Download or read book Merchants to Multinationals written by Geoffrey Jones and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2000 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the evolution of multinational trading companies from the eighteenth century to the present day. During the Industrial Revolution, British merchants established overseas branches which became major trade intermediaries and subsequently engaged in foreign direct investment. Complex multinational business groups emerged controlling large investments in natural resources, processing, and services in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.