International Business

The theme of international business was originally primarily concerned with the internationalisation of Swedish firms. Some widely cited articles emanating from this research, identified in the literature as the Uppsala Internationalisation Process Model, pointed to the gradual character of internationalisation and the vital role played by knowledge about foreign markets and psychic distance between countries. The recent development of models on the internationalisation of firms, the "market-as-business-network approach" has played a major role.

A second stream of research has focused on management issues in multinational corporations (MNCs). In recent decades this research has particularly dealt with the dual role of subsidiaries in MNCs, i.e., the tension between their roles in the local business context and the corporate context, and the related struggle for power and control.

A third research area is the creation and diffusion of knowledge and innovations in MNCs, particularly the development of Centres of Excellence. Related to this are projects regarding the impact of MNC innovations on host-country economies and entrepreneurship in MNCs.

Professor Ulf Holm

Professor Mats Forsgren

Professor Jan Johansson