This book examines the economic environment and phenomena of multinational business with reference to case studies of major multinational companies, including IBM, Philips, Nissan and Volvo. It assesses how the major theories explaining the response of companies to changes are borne out by the experience of individual firms.

Firms, strategy and changing environments, Marc de Smidt and Egbert Wever; IBM - the corporate chamelion, Tim Kelly and David Keeble; Philips - a global electronics company restructures its home base, Marc de Smidt; Standard Elektrik Lorenz - introducing CAD into a telecommunications firm - its impact on labour, Martina Fuchs and Eike Schamp; Goodman Fielder Wattie, good food worldwide? - internationalization and performance, Richard Le Heron; CC Friesland - spatial dynamics within a dynamic company, Egbert Wever; MacMillan Bloedel - corporate restructuring and employment change, Trevor Barnes et al; Nissan Motor Corporation - stages of international growth, locational profile and subcontracting in the Tokyo region, Atsuhiko Takeuchi; Volvo, the organization of work - a determinant of the future location of manufacturing enterprises, Claes Alvstam and Kajsa Ellegard; Daewoo - corporate growth and spatial organization, Sam Ock Park; the geography of enterprise - a research agenda, Peter Dicken.