The internationalization process and spatial form: research problems and prospects.

Constructs a general theory of the interrelationships between behavior of industrial organizations and the dynamic spatial structures of industrial systems. Three conceptual problems are examined in terms of the transformation of manufacturing firms from intranational companies to international enterprises. The major conclusions are that the interrelationships must be viewed as the result of the strategic choices made by management; that the initial dependent variable of the transformation process should be an index measure of financial performance; and that rigorous testing of the hypotheses must assume the highest priority. The conceptual design of an experimental research project is described. The project is an investigation of responses of American firms to import competition and economic decline.-from Author