Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 2013. — 496 p. — ISBN: 178195478X, 1781954879, 9781781954874.
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, SwedenDespite 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 McCanns Multinationals and Economic Geography, a must read for anyone eager to fully understand the new economic geography of globalisation. - Andrs Rodrguez-Pose, London School of Economics, UKAfter 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 behavior 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.Contents:
Introduction: Multinational Enterprises, Innovation and Geography in Todays Globalized World.
Part I: Multinationals, Location and Innovation: Foundations and Extensions.
Old and New(er) Theories of Multinational Enterprises: Selected Perspectives and the Search for Location.
Firm Location Behaviour in Theory: Extensions to Multiplant and Multinational Firms.
The Sources of Innovation: The Firm and the Local System.
Part II: Multinationals and the Changing Economic Geography of Globalization.
Multinationals, Variety of Geographies and Evolution.
Globalization and Multinationals in a Historical Process.
Multinationals, Connectivity and Global Cities.
Multinationals, Emerging Economies and the Changing Economic Geography.
Conclusions:
Review of the Arguments and Implications for Future Research.
Bibliography.
Index.
