Multinational Enterprises

A Struggle for Dignity and Justice: UPS Workers in Turkey (2010)

by Molly McGrath

The True Cost of Shrimp (2008, Solidarity Center)

by Molly McGrath

Co-authored with John (Al) Hosinski.

La fine dell’età dell’oro (nero). Le grandi compagnie e la prima crisi energetica

by Francesco Petrini

Draft
paper presentato a:
Sissco, Cantieri di storia VI. La storia contemporanea in Italia oggi: linee di ricerca e tendenze
Panel: Shock al sistema. La crisi petrolifera del 1973 e le origini del mondo contemporaneo
Forlì, 22-24/9/2011

L'impennata dei prezzi di fine 1973 fu il culmine di un processo lungo quasi un decennio di progressivo indebolimento... more L'impennata dei prezzi di fine 1973 fu il culmine di un processo lungo quasi un decennio di progressivo indebolimento del sistema di governo dei mercati petroliferi costruito dalle majors dopo la seconda guerra mondiale. La domanda cui intende rispondere questo saggio è: quale fu il ruolo in questo processo delle grandi compagnie? In che modo le artefici di un complesso sistema di spartizione dei mercati e di controllo dei prezzi che, nel secondo dopoguerra, aveva assicurato ai consumatori un approvvigionamento stabile e a bassi prezzi di petrolio, reagirono al crollo del sistema? Per fare ciò l'articolo si concentra sullo snodo decisivo che, evidenziando il cambiamento degli equilibri sui mercati petroliferi, preparò l'esplosione dei prezzi di fine 1973: gli accordi siglati a Teheran e Tripoli a inizio 1971 tra OPEC e compagnie petrolifere sul prezzo del greggio.
Le fonti primarie su cui si basa il contributo sono essenzialmente: Archives de la Compagnie Française de Pétrole, Parigi; British Petroleum Archive, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry; Archivi dell'ENI, Pomezia, Roma.

Capital hits the road: regulating multinational corporations during the long 1970s

by Francesco Petrini

draft

This paper describes the rise and fall of the attempts at setting up a regulatory framework of multinational... more This paper describes the rise and fall of the attempts at setting up a regulatory framework of multinational corporation (MNC) activities during the “long 1970s” (1968-1985). In those years international trade union organizations and Third World countries were, for different reasons, the driving forces behind a series of proposals for the regulation of the activities of MNCs. These efforts equated to an attempt to regulate, from an international level, the geographical restructuring of manufacturing or, in other words, to curb the fledgling second wave of globalization. The relocation of production was in large part the offspring of the crisis of the social compact that had governed the post World War II long boom. The paper focuses on the dialectic between international trade union organizations and business circles and is based mainly on primary sources coming from these societal actors.

From Whipped Cream to Multibillion Euro Financial Collapse: The European Regulation on Transnational Insolvency In Action

by Matteo Winkler

The Strategic Location of Regional Headquarters for Multinationals in Africa

by John Luiz

The study investigates the criteria used by multinational companies to identify the locations of their African... more The study investigates the criteria used by multinational companies to identify the locations of their African regional headquarters (RHQs) and the importance that multinational companies assign to the respective regional offices. We find that multinationals do assign value to their RHQs but are always aiming to strike a balance between local responsiveness and global integration. The power of standardization and the introduction of relevant controls have allowed multinational companies to operate as a coherent unit in the different markets where they operate. The dominant criteria used by MNEs to choose their locations for RHQs in Africa are linked to the advantages of agglomeration and the accompanying economies of scale, and a sound institutional framework which provides a predictable business climate. Distance has become less important.

And of course our major contribution remains to run a decent business there" - Corporate meanings and beliefs expressed in Shell's crisis management in Nigeria

by Matthias Hofferberth

Paper presented at the ISA Annual Convention 2012, 1-4 April, in San Diego. Please do not quote without the permission of the author – Comments are most welcome!

Like all phenomena of international politics, multinational enterprises (MNEs) are deeply affected by changes in... more Like all phenomena of international politics, multinational enterprises (MNEs) are deeply affected by changes in information and communication technologies. In fact, global governance argues that the responsibilities of corporate actors are fundamentally changing and that MNEs are becoming political actors. To explain these changes, MNEs are either conceptualized as “hyper-rational” or as morally responsible actors. Understanding global governance as a crisis for MNEs since these actors are exposed to new and different normative expectations, the paper argues for an alternative actor perspective to look at private business. MNEs are conceptualized as social, creative, and contingent actors. Different meanings and beliefs of corporate agency are expressed, (re-)negotiated, and (re-)defined as MNEs face a high degree of uncertainty, indeterminacy, and contingency in global governance. To illustrate the potential value of this actor conceptualization, the paper looks at the crisis management of Shell in Nigeria where the enterprise was directly held responsible and accused internationally for cooperating with a corrupt and inhumane dictatorship. The documents published in this crisis not only show how pressure was exercised through
information, but also how the beliefs held by Shell changed and new corporate meanings and actions emerged as the corporation slowly and reluctantly reacted to new expectations.
and actions emerged as the corporation slowly and reluctantly reacted to new expectations.

Visibility and Voice in Organisations: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Employee Networks

by Fiona Colgan

co-authored with Aidan McKearney

Purpose - This paper considers organisation and union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) networks and... more Purpose - This paper considers organisation and union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) networks and groups in the U.K. The paper explores the rationale for establishing LGBT trade union and company networks and examines the ways in which they can facilitate employee visibility and voice for LGBT organisational members.

Design/methodology/approach - Primary Research took place during a two-year period 2004-2006. The fieldwork involved in-depth interviews with 149 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees and 55 management, trade union and LGB group representatives within 14 case study organisations across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Findings - The research highlights the pivotal role played by LGBT employees in driving, establishing and sustaining organisation and union networks. Findings indicate that LGBT company employee networks and LGBT union groups were highly valued by most LGB respondents as important support mechanisms and as a potential vehicle for encouraging and facilitating LGB voice and involvement. Employers and trade unions supported the development of networks and there was broad recognition of the organisational benefits that such diversity networks offered.

Practical implications - This paper provides important insights into the rationale for and potential benefits of LGBT company networks and union groups. These insights are of practical assistance to practitioners, employees and others involved in the equality and diversity management arena.

Originality/value - Despite the growing number of British based organisations which have established LGBT company networks, there has been little research or inquiry aimed at evaluating how such groups work. The research addresses this gap by focusing on organisations which are perceived as ‘good practice employers’.

Visibility and Voice in Organisations: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Employee Networks

by Fiona Colgan

co-authored with Aidan McKearney

Purpose - This paper considers organisation and union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) networks and... more Purpose - This paper considers organisation and union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) networks and groups in the U.K. The paper explores the rationale for establishing LGBT trade union and company networks and examines the ways in which they can facilitate employee visibility and voice for LGBT organisational members.

Design/methodology/approach - Primary Research took place during a two-year period 2004-2006. The fieldwork involved in-depth interviews with 149 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees and 55 management, trade union and LGB group representatives within 14 case study organisations across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Findings - The research highlights the pivotal role played by LGBT employees in driving, establishing and sustaining organisation and union networks. Findings indicate that LGBT company employee networks and LGBT union groups were highly valued by most LGB respondents as important support mechanisms and as a potential vehicle for encouraging and facilitating LGB voice and involvement. Employers and trade unions supported the development of networks and there was broad recognition of the organisational benefits that such diversity networks offered.

Practical implications - This paper provides important insights into the rationale for and potential benefits of LGBT company networks and union groups. These insights are of practical assistance to practitioners, employees and others involved in the equality and diversity management arena.

Originality/value - Despite the growing number of British based organisations which have established LGBT company networks, there has been little research or inquiry aimed at evaluating how such groups work. The research addresses this gap by focusing on organisations which are perceived as ‘good practice employers’.

On the innovativeness of foreign affiliates: Evidence from companies in The Netherlands

by Bert Sadowski

In examining the distinctive contributions of foreign subsidiaries and domestic firms to innovative performance in... more In examining the distinctive contributions of foreign subsidiaries and domestic firms to innovative performance in Dutch manufacturing, the paper shows that foreign ownership is an important factor in explaining inter-firm differences affecting innovativeness. It characterizes innovativeness by distinguishing between products that are new to the firm (‘imitative’ innovations), and those products that are new to the market (‘real’ innovations). It uses firm-level data for 4780 firms which took part in the Community Innovation Survey (CIS-2) for 1996 in The Netherlands. It concludes that foreign subsidiaries are more innovative, they are more likely to introduce ‘imitative’ as well as ‘real’ innovations compared to domestic firms. In comparison with the population of innovative companies, however, there is greater heterogeneity among foreign subsidiaries, i.e. they are not more likely to introduce ‘real’ innovations if they cannot utilize knowledge transfer from an associated company.

The myth of market dominance: telecommunication manufacturing in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic — a case study

by Bert Sadowski

Telecommunications Policy, Volume 24, Issue 4, May 2000, Pages 323-345

The paper discusses the impact of Western manufacturers on competition and innovation in the telecommunication sector... more The paper discusses the impact of Western manufacturers on competition and innovation in the telecommunication sector in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. It examines the issue of market dominance by shedding some light on the industrial history, the current evolution and market structure of telecommunication equipment industry in these countries. In using case study evidence, the paper demonstrates that the contribution of Western manufacturers has been important to the accumulation of firm specific assets and sectoral growth of the telecommunication switching industry in CEE countries. It concludes that an involvement of competition authorities in the telecommunication switching market or strict imposition of procurement initiatives of the European Union does not seem desirable for the time being. Furthermore, there are serious threats to local telecommunication manufacturing in CEE countries if current EU procurement policies are imposed.

Multinational Corporations and Industrial Relations in China

by Mimi Zou

Co-authored with Professor Russell Lansbury, AIRAANZ 23rd Conference Proceedings, Newcastle, Australia, 4 February 2009

Acquisitions as entrepreneurship: asymmetries, opportunities, and the internationalization of multinationals from emerging economies

by Mohammad Keyhani

2012, Co-authored with Anoop Madhok, Global Strategy Journal, 2(1), 26-40

We investigate the rapid internationalization of many multinationals from emerging economies through acquisition in... more We investigate the rapid internationalization of many multinationals from emerging economies through acquisition in advanced economies. We conceptualize these acquisitions as an act and form of entrepreneurship, aimed to overcome the ‘liability of emergingness’ incurred by these firms and to serve as a mechanism for competitive catch-up through opportunity seeking and capability transformation. Our explanation emphasizes (1) the unique asymmetries (and not necessarily advantages) distinguishing emerging multinationals from advanced economy multinationals due to their historical and institutional differences, as well as (2) a search for advantage creation when firms possess mainly ordinary resources. The argument shifts the central focus from advantage to asymmetries as the starting point for internationalization and, additionally, highlights the role of learning agility rather than ability as a potential ‘asset of emergingness.’

Flexible Footprints: Reconfiguring MNCs for New Value Opportunities

by Andre Sammartino

Co-authored with Elizabeth Maitland in California Management Review (2012).

Full cite: Maitland, E. & Sammartino, A. (2012), 'Flexible Footprints: Reconfiguring MNCs for New Value Opportunities', California Management Review 54(2):92-117.

Powerful technological, regulatory, and economic forces compel the senior executives of multinational corporations... more Powerful technological, regulatory, and economic forces compel the senior executives of multinational corporations (MNCs) to repeatedly reevaluate and reconfigure value chains in the search for ongoing competitive advantage.

However, releasing assets from existing activities and redeploying them to new opportunities is a challenging and poorly understood task. In particular, the standard strategic management concepts of use- and firm-flexibility overlook the crucial international dimension of location.

Utilizing examples from GM, Qantas, and a mining MNC, this article argues that strategic flexibility should be consciously measured along all three dimensions. By using the decision tool set out in this article, MNC executives can map their worldwide footprint of strategic roadblocks and opportunities to expand into new markets, divest redundant businesses, and build flexibility to adapt to future challenges.


(Keywords: International business, Decision making, Strategic
planning, Multinational corporations, Corporate strategy, Reorganization, Foreign investment, Foreign subsidiaries)

Factors of stickiness in transfers of know-how between MNC units

by Hamed Qahri Saremi

The journal of strategic information systems, 2012.

The effective sharing of organizational knowledge is particularly relevant for multinational corporations, where... more The effective sharing of organizational knowledge is particularly relevant for multinational corporations, where firm-specific tacit knowledge (know-how) is considered a source of competitive advantage for subsidiaries participating in a global strategy. To that end, multinational corporations (MNCs) are asking their IT departments to support both the exploitation of existing knowledge and the unit-to-unit transfer of new know-how derived in units from exploration. Nonetheless, new know-how derived from exploratory research, development and experience in one unit can be difficult to transfer to units that can exploit that know-how to commercial ends. The factors that impede the transfer of new know-how have been conceptualized as “factors of stickiness”. In this paper, we present a theoretical model of organizational factors that can cause (or conversely mitigate) stickiness in the flow of new know-how between MNC units. To test the six hypotheses of the model, we used meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) of 31 empirical studies, representing 10,432 cases of new know-how transfer between units. The result of MASEM shows that the factors of receiving units’ potential absorptive capacity and transmission channel in form of social capital that is enacted through its three dimensions (i.e., embedded social ties between units, institutional shared vision of units, and interorganizational trust of units) affect recipient subsidiaries’ capability to exploit new know-how in practice (i.e., realized absorptive capacity), thus effectuating its transfer. Based on our findings, we propose research directions within the context of agile information systems development, distributed software projects, and management of information systems functions in MNCs.

O grupo Randon: Estratégia e trajetória de expansão a partir do enfoque da teoria evolucionária da firma

by Elson Rodrigo Souza Santos

Co-authored: Armando Dalla Costa

The objective this paper is explorer the strategic and trajectory of expantion of the of the Randon Group. This... more The objective this paper is explorer the strategic and trajectory of expantion of the of the Randon Group. This enterprise born how garage little in city of Caxias do Sul – RS, in the south of Brazil at decade of 1940, grounded over Raul Anselmo and Hercílio Randon brothers front the need of a means of survive. In the decades of 1950 and 1960, the Randon brothers known harness the environment and create the opportunities for transformed the garage in industry, leader in the market of implements for trucks. In the decade of 1970 the enterprise transformed in S. A. with holding negotiate in stock exchange for viable itself expantion, damage for crisis of the decade of 1980 that provoked an situation hard to firm. After this fact, the Randon Group again to growth across of enterprise in the market of car spare, financial services, special vehicles and implements. Moreover, the Randon Group have vacation for be multinational not only and great export, but with industrial plants in others countries and search of investors and partner for growth.

Desinversión de las Multinacionales Extranjeras:¿ casos aislados o un fenómeno generalizado?

by Fernando Merino

Published in Economía Industrial, n 352
In Spanish

This paper evaluates the process of relocation of activities of foreign multinationals with plants in Spain. This paper evaluates the process of relocation of activities of foreign multinationals with plants in Spain.

Hierarchy, coordination and innovation in the multinational enterprise

by Ram Mudambi

Global Strategy Journal, vol.1(3-4), pp.317-323, 2011.
DOI: 10.1002/gsj.32

The role of hierarchy in the multinational enterprise (MNE) and the corresponding role of subsidiary autonomy is a... more The role of hierarchy in the multinational enterprise (MNE) and the corresponding role of subsidiary autonomy is a core question in global strategy. It has been the subject of an ever-growing literature since Coasian analysis was first brought to bear on the subject by Buckley and Casson (1976). Yet in the decades since this seminal work, both the world and the MNEs within it have changed almost beyond recognition. Even such fundamental concepts as hierarchy and coordination have been altered in fundamental ways (e.g., Tallman and Chacar, 2011). As these developments continue, they challenge international business researchers to develop theory and models to understand the working of multihub MNEs. The hubs in advanced market economies and those in emerging and poor economies have vastly different capabilities and strategic motivations. Ensuring that these hubs do more than merely coexist; that they truly collaborate and create a whole that is more than the sum of the parts, calls for a boundary spanning function of a higher order.

Unilever as a 'multi-local' multinational

by Stephanie Decker

co-authored with Geoffrey Jones, G. (2007). Boston, MA, Harvard Business School Case 9-808-025.

Resource-Based Theory and its Link to the Global Strategy, Structure, and Performance Relationship: An Integrative Framework

by Olivier Furrer

Olivier Furrer, Jeffrey A. Krug, D. Sudharshan, Howard Thomas
International Journal of Management and Decision Making
Volume 5, Numbers 2-3, 2004, pp. 99-116

The global strategy literature provides a basis for examining strategy, structure, and performance relationships in... more The global strategy literature provides a basis for examining strategy, structure, and performance relationships in multinational firms. We develop a framework that examines these relationships and their linkages to the firm's intangible asset portfolio. Drawing on resource-based theory, this framework suggests that an on-going multinational firm's worldwide performance is dependent on the fit between its intangible asset portfolio, foreign market entry strategies, partner relationships, and worldwide organisational structure. Each of these dimensions can be linked back to the firm's worldwide strategy and the characteristics of its industry. Implications for research are discussed.