Organizational equilibrium and organizational change: two different perspectives of the multinational enterprise

This article contrasts traditional models of MNE organizational design against newer models, represented by transnationalism and heterarchy. The important characteristics are fundamentally different. Traditional models tend to be models of equilibrium, while the newer models are largely models of change. With the intent of reconciling the two theories, it is argued that the new change-oriented models are most applicable at the micro levels of MNEs, while traditional equilibrium models are more applicable at the macro levels.Multinational organizational design Strategy and structure Transnationalism Heterarchy Equilibrium and change

Information-Processing Theory and the Multinational Enterprise

This paper attempts to extend information-processing theory so that it can be meaningfully applied to MNCs. A specific multidimensional framework is developed that can be used to measure the information-processing capacities of macro-level features of MNC organizational design. An applied example, transnationalism, is used to illustrate how to apply the framework and demonstrate that it can contribute meaningful new insight to this complex organizational problem.© 1991 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1991) 22, 341–368