And the subsidiary lives on: Harnessing complex realities in the contemporary MNE

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Andrews, Daniel S.; Nell, Phillip C.; Schotter, Andreas P. J.; Laamanen, Tomi
• 署名单位: Western University (University of Western Ontario); Vienna University of Economics & Business; Copenhagen Business School; University of St Gallen
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-022-00552-4
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 538-549
• 关键词: GLOBAL STRATEGY; International business; multinational corporation; structural differentiation; subsidiary management

摘要

Managing multinational enterprise subsidiaries is a core facet of international business research. A shifting reality on the ground has triggered concerns around the waning relevance of the subsidiary because the MNE and its structure and processes have become increasingly complex. Consequently, more decentralized, responsive, and fluid organizational designs are now at the core of IB research. Juxtaposing recent arguments questioning subsidiary research altogether, we argue that IB scholars can explore and explain complex realities in the contemporary MNE without unnecessarily restricting the breadth of the field and giving up links to established research and theory. We reframe conversations around inward- and outward-looking perspectives, providing a path forward that emphasizes the importance of embracing the subsidiary concept in research reflecting today's complex business environment.