The value of international business archives: the importance of the archives of multinational companies in shaping cultural identity

This paper explores the value to society of the archives of large international businesses or multinational companies. It highlights the importance of having access to the archives of multinational companies and the role these archives play in documenting the history of our society. This paper also looks at the motives for multinational companies to establish archival programmes and the attendant challenges they face. The archives of multinational companies differ from the archives of national businesses because they operate in various countries and are therefore subject to different international laws and regulations. Furthermore, recordkeeping and archiving practices differs from country to country. The focus of this paper is global and explores the subject from a societal perspective.