cross-national managerial coordination, these conditions rarely exist, and so the extent to which multinational firms do indeed constitute distinct organizational forms and strategic actors is much less than is sometimes claimed.
Robert Grosse
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233755
- eISBN:
- 9780191715549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233755.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
The largest firms in Latin America are a mix of subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises, government-owned companies such as oil companies, and locally-owned Grupos that are involved in ...
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The largest firms in Latin America are a mix of subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises, government-owned companies such as oil companies, and locally-owned Grupos that are involved in multiple businesses. Among private-sector, locally-owned firms, the grupos are the dominant structure in Latin America for very large firms. This chapter explores the grupo form, which also dominates in many other countries around the world. Latin American grupos are often family-based or owned by a few dominant owners. The Latin American grupos tend to possess competitive strengths such as domination of local distribution channels and diversification of industry sectors, which are often difficult to replicate overseas. A set of major grupos from several countries — including Ardila Lulle, Carso, Cisneros, Luksic, and Techint — are described and common competitive strengths identified. This form is likely to persist for a long while in Latin America, and the challenge for these firms is to build competitive advantages that are transferable across national boundaries.Less
The largest firms in Latin America are a mix of subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises, government-owned companies such as oil companies, and locally-owned Grupos that are involved in multiple businesses. Among private-sector, locally-owned firms, the grupos are the dominant structure in Latin America for very large firms. This chapter explores the grupo form, which also dominates in many other countries around the world. Latin American grupos are often family-based or owned by a few dominant owners. The Latin American grupos tend to possess competitive strengths such as domination of local distribution channels and diversification of industry sectors, which are often difficult to replicate overseas. A set of major grupos from several countries — including Ardila Lulle, Carso, Cisneros, Luksic, and Techint — are described and common competitive strengths identified. This form is likely to persist for a long while in Latin America, and the challenge for these firms is to build competitive advantages that are transferable across national boundaries.
Héctor Ochoa
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233755
- eISBN:
- 9780191715549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233755.003.0006
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
This chapter presents the results of a study conducted in Colombia to determine how some Latin American companies successfully expanded into international markets, and to identify business models and ...
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This chapter presents the results of a study conducted in Colombia to determine how some Latin American companies successfully expanded into international markets, and to identify business models and common characteristics of these companies and their affiliates in other regions worldwide. The foods division of the Colombian ‘Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño’ (Antioquia Business Group), which consists of a conglomerate of companies owned by Inversiones Nacional de Chocolates, was selected for analysis because it is probably the group that has achieved the greatest success in Colombia in the globalization process. The study identifies the outstanding characteristics that enabled the group to develop the core competences that provided the foundations for establishing successful strategies to penetrate different international markets; learn from the different cultures associated with those markets, but at the same time expand its own culture in those places, specially in the retailing activity to neighbourhood stores; and develop processes to manage risks, add value to the products, and face the increasing competition from other multinational firms.Less
This chapter presents the results of a study conducted in Colombia to determine how some Latin American companies successfully expanded into international markets, and to identify business models and common characteristics of these companies and their affiliates in other regions worldwide. The foods division of the Colombian ‘Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño’ (Antioquia Business Group), which consists of a conglomerate of companies owned by Inversiones Nacional de Chocolates, was selected for analysis because it is probably the group that has achieved the greatest success in Colombia in the globalization process. The study identifies the outstanding characteristics that enabled the group to develop the core competences that provided the foundations for establishing successful strategies to penetrate different international markets; learn from the different cultures associated with those markets, but at the same time expand its own culture in those places, specially in the retailing activity to neighbourhood stores; and develop processes to manage risks, add value to the products, and face the increasing competition from other multinational firms.
Michael Penfold
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233755
- eISBN:
- 9780191715549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233755.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
As a consequence of the great economic and institutional volatility experienced during the last two decades, Venezuela has registered low economic growth rates that hindered the development of a ...
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As a consequence of the great economic and institutional volatility experienced during the last two decades, Venezuela has registered low economic growth rates that hindered the development of a competitive non-oil export sector. One of the few exceptions is the emergence, expansion, and consolidation of the shrimp industry which is dominated by both national and international firms. Although the Venezuelan shrimp production has not attained the same importance as its counterparts in countries like China, Vietnam, and Thailand, it is among the most important regional players in that field in Latin America, behind countries such as Brasil, Ecuador, and Colombia. This chapter explores the competitiveness of the shrimp industry using cluster analysis. It highlights how the emerging shrimp cluster in Venezuela lacks the tools for cooperation between its producers and the support institutions that could enhance its productivity and guarantee its long-term consolidation.Less
As a consequence of the great economic and institutional volatility experienced during the last two decades, Venezuela has registered low economic growth rates that hindered the development of a competitive non-oil export sector. One of the few exceptions is the emergence, expansion, and consolidation of the shrimp industry which is dominated by both national and international firms. Although the Venezuelan shrimp production has not attained the same importance as its counterparts in countries like China, Vietnam, and Thailand, it is among the most important regional players in that field in Latin America, behind countries such as Brasil, Ecuador, and Colombia. This chapter explores the competitiveness of the shrimp industry using cluster analysis. It highlights how the emerging shrimp cluster in Venezuela lacks the tools for cooperation between its producers and the support institutions that could enhance its productivity and guarantee its long-term consolidation.
Richard Youngs
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199274468
- eISBN:
- 9780191602030
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199274460.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter examines the evolving positions and actions of multinational corporations in relation to democratic norms. The focus on core rights issues under the Corporate Social Responsibility ...
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This chapter examines the evolving positions and actions of multinational corporations in relation to democratic norms. The focus on core rights issues under the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda was stronger than concerns over democratic trends. Many companies prioritised the autocratic stability and autonomy of elite policymaking structure from civil society pressure, and new investments were not linked to improvements in political freedom.Less
This chapter examines the evolving positions and actions of multinational corporations in relation to democratic norms. The focus on core rights issues under the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda was stronger than concerns over democratic trends. Many companies prioritised the autocratic stability and autonomy of elite policymaking structure from civil society pressure, and new investments were not linked to improvements in political freedom.
Andrea Goldstein and Omar Toulan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233755
- eISBN:
- 9780191715549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233755.003.0012
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
This chapter explores the globalization challenges faced by multinationals from Latin America (multilatinas), focusing on Embraer and Techint — the two South American firms that best epitomize ...
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This chapter explores the globalization challenges faced by multinationals from Latin America (multilatinas), focusing on Embraer and Techint — the two South American firms that best epitomize world-class manufacturing based not only on the intensive use of natural resources, but also on technology and human capital. Specifically, the chapter looks at their experiences in China, and whether or not they have any advantages coming from emerging markets themselves. Among the commonalities the chapter finds between these two firms are excellence at managing institutional relations, supply chains, and the boundaries of the firm. Also important is the clear and articulated global vision of the firms' top management. These firms decided to look internationally while still enjoying domestic protection. By being proactive, they were able to reach quality standards earlier and under a less pressured environment than firms that were forced to adapt quickly to increased local competition following market liberalization in their home countries. When entering other emerging markets like China, their familiarity with institutional voids can serve as an advantage compared to firms from more developed economies. But they will still face the same challenges as other firms regarding technology and governance issues.Less
This chapter explores the globalization challenges faced by multinationals from Latin America (multilatinas), focusing on Embraer and Techint — the two South American firms that best epitomize world-class manufacturing based not only on the intensive use of natural resources, but also on technology and human capital. Specifically, the chapter looks at their experiences in China, and whether or not they have any advantages coming from emerging markets themselves. Among the commonalities the chapter finds between these two firms are excellence at managing institutional relations, supply chains, and the boundaries of the firm. Also important is the clear and articulated global vision of the firms' top management. These firms decided to look internationally while still enjoying domestic protection. By being proactive, they were able to reach quality standards earlier and under a less pressured environment than firms that were forced to adapt quickly to increased local competition following market liberalization in their home countries. When entering other emerging markets like China, their familiarity with institutional voids can serve as an advantage compared to firms from more developed economies. But they will still face the same challenges as other firms regarding technology and governance issues.
Dong-Sung Cho and Keum-Young Chang
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233755
- eISBN:
- 9780191715549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233755.003.0013
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
This chapter identifies the mechanisms used by Korean companies for success and their implications for Latin American firms. Yuhan-Kimberly, a joint venture company established between ...
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This chapter identifies the mechanisms used by Korean companies for success and their implications for Latin American firms. Yuhan-Kimberly, a joint venture company established between Kimberly-Clark, a multinational firm based in the US, and Yuhan Corporation, a Korean pharmaceutical company, is studied. Since 1985, Yuhan-Kimberly has practiced innovation, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and environment management, while upholding the corporate philosophy of one of its parent companies, Yuhan Corporation. As a result, Yuhan-Kimberly has beaten Korea-based global firms such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motors Co. to become the most respected company of the Korean people. In addition, it ranked first in market dominance, a status that could only be earned through a combination of market share and customer loyalty. Thus, the company has set a new benchmark for sustainable management. This chapter examines the success factors of Yuhan-Kimberly using the SER-M model to redefine the concept of ‘sustainable management’ and study the mechanism of its management. Three factors are identified as components of the mechanism: the composition of factors, the sequence of factor deployment, and the timing of sequence in the factor deployment.Less
This chapter identifies the mechanisms used by Korean companies for success and their implications for Latin American firms. Yuhan-Kimberly, a joint venture company established between Kimberly-Clark, a multinational firm based in the US, and Yuhan Corporation, a Korean pharmaceutical company, is studied. Since 1985, Yuhan-Kimberly has practiced innovation, ethics, corporate social responsibility, and environment management, while upholding the corporate philosophy of one of its parent companies, Yuhan Corporation. As a result, Yuhan-Kimberly has beaten Korea-based global firms such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motors Co. to become the most respected company of the Korean people. In addition, it ranked first in market dominance, a status that could only be earned through a combination of market share and customer loyalty. Thus, the company has set a new benchmark for sustainable management. This chapter examines the success factors of Yuhan-Kimberly using the SER-M model to redefine the concept of ‘sustainable management’ and study the mechanism of its management. Three factors are identified as components of the mechanism: the composition of factors, the sequence of factor deployment, and the timing of sequence in the factor deployment.
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.
Phil Almond and Anthony Ferner (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199274635
- eISBN:
- 9780191706530
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199274635.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, HRM / IR
This book addresses some of the major contemporary issues in comparative business and employment relations. At its core are the findings of a four-year international exploration of the management of ...
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This book addresses some of the major contemporary issues in comparative business and employment relations. At its core are the findings of a four-year international exploration of the management of employment relations in American multinational companies in the UK, Germany, Ireland, and Spain. Data from detailed case studies are used to illuminate the tensions between the forces of globalization and the continuing distinctiveness of national business systems. It looks at what is distinctively American about US multinationals, asking how the US business system’s particular features influence their management of human resources across national borders. It shows that the transfer of ‘Americanness’ is not a technical, top-down, managerial process, but a highly political and ‘negotiated’ one in which groups and individuals at different levels within the company try to influence the terms of transfer. The book uses a wealth of empirical material to explore the ways in which US multinationals manage international employment relations in different host countries. Four areas of policy and practice are considered in detail: pay and performance; collective employee representation; the management of workforce ‘diversity’; and managerial careers. It shows how global HR policies are made; how they are diffused internationally; and how they are adopted, adapted, or resisted by overseas subsidiaries. It also explores some of the structures and processes that characterize US multinationals: the changing balance between centralization and subsidiary autonomy; the management of international learning; and the structure and role of the international human resource function.Less
This book addresses some of the major contemporary issues in comparative business and employment relations. At its core are the findings of a four-year international exploration of the management of employment relations in American multinational companies in the UK, Germany, Ireland, and Spain. Data from detailed case studies are used to illuminate the tensions between the forces of globalization and the continuing distinctiveness of national business systems. It looks at what is distinctively American about US multinationals, asking how the US business system’s particular features influence their management of human resources across national borders. It shows that the transfer of ‘Americanness’ is not a technical, top-down, managerial process, but a highly political and ‘negotiated’ one in which groups and individuals at different levels within the company try to influence the terms of transfer. The book uses a wealth of empirical material to explore the ways in which US multinationals manage international employment relations in different host countries. Four areas of policy and practice are considered in detail: pay and performance; collective employee representation; the management of workforce ‘diversity’; and managerial careers. It shows how global HR policies are made; how they are diffused internationally; and how they are adopted, adapted, or resisted by overseas subsidiaries. It also explores some of the structures and processes that characterize US multinationals: the changing balance between centralization and subsidiary autonomy; the management of international learning; and the structure and role of the international human resource function.
Frédéric Mérand
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199533244
- eISBN:
- 9780191714474
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199533244.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, European Union
Thanks to the integrated structures of the Atlantic Alliance and the growth of multinational interventions since the end of the Cold War, West European armed forces increasingly look like ...
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Thanks to the integrated structures of the Atlantic Alliance and the growth of multinational interventions since the end of the Cold War, West European armed forces increasingly look like multinational corporations: they operate on a global theatre; their manpower is international in outlook; and their governing structures are increasingly similar. Mutatis mutandis, they have moved towards small all-volunteer forces (or an all-volunteer core), covering a wide spectrum of tasks, and usually intervening in a multinational context in missions that are only loosely related to “national” defense. To a large extent, this international defense field stabilized around NATO institutions, rules, and social representations.Less
Thanks to the integrated structures of the Atlantic Alliance and the growth of multinational interventions since the end of the Cold War, West European armed forces increasingly look like multinational corporations: they operate on a global theatre; their manpower is international in outlook; and their governing structures are increasingly similar. Mutatis mutandis, they have moved towards small all-volunteer forces (or an all-volunteer core), covering a wide spectrum of tasks, and usually intervening in a multinational context in missions that are only loosely related to “national” defense. To a large extent, this international defense field stabilized around NATO institutions, rules, and social representations.
Richard Youngs
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199249794
- eISBN:
- 9780191600357
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199249792.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter charts the evolution of European policies towards China since the early 1990s. It outlines the EU's tentative moves towards addressing human rights concerns in China and examines how ...
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This chapter charts the evolution of European policies towards China since the early 1990s. It outlines the EU's tentative moves towards addressing human rights concerns in China and examines how China's changing politics conditioned the interests of European multinationals. Special attention is paid to EU good governance policies connected with China's preparations for WTO accession.Less
This chapter charts the evolution of European policies towards China since the early 1990s. It outlines the EU's tentative moves towards addressing human rights concerns in China and examines how China's changing politics conditioned the interests of European multinationals. Special attention is paid to EU good governance policies connected with China's preparations for WTO accession.
Pol Antràs
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691168272
- eISBN:
- 9781400873746
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691168272.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics
This is the first book to provide a fully comprehensive overview of the complicated issues facing multinational companies and their global sourcing strategies. Few international trade transactions ...
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This is the first book to provide a fully comprehensive overview of the complicated issues facing multinational companies and their global sourcing strategies. Few international trade transactions today are based on the exchange of finished goods; rather, the majority of transactions are dominated by sales of individual components and intermediary services. Many firms organize global production around offshoring parts, components, and services to producers in distant countries, and contracts are drawn up specific to the parties and distinct legal systems involved. This book examines the contractual frictions that arise in the international system of production and how these frictions influence the world economy. The book discusses the inevitable complications that develop in contract negotiation and execution. It provides a unified framework that sheds light on the factors helping global firms determine production locations and other organizational choices. The book also implements a series of systematic empirical tests, based on recent data from the U.S. Customs and Census Offices, which demonstrate the relevance of contractual factors in global production decisions. Using an integrated approach, the book is an excellent resource for researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates interested in the inner workings of international economics and trade.Less
This is the first book to provide a fully comprehensive overview of the complicated issues facing multinational companies and their global sourcing strategies. Few international trade transactions today are based on the exchange of finished goods; rather, the majority of transactions are dominated by sales of individual components and intermediary services. Many firms organize global production around offshoring parts, components, and services to producers in distant countries, and contracts are drawn up specific to the parties and distinct legal systems involved. This book examines the contractual frictions that arise in the international system of production and how these frictions influence the world economy. The book discusses the inevitable complications that develop in contract negotiation and execution. It provides a unified framework that sheds light on the factors helping global firms determine production locations and other organizational choices. The book also implements a series of systematic empirical tests, based on recent data from the U.S. Customs and Census Offices, which demonstrate the relevance of contractual factors in global production decisions. Using an integrated approach, the book is an excellent resource for researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates interested in the inner workings of international economics and trade.
Peer Hull Kristensen and Jonathan Zeitlin
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199275625
- eISBN:
- 9780191705809
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199275625.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, International Business
What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines, and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a ...
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What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines, and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a cooperative strategy be established that advances the development of the multinational as a whole, or do mutual misunderstandings and the unintended consequences of strategic interaction among the players lead instead to endemic conflict and disintegration? This book tackles these questions through an empirical study of the strategic constitution of an ‘actually existing’ multinational. It does so by tracing the historical construction of the multinational corporation from the confluence of multiple formerly independent firms and analyzing the interacting web of strategies pursued by different actors within it. The analysis reveals how workers, unionists, subsidiary managers, and corporate executives pursue separate strategic games rooted in their local contexts, whose global outcome contrasts sharply with idealized views of the multinational as an integrated and coordinated organization. By comparing these findings to those of the broader literature, the book proceeds to a theoretical examination of the challenges of managing the multinational, and the difficulties of resolving them through conventional organizational means. The book proposes new procedural solutions aimed at fostering mutual recognition and knowledge exchange within the multinational corporation, and explore how a multinational public may be created to press for the necessary reforms in corporate governance. As the success of such reforms is far from preordained, the book concludes with a series of alternative scenarios that illustrate the many obstacles to a smooth continuation of the globalization process.Less
What happens when previously autonomous firms from different countries, each with their own identities, routines, and capabilities, come together inside a single multinational corporation? Can a cooperative strategy be established that advances the development of the multinational as a whole, or do mutual misunderstandings and the unintended consequences of strategic interaction among the players lead instead to endemic conflict and disintegration? This book tackles these questions through an empirical study of the strategic constitution of an ‘actually existing’ multinational. It does so by tracing the historical construction of the multinational corporation from the confluence of multiple formerly independent firms and analyzing the interacting web of strategies pursued by different actors within it. The analysis reveals how workers, unionists, subsidiary managers, and corporate executives pursue separate strategic games rooted in their local contexts, whose global outcome contrasts sharply with idealized views of the multinational as an integrated and coordinated organization. By comparing these findings to those of the broader literature, the book proceeds to a theoretical examination of the challenges of managing the multinational, and the difficulties of resolving them through conventional organizational means. The book proposes new procedural solutions aimed at fostering mutual recognition and knowledge exchange within the multinational corporation, and explore how a multinational public may be created to press for the necessary reforms in corporate governance. As the success of such reforms is far from preordained, the book concludes with a series of alternative scenarios that illustrate the many obstacles to a smooth continuation of the globalization process.
Rainer Bauböck
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780198297703
- eISBN:
- 9780191602948
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019829770X.003.0015
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
None of the current Anglo‐American theories of secession gives proper consideration to the most common grievance voiced by national minorities in multinational states—that the terms of federation are ...
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None of the current Anglo‐American theories of secession gives proper consideration to the most common grievance voiced by national minorities in multinational states—that the terms of federation are either unfair or have been violated by the majority. If this charge were a plausible and necessary justification for threatening with secession, then it would also follow that a national minority is morally bound to maintain the unity of the existing state as long as fair terms of federation are respected. That is the main idea addressed in this chapter. Arguments are advanced against a right to self‐determination and in favour of a right to self‐government that can be sufficiently realized within a federal framework. Three perspectives on federalism that could help establish the federal rights and duties of minorities are explored, and the matter of territorial self‐government within multinational federations is addressed.Less
None of the current Anglo‐American theories of secession gives proper consideration to the most common grievance voiced by national minorities in multinational states—that the terms of federation are either unfair or have been violated by the majority. If this charge were a plausible and necessary justification for threatening with secession, then it would also follow that a national minority is morally bound to maintain the unity of the existing state as long as fair terms of federation are respected. That is the main idea addressed in this chapter. Arguments are advanced against a right to self‐determination and in favour of a right to self‐government that can be sufficiently realized within a federal framework. Three perspectives on federalism that could help establish the federal rights and duties of minorities are explored, and the matter of territorial self‐government within multinational federations is addressed.
Kevin McDonough
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199253661
- eISBN:
- 9780191601972
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199253668.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
The essays in Part III of the book, on liberal constraints and traditionalist education, argue for a more regulatory conception of liberal education and emphasize the need for some controls over ...
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The essays in Part III of the book, on liberal constraints and traditionalist education, argue for a more regulatory conception of liberal education and emphasize the need for some controls over cultural and religious educational authority. Kevin McDonough’s essay, on multinational civic education, develops a conception of this that allows for both federal and minority national groups to reinforce conditional civic attachments. This ‘conditionalist’ view of civic education is necessary in multinational federal societies, he argues, because appeals to one set of national attachments may exacerbate rather than alleviate particular injustices in particular circumstances. For example, McDonough argues that when aboriginal women and children are the victims of injustice at the hands of tribal institutions and leaders, they must be able to appeal to their fellow non-aboriginal citizens and federal institutions for assistance, although this is not possible unless citizens – aboriginal and otherwise – have come to regard attachments to the minority nation as conditional rather than absolute. Similarly, citizens whose primary identification is to the federal society must be able to recognize that some of their fellow citizens legitimately have a minority nation as the object of their primary loyalty – otherwise, efforts to support federal intervention in minority national affairs will be vulnerable to forces of cultural insensitivity and arrogance, rather than of liberal justice.Less
The essays in Part III of the book, on liberal constraints and traditionalist education, argue for a more regulatory conception of liberal education and emphasize the need for some controls over cultural and religious educational authority. Kevin McDonough’s essay, on multinational civic education, develops a conception of this that allows for both federal and minority national groups to reinforce conditional civic attachments. This ‘conditionalist’ view of civic education is necessary in multinational federal societies, he argues, because appeals to one set of national attachments may exacerbate rather than alleviate particular injustices in particular circumstances. For example, McDonough argues that when aboriginal women and children are the victims of injustice at the hands of tribal institutions and leaders, they must be able to appeal to their fellow non-aboriginal citizens and federal institutions for assistance, although this is not possible unless citizens – aboriginal and otherwise – have come to regard attachments to the minority nation as conditional rather than absolute. Similarly, citizens whose primary identification is to the federal society must be able to recognize that some of their fellow citizens legitimately have a minority nation as the object of their primary loyalty – otherwise, efforts to support federal intervention in minority national affairs will be vulnerable to forces of cultural insensitivity and arrogance, rather than of liberal justice.
