In an integrated global economy, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have more opportunities than ever to reap the benefits of broader markets and more possibilities for an extensive division of labour between different locations. In spite of this, the evidence on the spread of the activities of...

While economic theories of the firm have traditionally focused on the ownership of assets, the increasing use of contractual partnerships is beginning to challenge our conception of the firm by emphasizing its coordinating role. In structuring their contracts, as well as in managing the...

The prevailing ownership-based theories of the firm are increasingly being challenged by new forms of organising, as exemplified by the Asian network multinational enterprise (MNE). We believe that an institutional approach, that tries to bridge both the macro and micro levels of analysis, and...

This paper examines the co-evolution of MNE activities and institutions external and internal to the firm. We develop a theoretical framework for this analysis which draws on the more recent writings of Douglass North on institutions as a response to complex forms of uncertainty associated with...

In this paper we examine three distinct types of ownership advantages, and argue that these are associated with three different kinds of limits to the growth of the firm. For some firms, the inability to regenerate its asset-based advantages is critical, while for others, the inability to...