Business Strategy and National Culture

US and Asia Pacific Microcomputer Multinationals in Europe

New Horizons in International Business series

Denise Tsang, Lecturer, Henley Business School, The University of Reading, UK

This timely book investigates the importance of national culture as it applies to the strategic management of multinationals. The author focuses on backward linkage strategies within US, Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean microcomputer multinationals investing in Europe. In particular, both market-driven and resource-driven strategic orientations are depicted in new and established firms.

‘The backward linkage strategies of major multinationals differ significantly between firms within the same industry. In this provocative book, Denise Tsang explains these differences in strategy in terms of the culture of the parent company and the age of the firm. Her case study of the European microcomputer industry encompasses major multinationals from the US, Japan, Taiwan and Korea, and includes both long-established firms and recent start-ups. It contains a wealth of fascinating detail which she elegantly synthesises to support her thesis.’
– Mark Casson, University of Reading, UK

‘This book is a major contribution to our understanding of international business strategy. It adopts a unique culturist view that has been long neglected by mainstream strategy theorists.’
– Geoffrey G. Jones, Harvard Business School, US