| Review of: | International Business Economics: A European Perspective edited by J. Piggott, M. Cook |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Roger Henderson |
| Reviewed in: | Journal of Common Market Studies |
| Date accepted online: | 10/04/2008 |
| Published in print: | Volume 45, Issue 05, Pages 1159-1167 |
Book Reviews
This is a new version of an established student textbook first published by Addison-Wesley in the 1990s. This legacy is reflected in the wide-ranging and at times historical coverage of the international business environment giving the reader the impression the work has grown incrementally. The book's stated aims are firstly, to analyse the European and international environment in which European businesses work, and secondly, to describe and explain the growth and impact of such businesses. Using an economics base it covers comprehensively the first objective but is possibly less adept with the second, especially in dealing in detail with specific firms.
Generally the work is well-written and referenced, with easily understood, sound explanations of underpinning economic theories, especially covering international trade, protectionism, foreign exchange and foreign direct investment (FDI). The theoretical content is not over-bearing and is balanced by a significant policy and applied analysis content which makes it accessible to a range of potential students, although the work is foremost an intermediate textbook providing a useful grounding in the international and European economic frameworks for business undergraduates.
Unlike some edited texts, most chapters are consistent in form and style, possibly a reflection on the high degree of involvement of the editors who between them have contributed to nine of the thirteen chapters. However, the structure is sometimes awkward, creating some repetition which lengthens the text. In particular, the introductory chapter 1 lacks a clear focus covering large firms, internationalization and types of growth that are effectively revisited in chapter 6 on Multinational Corporations and chapter 7 on FDI. These chapters might have been integrated earlier. Chapters 2 and 3 provide a good coverage of trade theory and protectionism from an international perspective before chapter 4 looks at economic integration, primarily in Europe thus linking into the chapter 5 discussion of exchange rates, EMU and the euro. The second half of the work covers a range of topics that students can dip into: two chapters on markets and three on EU policies. However, there is little logic in the order or integration between these; for example, the industry policy chapter (10) might have been linked more to small business (12), rather than interspersing a broader regional, transport and environmental chapter between them.
Modern student textbooks make substantial use of visual aids including photos, diagrams, cases and tables. This work feels lightweight in this respect with an absence of photos and quite limited graphics, cases and tables. There is a website link to further on-line resources but this is not integrated nor explained, merely referred to on the back cover. Nevertheless, the content of this work gives students a sound assessment of the international business economy and, as the title indicates, offers a European focus within this framework.