Market economy has become today the predominant economic system in the world. One of the tasks of the book is to define analytically the essential features of a market economy. The other purpose is to investigate the very working of a market economy which rests on firms defined as organizations and markets seen as institutions. It also supposes a renewed conception of cooperation and competition. The book will permit the reader to acquire a fresh view on market economies, stressing simultaneously their unity and diversity. It will also interest specialists of microeconomics as well as industrial organization, economics of technology and institutional economcis.

In this study, the contributors examine the evolution of Japanese direct investment in Europe and explore its determinants. They illustrate how, as multinationals, Japanese firms adapt to local conditions and try to take advantage of a global organisation. In this respect, three areas in particular are explored: human resource management, relationships with suppliers and R&D unit locations.