Multinationals From Small Countries

It is generally known that the United States, a large country, has spawned business corporations that transcend international boundaries--"multinationals." What is not generally known is that many smaller countries are rapidly following suit--they too are opening and expanding international operations for their own local firms. This book is the first organized effort by scholars to deal with non-American international corporations as a general phenomenon.Initially presented at a colloquium devoted to the subject held at MIT in January 1976, these seven essays bring to light the relatively unpublicized international activities of firms originating in a number of geographically and economically diverse smaller countries.

These studies of the international competitiveness of small open economies demonstrate the critical importance of foreign direct investment as an engine of economic development: multinational enterprises are the key drivers of international competitiveness. Alan M. Rugman, University of Reading, UK Globalization has made every country small . The global economic crisis has made sure that every country has increasingly realised that it is open and vulnerable as well. This volume is both timely and relevant. Small country studies should become mainstream for scholars in business, economics and politics! Rob van Tulder, RSM Erasmus University, the Netherlands This book provides a fresh and clear-eyed view of the relationship between multinationals and location advantages of countries. It is one of the first attempts to build a constructive bridge between the theory of international business and the outstanding contribution of Michael Porter about the drivers of competitiveness. The authors address crucial issues demanding the attention of teachers, researchers, practitioners and political leaders. Philippe Gugler, University of Fribourg, Switzerland This unique, extensive Handbook illustrates that multinational enterprises can contribute substantially to the competitive advantage of small countries. It advances the notion that small nations increasingly need to rely on both home-grown and foreign multinational enterprises to achieve domestic economic success in industries characterized by international competition. The expert contributors explore the roles of firms in a range of small, successful open economies driven by such multinational enterprises across the globe. They juxtapose country data sets against Professor Michael Porter s paradigm of single diamond components and show that these single diamond components reflect merely a set of initial conditions, which can be improved upon through both inward and outward direct investment. Concluding that multinational enterprises create resource linkages between the home and host environments in which they operate, this Handbook proves to be a fascinating read for academics, students and researchers with an interest in business and management, economics and international economics.

Discusses the consequences of corporate decisions on the economies of small nations. -- Dust jacket.

'This research project combines contemporary and historical analysis to trace the evolution of Australian multinationals. It provides unique insights into how firms from a small economy achieved global competitiveness in their niche markets, while examining the barriers that inhibited others. The evidence is presented in comparative, industry and firm-case studies, and tells the story of international business made in Australia. The longitudinal and multi-level analysis in this research provides new insights that challenge the predominance of cross-sectional analytical framework dominating strategic management. Any scholars sincerely interested how companies from small countries can succeed on the global stage ought to read this book.' - Klaus E. Meyer, University of Reading Business School, UK The international business literature often struggles to depict a universal experience of internationalisation from the perspective of large countries. This book seeks to enrich the literature by providing a nuanced overview of the little-known Australian experience, being an atypical case of a small- to medium-sized economy which liberalised rapidly from the 1980s outside any trading bloc. Six data-rich survey chapters explore Australia's mixed success in founding its own multinationals. The experience of Australian firms is set in historical and comparative perspective, including interactions with inward and specifically American FDI. Five industry studies next consider why firms in retail, wine and professional services were more successful than in financial services and shipping. Nine detailed case studies of firms then identify the elements of administrative heritage, strategy and learning that have been the key to success or failure. The book concludes by outlining what can be learned from Australia's example and presenting implications for future research. The Internationalisation Strategies of Small-Country Firms will appeal to scholars, researchers and postgraduate students in international business and international economics.

This book shows how small countries use "big" diplomacy to advance national interests and global agendas – from issues of peace and security (the South China Sea and nuclearization in Korea) and human rights (decolonization) to development (landlocked and least developed countries) and environment (hydropower development). Using the case of Laos, it explores how a small landlocked developing state maneuvered among the big players and championed causes of international concern at three of the world’s important global institutions – the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong River Commission (MRC). Recounting the geographical and historical origins behind Laos’ diplomacy, this book traces the journey of the country, surrounded by its five larger neighbors China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia, and influenced by superpower rivalries, from the Cold War to the post-Cold War eras. The book is written from an integrated perspective of a French-educated Lao diplomat with over 40 years of experience in various senior roles in the Lao government, leading major groups and committees at the UN and ASEAN; and the theoretical knowledge and experience of an American-trained Lao political scientist and international civil servant who has worked for the Lao government and the international secretariats of the UN and MRC. These different perspectives bridge not only the theory-practice divide but also the government insider-outsider schism. The book concludes with "seven rules for small state diplomacy" that should prove useful for diplomats, statespersons, policymakers and international civil servants alike. It will also be of interest to scholars and experts in the fields of international relations and foreign policies of Laos, the Mekong and Asia in general.

Too Small to Fail analyzes how several successful 'small' countries, with populations under twenty million, have made a virtue out of their physical limitations. The book seeks to understand what it is they do differently, and why. What is their recipe for achieving better-educated, more egalitarian and wealthier populations? The book looks first at the forest and then the trees. It examines the characteristics shared by small countries, such as Switzerland, Ireland, Singapore, and the Scandinavian states. It draws parallels and discovers patterns shared among them that are common to each of their success stories. The book then looks at the policies of selected countries that have paved the way for remarkable improvements; and considers the individuals, corporations and institutions that have made a positive and sustainable impact. It further goes on to explain how these small countries are reshaping the World in a never before manner.

This book examines how joint ventures work in practice. Drawing on extensive personal experience and using case study examples where appropriate the author analyses the various stages, discusses the problems of partner selection, implementation and control and points out the various benefits and pitfalls. He draws out the implications for improving practice and discusses how the experience of joint ventures affects the theory of the multinational enterprise.

Much of the existing literature on multinational companies has been concerned with firms originating in the world's largest economies. This book redresses the situation by presenting important information on the internationalization of a small country's industry. Multinational Restructuring, Internationalization and Small Economies goes beyond traditional studies of foreign direct investment. By using detailed data covering practically all Swedish multinationals and more than two decades of expansion in international markets, the authors describe, interpret and analyse issues which are normally difficult to investigate.