The Export of National Varieties of Capitalism: The Cases of Wal-Mart and Ikea
Cambridge Centre for Business Research Working Paper No. 314
See all articles by Suzanne J. Konzelmann
Suzanne J. Konzelmann
University of London - Birkbeck College - Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Management and Organizational Psychology; University of Cambridge - Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
C. Craypo
University of Notre Dame - Department of Economics
Rabih Aridi
affiliation not provided to SSRN
Frank Wilkinson
University of London - Birkbeck College
Date Written: September 1, 2005
Using the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA, this paper takes a productive systems approach to examine 'varieties of capitalism' from the perspective of the ways by which production and market relations are structured and prioritized. It considers the nature of these relations and their interaction within the domestic economy and the ways that firms and national systems interact with each other in the global economy. It examines the processes by which trading standards are transported via supply chain relationships, which ultimately become embedded in products and recognized by consumers at various stages. In this analysis, the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA provide insight into the ways by which national systems extend themselves globally, their contrasting effects on the business environments in host localities, and the impact of the resulting supply chain relations on organizational performance.
Keywords: varieties of capitalism, supply chain relations, employment relations, globalisation, retail sector, IKEA, Wal-Mart
JEL Classification: J80, L10, L20, L81, M14, M50
Konzelmann, Suzanne J. and Craypo, Charles and Aridi, Rabih and Wilkinson, Frank, The Export of National Varieties of Capitalism: The Cases of Wal-Mart and Ikea (September 1, 2005). Cambridge Centre for Business Research Working Paper No. 314, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1930862 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1930862
Suzanne J. Konzelmann (Contact Author)
University of London - Birkbeck College - Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Management and Organizational Psychology ( email )
Malet Street
London, WC1E 7HX
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HOME PAGE: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/management/our-staff/academics/konzelmann
University of Cambridge - Faculty of Social and Political Sciences ( email )
ESRC Centre for Business Research
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Charles Craypo
University of Notre Dame - Department of Economics ( email )
Notre Dame, IN 46556
affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )
University of London - Birkbeck College ( email )
London WC1E 7HX