Review of 'Bricks and Mortar in a Borderless World' by Stephen Kobrin

This report offers a critical review of Stephen Kobrin's article, "Bricks and Mortar in a Borderless World: Globalization, the Backlash, and the Multinational Enterprise." The review examines Kobrin's predictions of political-economic instability for firm strategy, focusing on foreign direct investment, external trade, and the transmigration of industries. It explores the backlash driven by sociotropic perceptions and the cyclical nature of globalization influenced by political-economic conditions. The analysis highlights the integration of nations through global production networks, the advantages of free trade, and the economic, technological, and social aspects of the backlash. The report discusses the significance of economic independence, intangible assets, and the impact of globalization on income distribution and inequality, drawing on the research of Krugman and others. It concludes by emphasizing the prolonged uncertainty faced by multinational corporations and the implications for their strategies.

Running Head: Review 0
International business
4/4/2019

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Review of: Brick and Mortar in a Borderless World: Globalization, the Backlash, and
the Multinational Enterprise by Stephen J. Kobrin
In this article, Stephen predicts a prolonged analysis of uncertainty and political-economic
instability for firm strategy. It concentrates on political decisions concerning foreign direct
investment and external trade, which assists in facilitating cross-border economic interaction
and constant liberalization. Within this framework, it develops the association of
transmigration of industries and innovation-driven structural change to emerging economies
in Australia. This article also discovers the backlash, which is motivated by sociotropic
perceptions (Kobrin, 2017).
The author also mentions the direct significance to both policy makers and multinational
enterprise as globalization is a cyclical phenomenon depending upon political-economic
conditions. The article highlights both aspects of globalization, which were associated with
politics, financial, and technology. It integrates several nations into the world economy
through global production networks and FDI. It also allows an extent of multinational
cooperation that supports the basic structure of the international economic order. This brings
into question the advantages of free trade and the need to support those who have lost their
income because of globalization (Ozawa, 2018).
This article is written with keeping in mind the economic, technological, and social aspects of
the backlash, which is being discovered and gave rise to globalization structural factors and
global operations. It enhances the cost of dispersion and devaluation of the technology where
economic independence is not feasible. In the extent of economic independence, intangible
assets can be developed at the core of value propositions in the international industry. It has
been demonstrated that the advantages of free trade have compensated the costs, which is
being positively associated at a greater level within an economy (Prashantham, Eranova and
Couper, 2018).
Krugman (2008) argued that free trade has only negative impacts on income distribution,
which is generating gradually in today’s world. The author has significantly contributed to
the field of research and do not delivers negative effects. It has been stated that the continual
increase in imports is greatly enhanced in order to generate inequality in Australia and other
developing economies. The article has talked about the freedom of uncertainty, economic
loss, and inequity between vast parts of the population. It has been noticed that the various

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aspects of the anti-globalization backlash provide the major effect of economic dislocation on
firms, which impacts a substantial population in the diversified aspect of the developing
countries (Kobrin, 2019).
The author assists to understand the relationship among the superiority of decision and policy
making. Mansfield and Mutz (2013) argued that the sociotropic perceptions that defines a
significant role in encouraging attitude regarding foreign commerce. With the respect of
implication and scenarios for international firms, which faces prolonged uncertainty and
maintain the cost of firm strategy.

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References
Kobrin, S.J. (2017) Bricks and mortar in a borderless world: Globalization, the backlash, and
the multinational enterprise. Global Strategy Journal, 7(2), pp.159-171.
Kobrin, S.J., (2019) Global Production Networks, Territoriality, and Political Authority. The
Oxford Handbook of Management in Emerging Markets, 32, p.333.
Ozawa, T. (2018) The liberal world order and the job-offshoring backlash—in structuralist
perspective. Global Economy Journal, 18(3).
Prashantham, S., Eranova, M. and Couper, C. (2018) Globalization, entrepreneurship and
paradox thinking. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 35(1), pp.1-9.