The International
Businesses have been object of research since the beginning of 20th century. Two paradigms, extension and management beyond the national borders, have dominated the majority of International Business studies in last forty years. However, the studies regarding activities of exportation, direct external investment, management and technology transfer of transnational
companies had been recognized as academic research only in the last decades.
Throughout years 1980, the target of the area International Business was expanded, and also the dimension of the functional areas of the Administration, due to the globalization of the businesses and the markets. From this time the business-
oriented schools only started to be brought up to date and “to be internationalized”. Currently, it is used a diversity of terminologies applied to this type of
company, as for example:
- The “International” term is widely used to describe any company with operations in more than a nation, crossing borders and dealing with the diversity of environments surrounding of the native country;
- “Multinational” it is used to describe a federacy of
corporations semi-autonomous under the property of a company whose actions are negotiated mainly in one nation;
- The ”Global” companies are those with raised degree of integration;
- The “Transnational” ones are companies who search the balance between forces of global integration and national adaptation.
Therefore, the study of these companies faces distinct areas of knowledge as International Economy, Sociology, International Relations, International Economy, International Politics, Businesses and International Management. The important one is to expand the vision, analyzing the societies in which the companies operate, because the world continues fragmented although some affirmations and aspirations concerning to homogenization of markets and preferences of consumption.
There are three main scopes related to the international businesses:
- Problems that the national companies have to deal during commercial exchanges with foreign countries (international commerce and payments);
- Problems that managers face in the efforts to control an international net of companies, and;
- Practical business-oriented comparative in foreign countries (national systems business-oriented comparative degrees).
The globalization does not have to be understood as a harmonious process of the world-wide society, in which occurs increasing convergence of
cultures and civilizations. In contrast, deep divergences between the cultures exist: Occidental (United States, Occidental Europe and Australia); African; Islamic; Sinic (China); Hindu (India); Orthodox (Russia); Latin American; Buddhist and Japanese. It has divergences between this method of grouping of cultures, however it is valid to stand out that the increasing interconnection can generate new conflicts, reactionary politics and even xenophobia.
In all the world has verified a trend of concentration in some sectors, by means of organic grow, fusing, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances. As result of this concentration, it appears some giant corporations that distribute its units of production in the world, but keep a strategic center of decisions. These corporations tend to establish with its competitors, also giants, oligopoly agreements in different sectors.
The great corporations have great power of interference in the economy, in the politics and in the social development of diverse countries. This power is exerted by means of pressure under the governments to make it difficult the action of the unions, to carry through subsidized investments and to offer a necessary infrastructure to the activities.
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