Chapter 3: Comparative International Management: An Alternative Framework to Analyzing Multinational Management

This chapter introduces the comparative management framework as a complementary theoretical approach to analyzing strategies and organizations of multinational corporations (MNCs). It first argues why international business (IB) studies may need a comparative perspective as a “complementary” theoretical approach. It then briefly outlines various theoretical strands contributing to the comparative management framework. After that, the varieties of capitalism (VoC) framework is presented as a comprehensive, integrated framework that may bring new insights into the strategies and organizations of multinational corporations (MNCs). Finally, it touches upon proposed key areas for further studies.