For a long time research on multinational corporations (MNCs) was dominated by a very critical assessment. But recently social scientists seem to have changed their view of the multinational corporation; they now have a much more positive opinion of this institution. This raises the question whether we are, now that the multinational company is becoming the most powerful economic actor, on the way to an economic order in which there are no losers and only winners. The article deals with this question on the basis of three aspects of multinational corporations: forms of governance, organisational strategies and industrial relations.
AOKI, A. 1989. `Global Competition, from Organization and TFP. A Comparative Micro-Perspective'. Paper presented at the International Seminar of Science, Technology and Economic Growth, Paris.
3.
ASH, P.1967. `Measurement of Industrial Relations Activity'.Journal of Applied Psychology51.
4.
BACHARACH, S.B. and LAWLER, E.J. 1981. Power and Politics in Organizations.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
5.
BAETHGE, M. and OBERBECK, H. 1986. Die Zukunft der Angestellten. Neue Technologien und berufliche Perspektiven in Büro und Verwaltung.Frankfurt/New York: Campus.
6.
BARTLETT, C.A. , DOZ, Y. and HEDLUND, G. 1990. `Introduction. The Changing Agenda for Researchers and Practitioners', in Bartlett, C.A., Doz, Y. and Hedlund, G. (eds.), Managing the Global Firm.London/New York: Routledge. pp. 1-14.
7.
BEAN, R. 1985. Comparative Industrial Relations. An Introduction to Cross-National Perspectives.London/Sydney: Croom Helm.
8.
BERGSTERMANN, J. and BRANDHERM-BÖHMKER, J. eds. 1990. Systemische Rationalisierung als sozialer Prozess.Bonn: Dietz.
9.
BLAKE, D.H.1972. `Trade Unions and the Challenges of the Multinational Corporation'.Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science403.
10.
BOMERS, G.B.J. 1976. Multinational Corporations and Industrial Relations: A Comparative Study of West Germany and the Netherlands.Amsterdam: Van Gorcum.
11.
BOMERS, G.B.J. and PETERSON, R.B.1977. `Multinational Corporations and Industrial Relations: The Case of West Germany and the Netherlands'.British Journal of Industrial RelationsXV.
12.
CALVET, A.L.1981. `A Synthesis of Foreign Direct Investment Theories of the Multinational Firm'.Journal of International Business Studies12 (1): 43-59.
13.
CHANDLER, A.D., Jr. 1962. Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Enterprise.Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
14.
CHESNAIS, F.1988. `Technical Co-operation Agreements between Firms'.STI Review4 (December).
15.
CHILD, J.1972. `Organizational Structure, Environment and Performance: The Role of Strategic Choice'.Sociology6.
DOLESCHAL, R. 1991. `Neue Logistikkonzepte der bundesdeutschen Automobilindustrie als Antwort auf den internationalen Strukturwandel und die Folgen für die Beschäftigten', in Flecker, J. and Schienstock, G. (eds.), Flexibilisierung, Deregulierung und Globalisierung.Mering: Hampp-Verlag.
18.
DUNNING, J.H. 1981. International Production and the Multinational Enterprise.London: Allen and Unwin.
19.
EMERY, F.E. and TRIST, E.L.1965. `The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments'.Human Relations18.
20.
ETZIONI, A. 1961. A Comparative Analysis of Complex Organizations.New York: Free Press.
21.
FORSGREN, M. 1989. Managing the Internationalization Process. The Swedish Case.London/New York: Routledge.
22.
FRÖBEL, F. , HEINRICHS, J. and KREYE, O. 1977. Die neue internationale Arbeitsteilung.Reinbek: Rowohlt.
23.
GOULDNER, A.W. 1967. `Reciprocity and Autonomy in Functional Theory', in Demerath, N.J.III. and Peterson, R.A. (eds.), System Change and Conflict.New York: Free Press. pp. 141-169.
24.
HEDLUND, G. and ROLANDER, D. 1990. `Action in Heterarchies - New Approaches to Managing the MNC', in Bartlett, C.A., Doz, Y. and Hedlund, G. (eds.), Managing the Global Firm.London/New York: Routledge. pp. 15-46.
25.
HENNART, J.F. 1982. A Theory of Multinational Enterprise.Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
26.
HOOD, N. and YOUNG, S. 1979. The Economics of Multinational Enterprise.London: Longman.
27.
HYMER, S.H. 1976. International Operations of National Firms: A Study of Foreign Direct Investment.Boston: MIT Press.
28.
IMAI, K. and ITAMI, H.1984. `Interpenetration of Organization and Market: Japan's Firm and Market in Comparison with the U.S.'.International Journal of Industrial Organization2: 285-310.
JONES, G. and HILL, C.1988. `Transaction Cost Analysis of Strategy Structure Choice'.Strategic Management Journal9.
31.
KERN, H. and SCHUMANN, M. 1984. Das Ende der Arbeitsteilung? Rationalisierung in der industriellen Revolution.Munich: Beck.
32.
LAWRENCE, P.R. and LORSCH, J.W. 1967. Organization and Environment: Managing Differentiation and Integration.Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, Harvard University Press.
33.
MacMILLAN, K. and FARMER, D.1979. `Redefining the Boundaries of the Firm'.The Journal of Industrial Economics27: 277-285.
34.
MICHALET, C.A. 1989. `Global Competition and its Implications for Firms'. Paper presented at the International Seminar on Science, Technology and Economic Growth, organized by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, May.
35.
NORTHRUP, H.R. and ROWAN, R.L. 1989. Multinational Collective Bargaining Attempts: The Record, the Cases and the Prospects.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
36.
OUCHI, W.G.1980. `Markets, Bureaucracies, and Clans'.ASO25: 129-140.
37.
PERLMUTTER, A.V.1965. `L'entreprise internationale - Trois Conceptions'.Revue économique et sociale23.
38.
PORTER, M. ed. 1986. Competition in Global Industries.Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
39.
POWELL, W.W.1990. `Neither Market nor Hierarchy: Network Forms of Organization'.Research in Organizational Behavior12: 295-336.
40.
RAMSEY, H. and HAWORTH, N. 1989. `The Emerging Theory of the Multinational Enterprise and its Implications for Labour Resistance', in Clegg, S.R. (ed.), Organization Theory and Class Analysis. New Approaches and New Issues.Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter.
41.
REED, M. 1989. The Sociology of Management.New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
42.
SABEL, C.F. , KERN, H. and HERRIGEL, G. 1989. `Collaborative Manufacturing: New Supplier Relations in the Automobile Industry and the Redefinition of the Industrial Corporation'. Unpublished paper. Göttingen/Chicago.
43.
SCOTT, W.R. 1987. Organizations. Rational, Natural, and Open Systems.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
44.
STAEHLE, W.H. 1985. `Internationale Arbeitsbeziehungen', in Endruweit, G.et al. (eds.), Handbuch der Arbeitsbeziehungen Deutschland-Österreich-Schweiz.Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
45.
SYDOW, J. 1990. `On the Management of Strategic Networks'.Discussion paper for the workshop `Flexible Specialisation in Europe', Zurich.
46.
TAKAMIYA, M. 1978. `Labour Relations of Multinational Corporations: A Cross-National Comparison of Internal Operations'. IIM dp 78164, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.
47.
TEUBNER, G. 1990. `Die vielköpfige Hydra: Netzwerke als kollektive Akteure höherer Ordnung', in Krohn, W. and Küppers, G. (eds.), Emergenz und Selbstorganisation.Frankfurt: Suhrkamp.
48.
THORELLI, H.B.1986. `Networks: Between Markets and Hierarchies'.Strategic Management Journal7: 37-51.
49.
TRECKEL, K.1972. `The World Auto Councils and Collective Bargaining'.Industrial Relations11.
50.
TUDYKA, K.P. ed. 1974. Multinationale Konzerne und Gewerkschaftsstrategie.Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe.
51.
TULDER, R. and JUNNE, G. 1988. European Multinationals in Core Technologies.Chichester: Wiley.
52.
VARDARO, G. 1990. `Before and Beyond the Legal Personality: Group Enterprises and Industrial Relations', in Sugarman, D. and Teubner, G. (eds.), Regulating Corporate Groups in Europe.Baden-Baden: Nomos.
53.
WARNER, M. and TURNER, L.1972. `Trade Unions and the Multi-National Firm'.Journal of Industrial Relations14.
54.
WARNER, M.et al. 1974. `Arbeitnehmer/Arbeitnehmerbeziehungen in den multinationalen Konzernen', in Tudyka, K.P. (ed.), Multinationale Konzerne und Gewerkschaftsstrategie.Hamburg: Rowohlt.
55.
WILLIAMSON, O. 1975. Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Antitrust Implications, A Study in the Economics of Internal Organization.New York/London: The Free Press.
56.
WILLIAMSON, O. 1985. The Economic Institutions of Capitalism: Firms, Market, Relational Contracting.New York: Free Press.
57.
WITTKE, V. 1990. `Systemische Rationalisierung - zur Analyse aktueller Umbruchprozesse in der industriellen Produktion', in Bergstermann, J. and Brandherm-Bhmker, R. (eds.), Systemische Rationalisierung als sozialer Prozess.Bonn: Dietz.
