ABSTRACT
Chapters 3 and 4 provided a review of the inward investment position in Britain, nationally and regionally, drawing on official statistics and the various studies which have been undertaken in this ·area. Inevitably, the focus was on MNE activities in the UK in isolation and there was only limited discussion of foreign subsidiary operations within the wider framework of multinational behaviour and performance. Consistent with the viewpoint of Chapter 1, the argument to be presented here is that a full understanding of the impact of MNEs can only be gained by looking at multinational strategies and operations at least European-wide, perhaps worldwide. Evolution and revolution in subsidiary relationships within the corporate whole, as reactions to constantly changing firm, industry and country factors and now to the all-embracing globalisation and technology imperatives, provides the background against which this chapter is written.
