the competitive position of Europe's international companies in world markets. This paper will accommodate the examination of neither all of Europe's international companies nor all of the industries within which Europe's international companies function. Therefore, selected companies and their industries are used to illustrate the overall competitive position of Europe's international companies in world markets. The European international companies included in this examination are Groupe Bull (France), Guiness (Ireland), Hawley (United Kingdom), ICI (United Kingdom), Mercedes-Benz (Germany), Philips Electronics (Netherlands), Renault (France), Rhone- Poulenc Rorer (France), Siemens-Nixdorf (Germany), Unilever (Netherlands and United Kingdom), and Volvo (Sweden).
Groupe Bull, Philips Electronics, and Siemens-Nixdorf
Groupe Bull (France), Philips Electronics (Netherlands), and Siemens-Nixdorf (Germany) participate in the computer and semiconductor industries. European market share in these industries ranks well below that of both Japan and the United States. A major reason for the lack of European competitiveness at the international level appears to be an absence of a strong research and development function. The European Community has proposed that this problem be solved in part through increased cooperation among the three European companies in the sharing of research findings. Additionally, France, in 1991, provided a capital infusion of US$1.1 billion for Groupe Bull, of which somewhat in excess of one-third of the total was earmarked for research. The three firms seek to improve their market share and become competitive at the international level with the Americans and Japanese by the year 2000.
Guiness PLC (Ireland) is the world's second most profitable beverage company after the Coca-Cola Company. A major strength of the company lies in its financial position that derives from it...