| Abstract: | Multinational enterprises have been praised as means of achieving the most efficient use of the world's resources, and, therefore, as a new means to classical economic internationalism. Examination of their behaviour gives little evidence that they would achieve this goal, for their criteria of decision-making are different and their movement of factors is for company objectives, not economic or market: the market cannot signal long-term investment opportunities. Nor is the multinational enterprise likely to respond to national economic criteria, for its orientation is regional or international, though certainly not yet ‘global’. Conflicts of values and concepts of equity will continue to produce tensions and calls for controls over the multinational enterprise. |
