The availability of industrial investment sites over the last two decades has lowered the cost of relocating core activities to new countries. But how should these developments be exploited for competitive advantage? This book examines how location decisions have contributed to the global dominance of U.S. firms in the hard disk drive industry.

"A valuable resource for senior managers constantly seeking to improve their firms' competitive position."--Dirk R. Thomas, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, IBM
"A thought-provoking examination of the factors that have influenced the disk-drive industry's global growth and evolution. The authors illustrate how indiustry leaders have used a variety of location strategies to gain a competitive edge."--Steve Luczo, CEO, Seagate Technologies

"Suggestively medling an appreciation of organizational capabilities and local network effects with a deep understanding of national development policies, this book has implications far beyond the disk-drive industry. Its interdisciplinary perspective provides a fascinating framework for comprehending the dynamics of globalization during the last quarter of a century. The book amply demonstrates the rich potential of centers funded by the Sloan Foundation to foster distinctive cross-disciplinary research on industry."