Information systems solutions for transborder data flow problems for multinational companies

Abstract

While technology makes transborder data flow (TBDF) faster and cheaper, the privacy, economic concerns, sovereignty and cultural 'imperialism' factors work in the opposite direction. Nations have enacted various regulations to control TBDF as well as the use and choice of hardware, software and telecommunications. Such regulations may create major barriers for multinational companies (MNCs) to manage their global information systems (IS). The magnitude of problems of TBDF barriers on the IS of multinational-type, global-type and transnational-type MNCs is analysed. The analysis led to seven recommendations regarding the management of TBDF barriers: a decentralized global IS for multinational MNCs, a partially centralized global IS for global MNCs, a partially integrated and distributed IS for transnational MNCs, remote computing services, data reduction, alternative channels and reduction of databases. © 1993 Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd.