International and Comparative Business
Foundations of Political Economies
- Leo McCann - University of York, UK
'A sweeping examination of systems of capitalism in theory and in the world’s major industrial economies leads Leo McCann to challenge the conventional wisdom on globalization. Historical analysis of the evolution of business systems and detailed examination of present practice demonstrate persuasively that, despite facing common challenges, distinctive national differences remain salient. A must read for anyone who needs to understand how business systems operate in an increasingly interdependent world economy.' - Dr Eileen Appelbaum, Senior Economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, DC, USA
Globalization has profound effects on national economies even as distinct national ‘models’ of capitalism remain. International and Comparative Business accessibly tracks the historical and socio-political contexts of the world’s major countries on a chapter-by-chapter basis to the present day. The book provides a comprehensive, critical, yet concise introduction to each of the economies’ key features, including macro overviews as well as organizational and workplace-level analysis. Each chapter features learning objectives, in-depth interpretation and critique of key literature, and annotated further reading to allow readers to rigorously navigate their way through the wealth of material available for each country.
This text is essential reading for students and researchers in the areas of international business and cross-cultural management, comparative political economy, and history.
Leo McCann is Senior Lecturer in International and Comparative Management at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK
'Erudite and accessible, Leo McCann's exploration of the globalizing world economy stands out in its astute recognition of the continuing power of nationally specific forms of capitalism. Far from being a one-size-fits-all Anglo-American template, neoliberalism comes in many different hues and variations. Offering a comprehensive overview of European and Asian business models, McCann demonstrates how the national gets reconfigured around the global without losing some of its unique features. International and Comparative Business is by far the best textbook in the field and is destined to become a classic for years to come'
'A sweeping examination of systems of capitalism in theory and in the world's major industrial economies leads Leo McCann to challenge the conventional wisdom on globalization. Historical analysis of the evolution of business systems and detailed examination of present practice demonstrate persuasively that, despite facing common challenges, distinctive national differences remain salient. A must read for anyone who needs to understand how business systems operate in an increasingly interdependent world economy'
Overall, this book provides a dynamic and comparative analysis of political power and politics, industrial relations, financial and corporate governance, and labour and employment issues in different countries. Each of the 12 chapters in this book offers clear learning objectives at the beginning, broader reviews of the interdisciplinary literature in the main body, and annotated further reading at the end; together they construct a suitable textbook for students to learn about divergence in international capitalism.
Reflects a wide range of theories and empirical case studies. Accessible, up to date and critical reading.
The book is really good to show varieties of governance and political concerns in main countries while it seems difficult for 2nd-year students to get the intrinsic logic.
This is an excellent addition to the existing texts on international labour market institutions, particularly VoC. I will be using this text as an essential source for the introductory sessions for my module on comparative employment policy and also using some of the case studies. As our cohort is largely from South-east Asia the breadth of case studies will be very useful.
This is a very informative and thought-provoking book. Highly useful for teaching.
I use this book as a recommended text book for my corporate governance class since it provides a big picture of current capitalism
Students of international business are all too often offered "one size fits all" tools and analyses that impose themselves upon the diversity and complexity that should be at the very heart of their studies. Leo McCann's book is a welcome tonic. By making his methodological choices transparent, his historically grounded country analyses, set within the context of a deepening globalization, provide students with an exemplary guide to both the practice of political economy and its rewards. By the end of this book readers will be in no doubt that institutions matter.
Sage College Publishing
