This study analyses the causes of British manufacturing investment overseas, focusing primarily on the period from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s. During these years there were significant changes in UK direct investment and this book represented the first major analysis of these changes based on detailed case studies of British international firms.

The early chapters assess the available statistical evidence and the theories of overseas investment that had hitherto been put forward. The authors emphasize the need for recognizing the dynamic and varied nature of firms and the relevance of their historical development in order to understand business decision-making.

Through a detailed consideration of the activities of a large sample of companies, the book explains why they manufacture abroad and assesses the overall consequences for the British economy of its overseas investment.