Difference Between International, Multinational and Global Companies
Difference Between International, Multinational and Global Companies
Domestic firms operate mostly or completely within the United States. They may
import supplies or export products, but these activities normally represent a
comparatively small share of total business activity. Domestic companies are
typically governed by U.S. securities laws. Their financial reports are normally
constructed according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
International firms are headquartered in the United States but maintain significant
investments outside the country and have geographically diverse profit centers.
U.S. operations and parent company governance are typically determined by U.S.
laws, and parent company accounting normally follows GAAP. But non-U.S.
subsidiaries may be governed according to policies dictated by their host
countries. Accounting structures in many jurisdictions outside the United States
are determined by the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). Any
specific differences in accounting or governance between foreign subsidiaries and
U.S. parent companies should be disclosed in the parent-company financial
reports.
Global firms have significant investments and profit centers in many countries,
with no single center of dominance. Governance rules for global firms are
generally determined by the laws of the official domicile of the parent company.
Some global firms create financial statements according to GAAP for U.S.
investors, but more commonly, primary parent-company reports adhere to IFRS.