End of the Multinational: Emerging Markets Redraw the Picture

Purpose As global integration between firms and countries continues to march forward, managers and strategy analysts will have to find new ways to deal with globalization. Many of the founding assumptions of multinational corporation (MNC) strategy have undergone radical change. In this paper we examine five trends that MNC managers must consider as they create strategies to compete in the contemporary global marketplace. Design/methodology/approach Presents a discussion on five key trends that include: the end of the traditional multinational company and the emergence of a new approach to structuring and coordinating cross-border activities; the declining relevance of geography and emerging interconnectedness across boundaries as industries globalize rapidly; the new wave of MNCs from India and China and their approach to global competition; the increasing relevance of crafting specifically tailored strategies to compete in emerging markets; and the imperative to manage knowledge on a global scale. Findings Continued globalization is inevitable and there are few industries, if any, untouched by global competitive forces. Originality/value Present some of the key trends that are significant enough to warrant the attention of global managers in general and strategy planners in particular.