Despite a shared interest in the analysis of complex organizations operating in complex environments, macro-organization theory and research on the multinational corporation have developed quite independently of each other. This book, the product of a collaborative endeavour by scholars from both fields, represents the first systematic effort to build a broad bridge between these two areas of research.

This volume covers a range of on-going and newly emerging debates in the study of multinational companies (MNCs). A key aim is to consolidate and make available in one place new conceptual, methodological and critical MNC research.

2) How has organization theory developed over time, and what structure has the field taken? What assumptions does knowledge produced in organization theory incorporate, and what forms do its knowledge claims take as they are put forward for public adoption? 3) How have certain well-known controversies in organization theory, such as for example, the structure/agency dilemma, the study of organizational culture, the different modes of explanation, the micro/macro controversy, and the differnet explanations produced by organizational economists and sociologists, been dealt with? 4) How, and in what ways, is knowledge generated in organization theory related to action? What features must organization theory knowledge have in order to be actionable, and of relevance to the world 'out there'? How have ethical concerns been taken into account in organization theory? 5) What is the future of organization theory? What direction should the field take? What must change in the way research is conducted and key theoretical terms are conceptualized so that organization theory enhances its capacity to generate valid and relevant knowledge?

'Thankfully, the new edition of this popular book retains all that made the original so impressive and useful. Six important theoretical perspectives of the multinational company (MNC) are discussed at length and compared. Why MNCs exist, how they compete, and their impact on society are the big, eternal questions addressed by the book. What is new in this edition are: an updated description of the international environment, an evaluation of Buckley's recent theory about the global factory, the influence of economic clusters like Silicon Valley on internalization theory, and a revised discussion of the organizational capability perspective. The book can be read and understood at multiple levels, from learning what each theory is about to appreciating the more subtle implications of their differences for firms and society. Despite the complexity of the subject, the book is an easy and enjoyable read. It is written in a lively, user-friendly style, with many illustrated examples.' – William G. Egelhoff, Fordham University, US This expanded and updated edition of a successful textbook will be required reading for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of international business, international management and international economy courses. The current debate about the multinational firm as an actor in the global economy is intense and many-sided. This thoroughly accessible and compact textbook presents, analyzes and compares six different theories of the multinational firm that have dominated the research in international business during the last four decades. The author discloses the basic building blocks and assumptions behind each theory so the reader can reach a better understanding of why the multinational firm is looked upon in so many different ways by researchers and stakeholders.

This volume presents a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the theories, evidence and methodological issues of contingency theory - one of the major theoretical lenses used to view organizations.

Despite a shared interest in the analysis of complex organizations operating in complex environments, macro-organization theory and research on the multinational corporation have developed quite independently of each other. This book, the product of a collaborative endeavour by scholars from both fields, represents the first systematic effort to build a broad bridge between these two areas of research. 'An excellent collection of essays which provides both the general and specialist reader with a fascinating insight into the latest advances in organisational theory.' John H. Dunning, Universities at Reading and Rutgers.

Management ideas, and their associated applications, have become a prevalent feature of our working lives. While their focus is familiar, such as efficiency, motivation, and improvement, they range from specific notions such as activity-based costing, to broad movements like corporate social responsibility. This Handbook brings together some of the latest research from leading international scholars on how management ideas are produced, promoted, and adapted, and their effects on business and working practices and society at large. Rather than focusing on specific management ideas, this volume explores their key socio-political contexts and channels of dissemination, and is organized around four core overlapping themes. The first section sets out the research field in general, in terms of both an overall system and of different perspectives and research methods. The second section explores the role of different actors and channels of diffusion, including the consumers and producers of management ideas and 'new' media, as well as traditional players in the management ideas field such as consultancies and business schools. The third section focuses on specific features or dynamics of the management ideas system, such as their adoption, evolution, institutionalisation, and resurgence, while in the final section, critical and new perspectives on management ideas are examined, highlighting specific socio-political contexts and the possibility of alternative ideas and forms of critique. With a broad range of perspectives represented, this Handbook provides a comprehensive, authoritative, and enduring resource for those studying management, innovation, and organizational change, as well as for those working in the management ideas industry.