Sijainti seuraa strategiaa: Kokonaiskuva suomalaisten monikansallisten globaalien karttojen muutoksista 2000-2005

The paper summarizes the findings of a follow-up study on the globalization of the largest Finnish multinational enterprises. The study highlights the connection between company strategy and location decisions. Chandlers famous argument was that the organizational structures of big companies follow their strategies. Here it is argued that location follows strategy. The empirical evidence from the Finnish multinational enterprises points that changes in the company strategies (more focused business scope, shift from mass products to tailored products and vertical integration to services) and mergers and acquisitions explain the major part of their location changes. Foreign direct investments to new manufacturing facilities in rapidly industrializing countries such as China, India, Brazil and Russia due to promising markets and low costs explain the rest of their location changes. Thus, the current globalization process includes two parallel processes. The Finnish multinational enterprises increase their operations both in the Western Europe and US and in new growing markets in Asia, the Eastern Europe and South America.