The End of Globalization: Why Global Strategy Is a Myth & How to Profit from the Realities of Regional Markets [Hardcover]

Alan Rugman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2001

Globalization has been both lauded as a glorious solution to economic disparities and criticized as the malign cause of financial upheavals in developing nations. But, according to the noted economist and scholar Alan Rugman, globalization was never more than a myth, and the controversies it has spurred are based on the fictions of a homogeneous marketplace.

Instead, Rugman argues, international economic activity has been driven by just 500 multinational enterprises operating in the triad of North America, the European Union, and Japan. Neither globally monolithic nor politically powerful, these companies produce and distribute goods for highly competitive regional markets (for example, 90% of cars produced in Europe are sold in Europe).

Scholarly and researched-based, yet eminently readable, The End of Globalization explores this new concept of multinational enterprises as regionally based and locally operated. And the book helps managers and executives develop successful "regional/triad" strategies that are responsive to local consumers--complete with concise summaries of 20 strategies from major multinational companies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alan Rugman (Oxford, U.K.) is a leading scholar, lecturer, and consultant on international business. He is currently the Thames Water Fellow in Strategic Management at Templeton College, Oxford University. He taught for many years at the University of Toronto and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, London Business School, UCLA, MIT, Columbia, and the Sorbonne. He is the author, co-author, or editor of nearly 30 books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 237 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (April 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814406386
• ISBN-13: 978-0814406380
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,572,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Injection of Realism into Fog of Controversy, March 25, 2001

By 

U. O'broin "User Experience Professional" (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The End of Globalization: Why Global Strategy Is a Myth & How to Profit from the Realities of Regional Markets (Hardcover)

Rugman's "End of Globalization..." is a superb analysis of the international trade of product and services and the nature of foreign investment. He effectively shows how, in reality, international trade and investment needs to be understood in terms of firm and not market activity, and in particular, in terms of the activities of 441 of the Fortune 500 companies. Rugman's work shows how most globalization activity is, in fact, based within a triad of Europe, Japan and the U.S., Foreign Direct Investment is largely intra-firm and industry, and that the key driver is regional and local based economic activity, not a global free-for-all.

Rugman provides examples of how globalization fails (Disney, Saatchi and Saatchi) as well as success stories (ACER) and an analysis of how 20 of the world's multi-national corporations actually operate - i.e., with a strong regional and local presence.

We covers the role of the WTO (demise imminent), protectionism (NAFTA and EU), health and evironmental restrictions, and positions the dot com dream of internet-driven wealth as being one of media hype. There is no single global culture he says, and the new mantra really should be "Think Regional. Act Local. Forget Global".

This book is a brilliant demolition act on the false promises of globalization and also a stinging riposte to the doom-mongering paranoia of the Starbuck's trashers of Seattle and the McLibel crybabies.

Well written, clear, forthright, and with relevant examples this book is a must for students of globalization and international economics everywhere

5.0 out of 5 stars Globalization---Myths and Realities, October 3, 2002

By 

JNH (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The End of Globalization: Why Global Strategy Is a Myth & How to Profit from the Realities of Regional Markets (Hardcover)

Alan Rugman does yeoman service in dispelling the myths of globalization as an omnipotent and omnipresent force in international business. Drawing on a myriad of recent cases, such as Disney and Saatchi and Saatchi, Rugman presents a thorough, compelling and provocative argument that regional markets and intra-firm transactions and relationships within those markets (particularly the triad of Asia, North America and Europe) and not a globalized, cast-the-net-widely juggernaut approach to multinational corporate strategy will continue to rule the day.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read, December 29, 2001

By 

Serious Reader "from L.A." - See all my reviews

This review is from: The End of Globalization: Why Global Strategy Is a Myth & How to Profit from the Realities of Regional Markets (Hardcover)

Alan Rugman is one of the top business school researchers in the world. In this insightful book he takes a different view of globalisation than most. It is very useful and thougt provoking.