Managing the Embedded Multinational: A Business Network View - Hardcover

Forsgren, Mats; Holm, Ulf; Johanson, Jan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845426150 ISBN 13: 9781845426156

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006

Synopsis

Using research from a program called Managing International Networks done from 1990 to 2005 at Uppsala U., Forsgren, Holm, and Johanson (business studies, Uppsala U., Sweden) study processes in multinational corporations, the function of individual subsidiaries, and their relationships with corporate headquarters. They discuss business network theory and concentrate on managerial concerns, viewing a multinational corporation as several business firms. Topics detailed are the development of business relationships using a study of the company Danke, foreign market expansion, the degree of internationalization, the dual role of the subsidiary such as in 98 Swedish subsidiaries, corporate power, shared values, and embeddedness. The book is intended for students, researchers, and teachers of management and international business. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title

About the Author:

Mats Forsgren, Ulf Holm and Jan Johanson, Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden

Review:

`This monograph is based on an extensive dataset and a very well documented case study. Such a wealth of empirical material provides an ideal ground to test theories and enables the authors to elaborate interesting conceptualisations of some specific aspects of the broader network approach, particularly concerning the internationalisation of business networks.' -- Anna Spadavecchia, Business History `Combined with recent advances in network analysis [the book] can be instrumental in advancing our understanding, which will not only be useful for research scholars, but also provide practical guidance for managers. . . It is full of ideas which seem like deceptively simple black stones that in the hands of a skillful artisan can be turned into dazzling diamonds.' -- Charles Dhanaraj, Journal of International Business Studies `The work by Forsgren et al. offers a major contribution in terms of the analytical power of network relationships. By shifting to an exchange based perspective, they challenge the classical view of organizational power and control, but also the sources of organizational capabilities. They argue that the distinct capabilities and resources of the organization are developed through relationships and connections.' -- Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen, Rebecca Piekkari, Joanna Scott-Kennel and Catherine Welch, Academy of Management Perspectives `An interesting and insightful book. It questions a lot of traditional thinking about international firms and the way they operate. Throughout the book, the reader is invited to develop a different perspective. This perspective might be called a "relationships and networks" theory of the firm. While this may sound familiar, the book goes well beyond anything I have seen in the existing literature, in terms of conceptualizing "relationships" and "networks" and in using this perspective to guide and interpret case study and survey research results.' -- William G. Egelhoff, Fordham University, US `It is now well accepted in the academic literature that the multinational corporation can be usefully modelled as a network of relationships. But it is less well-known that the origins of this perspective can be traced back to work done in Uppsala, Sweden, in the 1970s and 1980s. The term "business network" was first used there, and many important ideas around power and influence have also emerged from this research centre. In this new book, three of the key members of the "Uppsala school" develop a synthesis of the more recent ideas to come out of their research on networks. By focusing on the concept of the "embedded multinational" they show how the internal networks of the multinational interact with the web of external networks each subsidiary unit has in its local market. This book provides a definitive and compelling point of view of the importance of networking thinking to the study of the multinational corporation. It is an important book, and it will be widely cited in years to come.' -- Julian Birkinshaw, London Business School, UK `Forsgren, Holm, and Johanson have been among the leaders in developing the idea of the multinational firm as a network that spans different country environments. This perspective cautions the easy prescription that a multinational firm can do everything easily, if it just has the right organizational form. Relationships matter, as do the legitimacy of the firm in the context of its foreign investments. This book provides rich case insights into these dimensions.' -- Bruce Kogut, INSEAD, France

About this edition

• Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1845426150
• ISBN 13: 9781845426156
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240