Knowledge, Networks and Power : The Uppsala School of International Business

This book presents more than four decades of research in international business at the Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University. Gradually, this research has been recognized as 'The Uppsala School'. The work in Uppsala over the years reflects a broad palette of issues and approaches. This book presents more than four decades of research in international business at the Department of Business Studies, Uppsala University. Gradually, this research has been recognized as 'The Uppsala School'. The work in Uppsala over the years reflects a broad palette of issues and approaches. There are, though, some common characteristics of most of the contributions which motivates the 'school' label, beyond the fact that all have their origin in Uppsala. We claim that the dominating work has been devoted to three basic themes; knowledge as an asset and as a problem, markets as business networks and power within and between organizations. In this book these three themes have been discussed relation to firms' internationalization process and the multinational firm as an organization. A dominating feature of the work done in Uppsala is also its strong emphasis on empirical data as a base for theory development, which often has been collected through personal interviews with Swedish firms Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Knowledge, Networks and Power — The Uppsala School of International Business....Pages 3-38 Front Matter....Pages 39-39 Experiential Knowledge and Cost in the Internationalization Process....Pages 41-63 A Note on the Criticisms Against the Internationalization Process Model....Pages 64-87 The Concept of Learning in the Uppsala Internationalization Process Model: A Critical Review....Pages 88-110 Internationalisation in Industrial Systems — A Network Approach....Pages 111-132 Business Networks and Cooperation in International Business Relationships....Pages 133-152 The Uppsala Internationalization Process Model Revisited: From Liability of Foreignness to Liability of Outsidership....Pages 153-186 Network Knowledge and Business-Relationship Value in the Foreign Market....Pages 187-224 Division Headquarters Go Abroad — A Step in the Internationalization of the Multinational Corporation....Pages 225-242 Front Matter....Pages 243-243 Headquarters’ Knowledge of Subsidiary Network Contexts in the Multinational Corporation....Pages 245-263 Rationality vs Ignorance: The Role of MNE Headquarters in Subsidiaries’ Innovation Processes....Pages 264-283 Internal Embeddedness, Headquarters Involvement, and Innovation Importance in Multinational Enterprises....Pages 284-317 The Strategic Impact of External Networks: Subsidiary Performance and Competence Development in the Multinational Corporation....Pages 318-343 Competence Development through Business Relationships or Competitive Environment? — Subsidiary Impact on MNC Competitive Advantage....Pages 344-365 Cultural Distance or Cultural Positions? Analysing the Effect of Culture on the HQ—Subsidiary Relationship....Pages 366-392 Balancing Subsidiary Influence in the Federative MNC: A Business Network View....Pages 393-420 Quo Vadis? The Entry into New Technologies in Advanced Foreign Subsidiaries of the Multinational Enterprise....Pages 421-459 Hymer’s Analysis of the Multinational Organization: Power Retention and the Demise of the Federative MNE....Pages 460-476 Back Matter....Pages 477-483 Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Notes on Contributors -- Part I: Introduction -- 1 Knowledge, Networks and Power - The Uppsala School of International Business -- Part II: The Internationalization Process of the Firm -- 2 Experiential Knowledge and Cost in the Internationalization Process -- 3 A Note on the Criticisms Against the Internationalization Process Model -- 4 The Concept of Learning in the Uppsala Internationalization Process Model: A Critical Review -- 5 Internationalisation in Industrial Systems - A Network Approach -- 6 Business Networks and Cooperation in International Business Relationships -- 7 The Uppsala Internationalization Process Model Revisited: From Liability of Foreignness to Liability of Outsidership -- 8 Network Knowledge and Business-Relationship Value in the Foreign Market -- 9 Division Headquarters Go Abroad - A Step in the Internationalization of the Multinational Corporation -- Part III: The Multinational Corporation -- 10 Headquarters' Knowledge of Subsidiary Network Contexts in the Multinational Corporation -- 11 Rationality vs Ignorance: The Role of MNE Headquarters in Subsidiaries' Innovation Processes -- 12 Internal Embeddedness, Headquarters Involvement, and Innovation Importance in Multinational Enterprises -- 13 The Strategic Impact of External Networks: Subsidiary Performance and Competence Development in the Multinational Corporation -- 14 Competence Development through Business Relationships or Competitive Environment? - Subsidiary Impact on MNC Competitive Advantage -- 15 Cultural Distance or Cultural Positions? Analysing the Effect of Culture on the HQ-Subsidiary Relationship -- 16 Balancing Subsidiary Influence in the Federative MNC: A Business Network View