Research Seminar Series: Professor Pierre van der Eng

Speaker: Associate Professor Pierre van der Eng
Title: Reasons to change operation modes: The case of Electrolux in Australia, 1925-2025
Date: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue: Building 26C, CBE, 248, Allan Barton Forum

Title: Reasons to change operation modes: The case of Electrolux in Australia, 1925-2025

This paper analyses the changes in the operation modes of the Electrolux MNE’s subsidiary company in Australia, since its establishment in 1925. The analysis is in the context of Putzhammer et al. (2020) in International Business Review, which reviewed currently available studies of cases and theory related to changes in the operation modes of MNE subsidiaries. It concluded that – unlike extensive research on the entry mode choices of MNEs – there are few case studies and no substantive theory to explain MNE changes of operation modes. By analysing changes in contextual and longitudinal factors, this paper explains the changes of the operation modes in Australia of Swedish household appliances producer Electrolux. It concludes that these changes were partly related to changes in the opportunities and challenges which the MNE’s subsidiary company perceived in the host country. They were also related to changes in the global strategies and operations of the parent company, such as diversification through acquisitions internationally and more recently consolidation of production in major global supply centres.

Bio:

Pierre van der Eng is Associate Professor and Reader in Business History and International Business. In 2021 The Australian Research Magazine nominated him Australia's research field leader in economic history. His areas of research specialisation include economic and business history, international business and development economics. He has published on a wide variety of topics, including various aspects of economic and business development in Indonesia, economic and business history of Australia, European economic integration and EU-Australia business relations. Pierre's research has been funded by the Australian Research Council's Discovery and Linkage Project schemes and by organisations including the Shibusawa Foundation (Tokyo). He has written widely in his areas of speciality, with his works published in top journals in several fields.