Globalization is one of the most important phenomena of our times. Everything—be it economic, social, or cultural—is affected by it. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have to operate their businesses across national borders in this globalizing world. Particularly, they have to manage the international transfer of technology and knowledge, because their competitive advantages tend to rest on these. However, managing this international transfer is a difficult task, because technology and knowledge are sometimes implicit and can be incomprehensible for those who don't share the same background. This book, edited by Pierre-Yves Donzé and Shigehiro Nishimura, demonstrates "how technology has been transferred through complex processes, involving a variety of actors from several countries" (1). It presents us with important factors or viewpoints from which to understand the international transfer of technology, and good examples of how it has been managed. In other words, it considers the history of globalization and global competitions from the viewpoint of international technology management.
