Transnational companies

Transnational Companies (19^th-20^th centuries) gathers texts which were presented during the fourth convention of the European Business History Association in Bordeaux in September 2000. Most of them come from matured and well-known business historians or business schools' specialists, but a bunch of texts were provided too by junior researchers, who found thus a way to promote their brand new inquiries ! Most branches are studied here, either heavy industries or agrobusiness and textile ; but specific areas are well approached : luxury firms, wine and beverages companies, for instance.

The focus of Transnational Companies is to scrutinize the emergence of international policies among enterprises, whether through exports strategies or through direct investments in foreign countries, along branches, ways of development, entrepreneurial undertakings or competition's incentives. The book assesses too the move from internationalisation to transnationalisation in the interwar and mostly since the 1960s : owing to several case studies here presented, business schools and economic historians will be able to foster tuitions and seminars with fresh material. Last several papers are earmarked to the argument about globalisation, that is the restructuring of firms' organisation towards internationalised internal divisions since the 1970s-1980s, as the book does cover the very last years of the 20^th century.