Hardback
Multinationals and Economic Geography
Location, Technology and Innovation
9781781954782 Edward Elgar Publishing
After more than fifty years of systematic research on multinational enterprises (MNEs) what is apparent is that there is, as yet, no unified or dominant theory of the MNE. The objective of this book is to bring into focus one particular dimension of MNE behaviour and activity that has been relatively under-researched – namely the geography of the multinational enterprise – as understood through the lens of innovation and technological change. The authors clearly demonstrate that geography is becoming increasingly important for MNEs and, in turn, MNEs are becoming progressively more important for economic geography. The pivot on which this vital relationship turns is the creation, diffusion and management of new knowledge.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
After more than fifty years of systematic research on multinational enterprises (MNEs) what is apparent is that there is, as yet, no unified or dominant theory of the MNE. The objective of this book is to bring into focus one particular dimension of MNE behaviour and activity that has been relatively under-researched – namely the geography of the multinational enterprise – as understood through the lens of innovation and technological change. The authors clearly demonstrate that geography is becoming increasingly important for MNEs and, in turn, MNEs are becoming progressively more important for economic geography. The pivot on which this vital relationship turns is the creation, diffusion and management of new knowledge.
This unique book will prove a fascinating read for academics, students and researchers across a broad range of areas including geography, economic geography, regional science, international business and management, innovation studies, economic development. Professionals such as corporate managers and policymakers in these fields would also find this book to be of great interest.
This unique book will prove a fascinating read for academics, students and researchers across a broad range of areas including geography, economic geography, regional science, international business and management, innovation studies, economic development. Professionals such as corporate managers and policymakers in these fields would also find this book to be of great interest.
Critical Acclaim
''Iammarino and McCann bring together their own wide-ranging research into multinationals, as well as industrial clusters, the shed light into how firms are developing new strategies aimed at gaining access to strategic knowledge and technology in particular subnational locations, typically world cities that are linked into global innovation networks.''
– David W. Edgington, Economic Geography
‘This book on multinationals and economic geography by two world leading economic geographers is a landmark that provides an integrated and dynamic perspective on the economic geography of the multinational enterprise. . . This book is an absolute “must-read” for any scholar and any student that is interested in multinationals and their location.’
– Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Lund University, Sweden
''...the authors adopt a rigorous textbook approach, with a particularly detailed coverage of relevant empirical studies and findings of recent trends and phenomena...The convergence of ideas and arguments between IB and economic geography, the combination of which is intended to jointly develop a more holistic understanding of economic activity dispersed across space, has definitely taken off, and this book most certainly constitutes an invaluable toolkit for anyone wishing to contribute to this emerging and vibrant area of IB scholarship.''
– Lucia Piscitello, Journal of International Business Studies
‘. . . the authors must be highly credited as being among the few economic geographers and regional scientists next to scholars from the international business and management fields responsible for building sustainable bridges across various disciplines with regards to developing a spatial MNE research. Therefore, the book offers an exceptional read and a brilliant conceptual and empirical analysis based on two decades of the authors’ own work with manifold astonishing examples framed by illustrative and informative boxes and features with current data useful for application to everyone interested in MNE in general, and to a wide array of academic scholars from economics, organisational studies, management science as well as international business and economic geography in particular. Ultimately, the book presents an important milestone towards a more balanced three-legged stool of MNE research with reference to the location dimension.’
– Lech Suwala, Regional Studies
‘The world economy is subject to a rapidly increasing globalization, and multinational enterprises are their major driving force. This brand new book on multinationals and economic geography by two world leading economic geographers is a landmark that provides an integrated and dynamic perspective on the economic geography of the multinational enterprise. To fully understand this process of globalization, the book explains forcefully and persuasively that one needs a dynamic perspective on multinational enterprises that brings together disparate literatures on economic geography, knowledge and innovation, global network cities, and international business and management. Embedding it in modern theory of innovation and geography, the book provides not only a state-of-the-art of theories and empirics on the location of multinationals, but goes far beyond that. This book is an absolute “must-read” for any scholar and any student that is interested in multinationals and their location.’
– Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, The Netherlands and Lund University, Sweden
‘Despite often playing second fiddle to clusters in the economic geography literature, multinationals are fundamental drivers of economic development. As generators and diffusers of knowledge they have played an essential role in shaping the new world economic order. No book captures this better than Simona Iammarino and Philip McCann’s Multinationals and Economic Geography, a must read for anyone eager to fully understand the new economic geography of globalisation.’
– Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, London School of Economics, UK
– David W. Edgington, Economic Geography
‘This book on multinationals and economic geography by two world leading economic geographers is a landmark that provides an integrated and dynamic perspective on the economic geography of the multinational enterprise. . . This book is an absolute “must-read” for any scholar and any student that is interested in multinationals and their location.’
– Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Lund University, Sweden
''...the authors adopt a rigorous textbook approach, with a particularly detailed coverage of relevant empirical studies and findings of recent trends and phenomena...The convergence of ideas and arguments between IB and economic geography, the combination of which is intended to jointly develop a more holistic understanding of economic activity dispersed across space, has definitely taken off, and this book most certainly constitutes an invaluable toolkit for anyone wishing to contribute to this emerging and vibrant area of IB scholarship.''
– Lucia Piscitello, Journal of International Business Studies
‘. . . the authors must be highly credited as being among the few economic geographers and regional scientists next to scholars from the international business and management fields responsible for building sustainable bridges across various disciplines with regards to developing a spatial MNE research. Therefore, the book offers an exceptional read and a brilliant conceptual and empirical analysis based on two decades of the authors’ own work with manifold astonishing examples framed by illustrative and informative boxes and features with current data useful for application to everyone interested in MNE in general, and to a wide array of academic scholars from economics, organisational studies, management science as well as international business and economic geography in particular. Ultimately, the book presents an important milestone towards a more balanced three-legged stool of MNE research with reference to the location dimension.’
– Lech Suwala, Regional Studies
‘The world economy is subject to a rapidly increasing globalization, and multinational enterprises are their major driving force. This brand new book on multinationals and economic geography by two world leading economic geographers is a landmark that provides an integrated and dynamic perspective on the economic geography of the multinational enterprise. To fully understand this process of globalization, the book explains forcefully and persuasively that one needs a dynamic perspective on multinational enterprises that brings together disparate literatures on economic geography, knowledge and innovation, global network cities, and international business and management. Embedding it in modern theory of innovation and geography, the book provides not only a state-of-the-art of theories and empirics on the location of multinationals, but goes far beyond that. This book is an absolute “must-read” for any scholar and any student that is interested in multinationals and their location.’
– Ron Boschma, Utrecht University, The Netherlands and Lund University, Sweden
‘Despite often playing second fiddle to clusters in the economic geography literature, multinationals are fundamental drivers of economic development. As generators and diffusers of knowledge they have played an essential role in shaping the new world economic order. No book captures this better than Simona Iammarino and Philip McCann’s Multinationals and Economic Geography, a must read for anyone eager to fully understand the new economic geography of globalisation.’
– Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, London School of Economics, UK
Contents
Contents: Introduction: Multinational Enterprises, Innovation and Geography in Todays’ Globalized World Part I: Multinationals, Location and Innovation: Foundations and Extensions 2. Old and New(er) Theories of Multinational Enterprises: Selected Perspectives and the Search for Location 3. Firm Location Behaviour in Theory: Extensions to Multiplant and Multinational Firms 4. The Sources of Innovation: The Firm and the Local System Part II: Multinationals and the Changing Economic Geography of Globalization 5. Multinationals, Variety of Geographies and Evolution 6. Globalization and Multinationals in a Historical Process 7. Multinationals, Connectivity and Global Cities 8. Multinationals, Emerging Economies and the Changing Economic Geography 9. Conclusions: Review of the Arguments and Implications for Future Research Bibliography Index
