What Do We Know About Corporate Headquarters? A Review, Integration, and Research Agenda

64 Pages Posted: 26 Aug 2013

See all articles by Markus Menz

Markus Menz

University of St. Gallen

Sven Kunisch

University of St. Gallen; Aarhus University

David J. Collis

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Date Written: August 19, 2013

Abstract

During the past five decades, scholars have studied the corporate headquarters (CHQ) – the multidivisional firm’s central organizational unit. The purpose of this article is to review the diverse and fragmented literature on the CHQ and to identify the variables of interest, the dominant relationships, and the contributions. We integrate, for the first time, the existing knowledge of the CHQ into an organizing framework. Based on a synthesis of the literature, we identify major shortcomings and gaps, and present an agenda for future research that contributes to our understanding of the CHQ and the multidivisional firm.

Keywords: Corporate headquarters, corporate parent, corporate center, corporate strategy, multidivisional firm, multibusiness firm, multinational corporation

Suggested Citation

Menz, Markus and Kunisch, Sven and Collis, David J., What Do We Know About Corporate Headquarters? A Review, Integration, and Research Agenda (August 19, 2013). Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Working Paper No. 14-016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2316198 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2316198

Markus Menz

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Dufourstrasse 40a
St. Gallen, CH-9000
Switzerland

Sven Kunisch

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000
St. Gallen
Switzerland

Aarhus University ( email )

Birk Centerpark 15
Herning, 7400
Denmark

David J. Collis (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

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