Harvard Business School Professor Geoffrey Jones has long been a student of the history of multinational enterprise. He has taken a leadership role in the field. This volume reflects the extraordinary breadth of his historical research, spanning continents and industries. His focus is on the firm as an actor on the stage of the history of globalization. This book contains a selection of his unpublished and published articles. Of special interest is his updated previously unpublished 2006 talk that explores how firms and entrepreneurs fit into the scholarly debates on the Great Divergence between the West and the Rest. This is a splendid collection. Mira Wilkins, Florida International University, US This fascinating volume explores the roles played by entrepreneurship and multinational enterprises in the development of the modern global world. Through a combination of new and previously published essays charting business developments from the nineteenth century onward, the author demonstrates how multinational corporations have driven globalization through the transfer of innovation and cultural values. The selected essays cover a range of topics, including studies of global industries and major corporations including Beiersdorf and Unilever. Additional chapters explore economic and corporate development in specific countries, such as India, Iran and Turkey. Merging rich historical evidence with discussion of the current state of global business, this book reveals how examining entrepreneurial activity and multinational strategies deepen explanations of global patterns of wealth and poverty. It offers compelling new perspectives on current debates about globalization from one of the most prominent scholars in the field of business history. This volume will appeal to students and professors of economics, entrepreneurship, international business and history as well as anyone with an interest in understanding the past, present and future of globalization.

In contrast to widespread assessments that family enterprises lack sufficient resources and capabilities to go global, many family companies are competing successfully in an increasingly globalized business environment. Worldwide, a large number of thriving multinationals are still family-owned and/or under family control. While there is abundant literature on the phenomenon of globalization from many different disciplines, neither the literature on multinationals nor the growing field of family business studies have systematically investigated family multinationals yet. This volume is one of the first to deal explicitly with family multinationals and the role of the family in internationalization. It situates itself at the crossroads of internationalization studies on the one hand and family business research on the other. Why do families continue to play such a large role in some of the most prominent firms in emerging and mature economies? How did they manage to maintain ownership control, yet divest of unrelated business ventures? How did they internationalize yet maintain control? This book identifies the idiosyncratic strategies and structures of family multinationals in different countries and at different points in time. A comparative historical and case study approach allows us to explore the role of the family through the firms’ various internationalization pathways and understand long-term developments and path dependencies.

In contrast to widespread assessments that family enterprises lack sufficient resources and capabilities to go global, many family companies are competing successfully in an increasingly globalized business environment. Worldwide, a large number of thriving multinationals are still family-owned and/or under family control. While there is abundant literature on the phenomenon of globalization from many different disciplines, neither the literature on multinationals nor the growing field of family business studies have systematically investigated family multinationals yet. This volume is one of the first to deal explicitly with family multinationals and the role of the family in internationalization. It situates itself at the crossroads of internationalization studies on the one hand and family business research on the other. Why do families continue to play such a large role in some of the most prominent firms in emerging and mature economies? How did they manage to maintain ownership control, yet divest of unrelated business ventures? How did they internationalize yet maintain control? This book identifies the idiosyncratic strategies and structures of family multinationals in different countries and at different points in time. A comparative historical and case study approach allows us to explore the role of the family through the firms’ various internationalization pathways and understand long-term developments and path dependencies.

"This book contributes to contemporary globalization debates by providing a survey of the growth and role of multinational enterprises in the world economy over the last two hundred years"--Provided by publisher.

Annotation This comparative, international study looks at origins and business strategies of multinational banks. A team of distinguished bankers and academics surveys the evolution of multinational banks over time and suggests a conceptual framework in which this development can be understood.

Dana s Handbook is an essential read for international entrepreneurship scholars as well as policymakers and practitioners concerned with the dynamics associated with the international entrepreneurship process. Succinct reviews of the literature and useful summary tables relating to key themes and studies are presented by a number of contributors. . . Paul Westhead, International Small Business Journal This is a formidable and weighty tome. . . More important than sheer quantity is consideration of the quality, and here the broad spread yet eclectic choice of the research papers is most enlightening. The contributing authors have collectively condensed much of the knowledge garnered from the past five years of this global field into one handy sourcebook. . . The end result is, indeed, a fresh recognition, if recognition still needs to be made, of the major importance of this new global growth phenomenon of international entrepreneurship. Mark Haydon, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation The Handbook is a nearly comprehensive reference work to the field that will be useful to scholars new to the area as well as those already engaged in it. . . I was impressed by the diversity of the authors. . . The Handbook is an excellent broad reference to the field. Ben Oviatt, Journal of International Business Studies Over the last few years there has been an increased interest in research on the internationalization of new ventures and the global challenges facing growing young businesses. The Handbook of Research on International Entrepreneurship has collected and synthesized the contributions of leading researchers in an effort to define and categorize the unique contributions and state-of-the-art of this emerging field. It provides a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary treatment that advances the frontiers of knowledge regarding the fundamental concepts, methods, and theories of international entrepreneurship. The Handbook should serve as both an authoritative and comprehensive reference work for researchers, and a state-of-the-art compilation of new insights for educational leaders. Ari Ginsberg, New York University Stern School of Business, US Entrepreneurship and international business have remained separate subjects for far too long. The study of international entrepreneurship thrives on the cross-fertilisation of ideas between these fields. It is one of the most dynamic research areas in economics and management. The contributors to this Handbook are the pioneers in the field, and this volume provides a definitive survey of their work. Mark Casson, University of Reading, UK These notable researchers share a common dedication to rigorous methodologies and vigorous research. Together in this volume, the researchers have assembled and presented a cross-section of tested methods, and innovative approaches. These contributions are an inspiration to younger researchers, and this bids fair to set the tone, and level of intellectual rigour and vigour for future research in the emerging field of international entrepreneurship. From the preface by Bob Kirk, University of Canterbury, New Zealand This unique reference book provides an array of diverse perspectives on international entrepreneurship, a new and emerging field of research that blends concepts and methodologies from more traditional social sciences. The Handbook includes chapters written by top researchers of economics and sociology, as well as academic leaders in the fields of entrepreneurship and international business. State-of-the-art contributions provide up-to-date literature reviews, making this book essential for the researcher of entrepreneurship and the internationalisation of entrepreneurs.

Corporate entrepreneurship involves new business creation within established companies, the strategic renewal of existing business, and, ultimately, the search for sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly globalised economy. Yet it remains elusive for many firms. In a collaboration between a practitioner and academic, Joe J. Amberg and Sara L. McGaughey explore corporate entrepreneuring within a large conglomerate multinational enterprise: Siemens AG. In early 2009, following a prolonged period of business stagnation and a huge bribery scandal, Siemens’ top management identified a severe lack of entrepreneurship as a critical issue. The strengthening of ‘local entrepreneurship’ became a new priority in the strategic planning for 2010 to 2014. By examining three contrasting ventures in the Siemens business unit Fire Safety between 2008 and 2012, the authors identify key drivers and impediments that sustain inertia in corporate entrepreneuring within this global organisation. This study offers an insightful contribution to our growing – yet still fledgling – understanding of corporate entrepreneurship in global corporations, highlighting the importance of context, interdependencies between critical factors, and the false promise of universal best practice.