This text analyzes the evolution of international policy regimes affecting the development and management of international business. The authors explain the nature of international regimes, and show how the interlinked processes of global economic integration and multinational enterprise expansion make the development of regimes both inevitable and desirable. They then examine several major types of regime currently in place, including those that have emerged from global or regional institutions such as the United Nations (UN) and the European Community (EC), as well as those dealing with functional areas such as international trade and payments, sea and air transportation, telecommunications, and environmental issues. They conclude with an assessment of the critical similarities and differences among existing regimes, the most likely direction and scope of future regime development, and the important implications of regime evolution for international management.
