This study analyses the causes of British manufacturing investment overseas, focusing primarily on the period from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s. During these years there were significant changes in UK direct investment and this book represented the first major analysis of these changes based on detailed case studies of British international firms. The early chapters assess the available statistical evidence and the theories of overseas investment that had hitherto been put forward. The authors emphasize the need for recognizing the dynamic and varied nature of firms and the relevance of their historical development in order to understand business decision-making. Through a detailed consideration of the activities of a large sample of companies, the book explains why they manufacture abroad and assesses the overall consequences for the British economy of its overseas investment.

The book focuses on the major environmental implications stemming from the growth of the multinational enterprise in a multiple currency world; the international transfer of technology; industrial relations and labour utilization in foreign-owned firms in the UK; multinational companies and trade union interests; foreign direct investment, the balance of payments and trade flows; the multinational enterprise and developing countries; government policy alternatives and the problem of international sharing and a case study of a multinational enterprise in Europe. A survey of the background to the multinational enterprise and concluding summaries ensure that this book is one of the most widely embracing volumes available on the subject.

This book integrates the work of economists, management scientists and business historians. It applies the related concepts of transaction costs, internalisation, corporate strategy and market structure to explain the historical process of corporate growth in the international economy. Each chapter is written by a scholar who has specialized in a particular aspect of the growth of international business.

The growth and impact of the multinational enterprise (MNE) in the post war period is one of the most important phenomena of our time. This volume, originally published in 1981 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of both the theoretical and policy issues at a time when the subject had reached a watershed, after the controversies of the 1970s. The book provides a balanced discussion of major themes such as the development of modern theories of international production; the impact of the MNE on the nation-state and the structure of the international market; the response of governments and the appropriate framework for policy measures; and the historical context and likely future of the MNE.

The growth and impact of the multinational enterprise (MNE) in the post war period is one of the most important phenomena of our time. This volume, originally published in 1981 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of both the theoretical and policy issues at a time when the subject had reached a watershed, after the controversies of the 1970s. The book provides a balanced discussion of major themes such as the development of modern theories of international production; the impact of the MNE on the nation-state and the structure of the international market; the response of governments and the appropriate framework for policy measures; and the historical context and likely future of the MNE.

In this book leading contributors look at the development of the evolutionary approach to international business, the internationalization of service industries and the implications of the changing face of Europe for international business in the 1990s. Providing an excellent blend of theory, analysis and case-study material, this volume is a vital resource for students of international business and related fields.

This book explores some aspects of the interface between technology, competitiveness and the role of multinational enterprises in the world economy. This group of essays stresses the role of asset creation and usage, rather than reliance on natural factor endowments as a basis for national competitiveness and examines the role of multinational enterprises as vehicles for technological transfer, and the efficient co-ordination of economic activity across national boundaries.