Networks and Location Organizing the Diversified Multinational Corporation for Value Creation

Based on data from Japan, the book examines the combined effect of product, geographic, and network diversity on multinational enterprise performance. A new measure for geographic scope is developed, one that considers the related elements of international asset dispersion and country environment diversity. The book also introduces a new concept of network diversity, and examines how it is strategically linked to performance. Perhaps most importantly, the book is able to empirically and theoretically demonstrate that a larger, more diverse network of alliances is not necessarily a good idea. These are important findings, with far reaching implications for practice and theory.