The New Global Road Map

6

Architecture

How to Connect

The previous two chapters focused on how to compete and where to compete in light of what is—and what isn’t—changing about globalization. The material covered in both those chapters has challenging implications for how multinational firms operate. Chapter 4 argued that instead of pure localization, which would reduce organizational complexity by putting country managers firmly in charge, multinationals often need to execute strategies incorporating richer combinations of adaptation, aggregation, and arbitrage. And chapter 5 left open the possibilities of expansion or contraction of firms’ international presence—while warning against the simple alternative of just packing up and coming home.

This chapter will take ...