This important volume provides an accessible collection of key research papers relating to the evolution of giant enterprise in the world's mining and petroleum industries, together with an introductory essay which reviews the major findings in this field of study. It includes studies of American, European, Japanese and Australian based firms as well as multinational enterprises located in China, Canada, Chile and Brazil. Other papers discuss issues including the activities of price-fixing cartels, government-industry relations, the impact of nationalization, and MNE--host country relations in the fuel and non-fuel minerals sectors.

This volume will provide a distinctive perspective on the rise of modern business organizations and the environments in which they operate.