The Growth of International Joint Ventures

Although not a new phenomenon, joint venture activity has seen tremendous growth in the international business scene during the past decade. Companies from particularly the industrialized nations have led the way in international business partnerships, motivated by a variety of reasons. By way of reviewing recent developments, this discussion paper addresses three issues: What are the long-term implications of joint ventures for national industry structures? How will the gradual move from a spirit of competition to one of collaboration affect established patterns of international competition? What types of competitive realignments between nations are likely to affect the success of current joint ventures?