Surender Munjal. The Eclectic Paradigm: A Framework for Synthesizing and Comparing Theories of International Business from Different Disciplines or Perspectives, edited by John Cantwell

Abstract

This edited volume by John Cantwell, the outgoing editor-in-chief of Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS), presents a special compilation of articles on the eclectic paradigm. Cantwell has done an excellent job in selecting articles from JIBS, which is the leading journal in the field of international business (IB), and writing up the introductory piece. The book has nine chapters including the introduction by Cantwell, which provides a holistic account of the eclectic paradigm – how it emerged and developed over time. The introduction is split into five sections: a) the origins of the eclectic paradigm; b) the age of the powerful hierarchical large firm, and rising industrial concentration; c) the age of the knowledge-driven global economy; d) the “new age” of more open and informal business networks; and e) the eclectic paradigm in the new era.