There is within the corporate world an evolving international restructuring race,between industrial complexes,that is set to intensify over the coming years.An industrial complex consists of suppliers,distributors,governments,financiers and trade unions.It is the reorganisation of the relationship between the core firm and the above components that is set to change before very long. In this book, Winfied Ruigrok and Rob van Tulder address many current debates on topics such as "Post-Fordism","globalisation" and "lean production".They also identify a number pf rival internationalisation strategies that have been adopted by different companies.Moreover,they present an abundance of new,as well as historical data,on the world's one hundred largest core companies.This data shows that none of the largest core firms is truly "global" or "borderless",and that virtually all of them in their history have benefited decisively from Governmental trade or industrial policies. The authors offer a highly interdisciplinary effort to link three previously isolated debates on industrial restructuring,globalisation and international trade policies.The Logic of International Restructuring is aimed at a wide academic,post-graduate and professional audience working in the areas of business,economics,organisational studies and international relations.

In the twenty-first century, as traditional divides are redefined, bargaining over corporate responsibilities has increasingly centred around corporate reputation and the question of whether businesses are part of society’s problems or part of their solution. This ground-breaking book treats issues, strategies and societal interaction in a homogenous manner and analyzes the nature of the international bargaining society as it has matured. Discussing and contextualizing contemporary debates on international corporate social responsibility, globalization and the impact of reputation, this key text integrates them into a new and coherent framework: Societal Interface Management. Using this unique framework, it explores the interfaces between international corporations, governments and civil society representatives. Analytic and revealing, the text applies the framework to in-depth studies of Nike, Shell, Triumph International, GlaxoSmithKline and ExxonMobil. It investigates the conflicts surrounding Burma, blood diamonds, child labour, oil spills, food safety, patents on HIV/AIDS medication and labour rights that have resulted in a large number of disciplining activities. An accompanying website (www.ib-sm.org) contains additional case studies, as well as issue dossiers on the challenges confronting international firms. Drawing on a wealth of experience both in research and teaching, the authors have developed a text that integrates reputation, responsibility, ethics and accountability. Clearly constructed, it is a must-have book for all those studying or teaching business ethics, political economics, economic geography, public relations, and corporate social responsibility.

This edited collection examines the interaction between industrial relations and international relations in the global economy. The role of trade unions has changed significantly in the era of economic globalization and this book analyzes the key developments in union strategy on a local, national, regional and global level.

Traditionally in International Relations, power and authority were considered to rest with states. But recently, in the light of changes associated with globalisation, this has come under scrutiny both empirically and theoretically. This book analyses the continuing but changing role of states in the international arena, and their relationships with a wide range of non-state actors, which possess increasingly salient capabilities to structure global politics and economics.

As the world economy is liberalised, it is vital for non-governmental organizations to create an international agenda. This title studies what makes such organisations successful on an international level.

Innovation networks are a major source for acquiring new information and knowledge and thus for supporting innovation processes. Despite the many theoretical and empirical contributions to the explanation of networks, many questions still remain open. For example: How can networks, if they do not emerge by their own, be initiated? How can fragmentation in innovation systems be overcome? And how can networking experience from market economies be transferred to the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe? By presenting a selection of papers which address innovation networking from theoretical and political viewpoints, the book aims at giving answers to these questions.