Strategies Of Multinationals And Competition For Foreign Direct Investment

Is there a trade-off among countries in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI)? And, in particular, has the opening up of Central and Eastern Europe diverted FDI that otherwise would have gone to developing countries? To answer these questions, FIAS c

This book gathers together thirteen articles that deal with the internationalization strategies of firms, effects of foreign investment on host countries and host country policies vis-a-vis foreign multinationals. It illustrates how the behaviour of multinational firms and their effects on the host country are likely to differ between countries in a systematic manner, depending on the host country's economic policies and market conditions and provides a new approach on how to look at multinational firms.

This volume addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. From several angles, the contributions analyze factors which may explain, and/or influence the relationship between the competitiveness of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the countries in which they operate. More particularly, the four main issues address: the recent advances in the determinants and strategy of multinational business activity; the determinants of location competitiveness of countries; the competitiveness of emergent and developing countries and the locational responses of both indigenous and foreign-owned firms; and the policy challenges raised by the highly fragmented, and often uncoordinated international regulatory framework on government FDI. It is hoped the contents of the volume will be of interest to international business scholars, senior executives of multinational enterprises and national policy makers interested in advancing their competitiveness by engaging in outward, and encouraging inward foreign direct investment. This book addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. This book is published annually.

At the turn of the century, questions about multinational firms' strategies as regards the forces, on the one hand, of globalization and, on the other hand, of the regional and local dimensions are very much to the fore. What are the new constraints and the new theories to explain global-local multinationals' strategies at the beginning of this new era? Understanding multinationals' strategies is an essential task, but the range of strategies is not simple or homogenous; they are increasingly complex, the outcomes of different logics and different choices. Since the 1980s, new economic areas have been created - the EU, MERCOSUR, ASEAN, NAFTA - there has also been the integration of Eastern European countries following the lifting of the iron curtain. A real movement of regional integration has been witnessed in these areas, which has modified firms' strategies. But simultaneously there has been another factor: the global or regional dimension is one determinant, but there is also the local dimension, for example in production siting. This volume presents the work of internationally renowned specialists on multinational strategy, addressing the main questions about globalization, firms' and countries' competitiveness, the impact of regionalism, agglomeration and industrial clustering, oligopolistic interactions, mode of entry, strategic location choice and relocation and public aid. This book is the first volume presenting the outstanding work from the Seventh Sorbonne International Conference on Multinational Firms' Strategies.

The purpose of the book is to extend and develop the literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporation (MNCs) subsidiaries. There are several reasons for studying foreign investment and ownership. First, firms need to identify which host country industry factors are important in choosing among the various type of equity ownership (e.g. international joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiary). Second, international diversification through foreign market entry can provide growth and profitability at rates unavailable in home markets. A third reason this warrants some attention is that type of ownership can affect attempts to counter international competition by engaging foreign rivals on their home turf. Fourth, firms have the option of choosing the appropriate equity ownership for international markets based on balancing their resources, capabilities, and international experience with their desire for ownership and control. This book extends the literature in FDI by providing empirical support for several theories and previously defined and/or tested constructs. For example, the parent and subsidiary's factors measured in this study suggest the importance of internalization and ownership advantages of Dunning's eclectic theory.

This contributed volume seeks to provide a unique window on the globalization process by analyzing the dynamics of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Europe and Asia, as well as its influence on the renewal of public policies and regulations, both transnational and local. It discusses the link between the trans-nationalization of productive and business systems and the renewal of local regulations in the light of concerns over competitiveness and attractiveness, as well as new social tensions. Multinational corporations (MNCs) as key actors of globalization are central for understanding the new interactions between the global, regional and local dimensions as well as for highlighting the challenges of regulation both at transnational level and within national boundaries. Research approaches along two broad lines are presented: First, a theoretical and empirical approach that examines links between the strategies of multinationals and local public policy in order to contribute to a better understanding of the institutional dynamics of social regulation. Second, a comparative approach that compares regional spaces, with particular attention to Europe on the one hand, and to the two great emerging powers, China and India, on the other.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporations (MNCs)--for better and worse--play a large and growing role in shaping our world. The integrating thesis of this book is the inevitability of heterogeneity in FDI and MNCs and, accordingly, the imperative of disaggregation. Large companies doing business on a global basis increasingly dominate the production and marketing of the world's goods and services. The importance of these companies continues to grow while the debate about their nature and effects remains mired in a long-standing stalemate couched in strong black and white terms. Stephen D. Cohen seeks to reconcile this impasse by analyzing multinational corporations and foreign direct investment in an eclectic, nuanced manner. The core thesis is that an accurate understanding of the nature and impact of these phenomena comes from acknowledging the dominance of heterogeneity, perceptions, and ambiguity and the paucity of universal truths. This approach should contribute significantly to both a better academic understanding and a more productive policy debate of an increasingly important element of the world economy.

With the emergence of a truly global marketplace, regions now face far greater competition in attracting outside investment, and multinational companies have to consider local conditions on many levels before choosing to invest. Foreign Direct Investment and the Global Economy looks at the pattern of FDI and its impacts on the global, regional (trade block), national and sub-national scales. The contributors describe the much discussed global-local interlay apparent in the operations of multinational companies and their involvement with 'regulatory' institutions at different levels, from the global to the local.