Professor James T Walker is Head of International Business and Strategy, Henley Business School, University of Reading, Great Britain. His research agenda is characterised by the application of empirical methods to solve real world problems and issues past and present. He has published in journals as diverse as Research Policy and the Journal of Economic History, examining the spatial competition in product markets and between firms, particularly in the retail and automobile industries, varieties of capitalism, academic performance and pay, and attitudes to multinational enterprises.