Abstract

The pan national corporation (PNC) with its inherently complex structure is the organisational form most severely affected by globalisation. It is therefore important for the management of such corporations to improve the control and co-ordination of the corporations' spatially dispersed subsidiaries. IT has been hailed as an important tool in changing traditional control and co-ordination processes in complex environments. This paper presents the results of a study which examined the role of information technology in the control and co-ordination of pan national corporation subsidiaries in Ireland. The findings indicate that IT is being used to change the nature of the relationship between headquarters and subsidiaries in a manner that makes the PNC more global in orientation. This is occurring as operations and decision making processes in subsidiaries are redesigned to improve global management and local responsiveness.

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