Abstract
The mechanisms of coordination used by Multinational Corporations (MNCs) are studied, through an exhaustive literature review. A pattern of evolution is found: as time has passed, researchers have concentrated more on subtler and informal mechanisms, abandoning their unidimensional focus on structural issues. It is suggested that the increase in the study of those mechanisms may be due, among other reasons, to the fact that MNCs are indeed making more use of them. That could be explained by changes in the international competitive environment, which force firms to adjust their strategies, requiring ever more multidimensional coordination.
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*Jon I. Martinez is Assistant Professor of International Management at Escuela de Negocios de Valparaiso, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile. He received a DBA from IESE in Spain, and has done post-doctoral work on international business at MIT's Sloan School of Management.
**J. Carlos Jarillo is a Professor of Business Policy at Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. His work has concentrated on the cooperative strategies of firms, with a strong emphasis on the implications of cooperative strategies in international markets.
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Martinez, J., Jarillo, J. The Evolution of Research on Coordination Mechanisms in Multinational Corporations. J Int Bus Stud 20, 489–514 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490370
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490370