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Revisiting the heterarchy: the case of the fuzzy and fluid multinational

Research output: Contribution to conference - Without ISBN/ISSN Conference paper

Published
Publication date5/09/2016
Number of pages13
Pages1-13
<mark>Original language</mark>English
EventBritish Academy of Management - PhD Workshop - Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle, United Kingdom
Duration: 5/09/20165/09/2016

Workshop

WorkshopBritish Academy of Management - PhD Workshop
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityNewcastle
Period5/09/165/09/16

Abstract

Gunnar Hedland suggested that the Multinational Company (MNC) was becoming a ‘heterarchy’ - a network of differentiated but interdependent units. This paper examines GlobeCo, a multinational that has transformed from a ‘polycentric’ to a global form, and now exhibits many of the characteristics of heterarchy. However, GlobeCo’s units are increasingly ‘fuzzy’ - internally heterogeneous and overlapping - and ‘fluid’ with frequent forming and reshaping of entities. This suggests that GlobeCo may be better conceived as a set of evolving networks within a network. The implications of such a view of the MNC for future research are then considered.