Publications
Publications
- 2021
- The Oxford Handbook of International Business Strategy
International Business History and the Strategy of Multinational Enterprises: How History Matters
By: Geoffrey Jones and Teresa da Silva Lopes
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of international business over the long-run as well as the strategies of MNEs. It highlights how strategies became more complex over time with MNEs moving from being coordinators of resources and managers of geographical distance to orchestrators of global value creating centers, a role which is changing again as value chains are curbed in response to the growth of political nationalism. The chapter further highlights the recent dialogue between international business history and international business strategy, and discusses opportunities for further interdisciplinary collaboration between the two disciplines in the production of research that is not only of relevance for academics, but is also of significance in explaining today’s business world. The chapter challenges the idea that many unexpected international business challenges require strategies by MNEs that are labelled as ‘new’. Overall, it demonstrates how history can refine theory, and how it provides learning opportunities for researchers in international business, practitioners and policy makers.
Keywords
Multinational; International Business; Internalization; Globalization; Theory; Multinational Firms and Management; Business History; Africa; Asia; Europe; Latin America; Middle East; North and Central America
Citation
Jones, Geoffrey, and Teresa da Silva Lopes. "International Business History and the Strategy of Multinational Enterprises: How History Matters." Chap. 2 in The Oxford Handbook of International Business Strategy, edited by Kamel Mellahi, Klaus E. Meyer, Rajneesh Narula, Irina Surdu, and Alain Verbeke. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2021.
About The Author
