Building an analytical framework for the study of emerging country multinationals’ operations management

Abstract

International Operations Management (IOM) is still an overlooked field of research, partly because international production occurs inside a single organization: the multinational enterprise (MNE). This results in IOM to be approached as if the only distinction between domestic and foreign operations is logistics. However, within the MNE, IOM comprises a much more complex set of decisions and procedures. This paper aims at establishing an analytical framework for the study of IOM in MNEs from emerging countries, considering such enterprises as: a) a network of subsidiaries; b) part of global production networks (GPN); and c) a network of competences and capabilities. The focus is IOM in the context of the subsidiaries’ network. To achieve that aim, this paper drew from different disciplines, especially International Business, Strategy, Global Value Chains and GPN. The analytical framework was built from three approaches that look at different dimensions of the MNE. The final outcome includes the constructs to be utilized in future empirical research