Acknowledgements
So much has changed since the 1st edition. We cannot even begin to encompass
the changes which have occurred in our now ‘globalized’ world. However, the
nature of academic work has also changed considerably since the 1st edition of
this book was published in 1995. Internet access and email have transformed
our daily working lives. Internet access means having information at our
fingertips. However, it also means an increasing challenge in assessing the
relevance of all this information. The contributors of this book have done an
excellent job in sifting the wheat from the chaff. The use of email has made it
much easier to communicate with authors. While for the 1st edition, much of
our editorial work was done via fax or even personal meetings with the chapter
authors, the current edition was based on email contact alone (a lot of it!). This
has made it possible to involve authors from a far wider range of countries than
before.
Much has stayed the same as well. First, our philosophy that the book be
developed as a research-based textbook has remained constant. The book
reflects the characteristics of the transnational MNC in that we think it com-
bines the benefits of knowledge transfer (authors who are experts in their
field), integration (a coherent textbook) and local responsiveness (authors from
many different countries as well as chapters specific to Asia, Europe and Africa).
What never changes is the fact that for such an undertaking many people
deserve acknowledgements. First of all we would like to thank Arndt Sorge for
encouraging us to embark on a 2nd edition. If he had not spoken so convinc-
ingly about our duty to the field, this 2nd edition may never have materialized.
Second, we owe a big vote of thanks to our authors. Given the scale of the task
of coordinating the editing of 18 chapters from around the globe, Anne-Wil
would particularly like to acknowledge their wonderful responsiveness to the
repeated requests for text revision. Their cooperation in working within the
deadlines made the job so much easier. Anne-Wil’s research assistant, Sheila
Gowans, performed her job as proofreader with a perfect blend of commitment
and conscientiousness.
At Sage, Kiren Shoman was the first to believe in the book and convinced
the Sage board of the need for a 2nd edition. She was later joined by Keith Von
Tersch and together they made a perfect team. Seth Edwards then ensured that
the book moved through the production process smoothly, while Ben
Sherwood took care of the all important promotion of the book.Anne-Wil Harzing
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