RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

Emerging multinationals: Spanish businesses in the global economy

Multinacionales emergentes

On 18 April 2008, the Director of the Rafael del Pino Foundation and Professors Mauro F. Guillén Rodríguez (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) and Esteban García Canal (University of Oviedo), signed a research agreement to conduct a survey entitled: “Emerging multinationals: Spanish businesses in the global economy”. The aim of the research is to analyse the competitive capabilities that set Spanish businesses apart from the so-called emerging multinationals of countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, México, Brazil, Chile, United Arab Emirates and India.

The results will be published in English by Cambridge University Press and in Spanish either by the Foundation in its Economics and Business Collection or by a commercial publisher.

The survey will consist of eight chapters with the following content:

  • • Chapter one will focus on analysing the patterns of internationalisation of emerging multinationals.
  • • Chapter two will identify the distinctive features of these emerging multinationals, their competitive capabilities and their patterns of international growth.
  • • Chapter three will discuss emerging multinationals in traditional sectors (agriculture, food and drinks). A fundamental part of the analysis will refer to the interaction between company-specific comparative advantages and company-specific competitive capabilities.
  • • Chapter four will concentrate on the consumer goods sector (clothing, luxury goods, electrical appliances and consumer electronics) making comparisons with Korean, Taiwanese and Chinese companies.
  • • Chapter five will analyse companies in the intermediate and capital goods sectors (metal, chemicals, machinery and transport material). As in the preceding chapter, relevant comparisons will be made with companies from other emerging countries.
  • • Chapter six will refer to companies in the regulated and infrastructure sectors (banking, insurance, electricity, oil and gas, water, transport, telecommunications, and health care).
  • • Chapter seven will concentrate on one of the most dynamic sectors, that of business services: software, consultancy, engineering, support and legal advisory services.
  • • Lastly, chapter eight will include the survey conclusions and present a conceptual framework covering the different experiences of companies in various sectors in order to identify the factors responsible for the success of some companies in certain sectors and the failure or underdevelopment of others.