The Multinational Enterprise Study (also called the “Multinational Project” and the “Multinational Enterprise and the Nation State Project''), led by Harvard Business School professor Raymond Vernon from 1965 to 1973, gathered data on the development of more than 35,000 foreign subsidiaries of the world’s largest manufacturing enterprises.
The data were published in the following publications:
- The Making of the Multinational Enterprise: A Sourcebook of Tables Based on a Study of 187 Major U.S. Manufacturing Corporations, James W. Vaupel and Joan P. Curhan, 1969: https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990043493330203941/catalog
- The World's Multinational Enterprises; a Sourcebook of Tables Based on a Study of the Largest U.S. and non-U.S. Manufacturing Corporations, James W. Vaupel and Joan C. Curhan, 1973: https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990006813060203941/catalog
- Tracing the Multinationals : a Sourcebook on U.S.-Based Enterprises, Joan P. Curhan, 1977: https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990007547360203941/catalog
The research continues to be available to researchers, allowing further analysis of this rich data. The data consist of two datasets: USEMY, which includes 180 United States-based firms, and FOREMY, which includes over 200 non-U.S.-based firms. Both datasets are available to download from Dataverse.
Related Materials:
The Louis T. Wells papers include material related to the Multinational Enterprise Project, otherwise known within HBS as the Vernon database.
Accessing These Materials
All materials are available for use in Baker Library's de Gaspé Beaubien Reading Room.
Researchers interested in using HBS Archives collections should complete an HBS Archives application prior to visiting.