This text uses in-depth data from a range of different countries to provide a framework for understanding international business dynamics. The authors and their collaborators extend Porter's theory of industry-based global competition to explore competition between firms at three levels: the structural (industry/economy); the regional (diversity of patterns in geographic areas); and the strategic (individual firms and managers). They characterize the dynamics of this competition as "force fields" operating simultaneously at global, local and individual levels. The integration of these three levels provides a powerful tool for analyzing how international competition between firms works.
Introduction Geographic Scope - Roland Calori, Gianluca Colombo, Peter Gustavsson and Pancho Nunes Exploring Product-Market Variety Regions, between Global and Local - Roland Calori, Sarah-Kathryn McDonald and Pancho Nunes Structural Forces Driving Local Responsiveness - Roland Calori, Manuela De Carol, Egbert Kahle, Leif Melin and Juan Jos[ac]e Renau Structural Forces Driving Global Integration - Roland Calori, Paul Emmanuelides, Egbert Kahle, Leif Melin and Juan Jos[ac]e Renau Competitive Actions - Tugrul Atamer, Roland Calori, Gianluca Colombo, Sarah-Kathryn McDonald and Martine Menguzzato-Boulard International Strategies - Tugrul Atamer, Roland Calori, Peter Gustavsson and Martine Menguzzato-Boulard Conclusion
`This book is an unusual and valuable addition to the literatures of international business' - International Business Review `The first interesting feature of this study is the selection of industries.... The book provides some valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the world in the mind of the chief executives... a matter of interest not only to industry and academia, but also to policy makers.... The classification of international strategies deducted from the interview data is another contribution that book makes.... The book has achieved its main goal of linking theory and practical experience [and] provides interesting reading.... The book translates the logic of the industry world into a nice theory leaving it up to the reader to accept or reject the accompanying business ethics and values' - Prometheus `This text provides a framework for understanding international competitive systems and formulating international business strategy. In the dialogue between practitioners and a groups of researchers, theoretical insights and practical methods are provided, as well as a case of organic theory built upon contextual practical knowledge. Theories of industry-based global competition are developed and the interactions between structural forces at the industry level and competitive actions at the level of the individual business are explored. Qualitative data are used, including interviews with executives in charge of international strategy in 122 firms and ten countries, notably to develop such topics as: dynamics of segmentation, regional competitive territories, tension between integration and differentiation and strategic variations' - International Review of Adminstrative Sciences
