The Multinational Enterprise In A Hostile World

Collection of conference papers on conflicts between multinational enterprises and national State sovereignty in Western Europe and the developing countries - raises questions on monopoly, the social role, etc., of these enterprises and examines national level and international regulations, the competition policy of the EC, etc. Graphs, references and statistical tables. Conference held in Geneva 1975 jan.

This study investigated whether known economic and international business theories available in the literature are meaningful enough to explain the nature, existence and role of multinational companies (MNCs) in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Two sets of questionnaires were distributed in major cities of Saudi Arabia -- one set for 100 multinational managers and another for 280 multinational customers. 234 questionnaires were collected -- 45 from multinational managers and 189 from customers. This represents a total response rate of 62 percent, which is adequate for this study.The empirical results, supported with comprehensive secondary data, confirmed virtually all of the research hypotheses. The study found that joint ventures are the dominant form of multinational business in Saudi Arabia, both in manufacturing and service industries. The core roles of MNCs in the Saudi-foreign ventures are evident in the cross-border value-adding activities of marketing, trading, manufacturing, consulting, contracting, project management, insurance, hotel operation and banking. Likewise, MNCs provide licensing, franchising, financing services and various auxiliary roles in the Kingdom. Therefore, the multinationality of a firm or a group of firms operating across national boundaries is not necessarily synonymous with international production -- the main subject of contemporary multinational theories.The respondents generally perceived the competitiveness of MNCs operating in Saudi Arabia as a function of a number of economic, management, marketing, technological and other variables. They also perceived the contributions of MNCs to the KingdomÍs socio-economic developments as significant and positive.The study also found that understanding Islamic values and ethics is important for MNCs. In this regard, the researcher looked at some objective indicators of business success and related them to selected measures of MNCsÍ local cultural awareness and responsiveness. The results indicate that the business success of multinationals operating in Saudi Arabia is positively related to their local cultural awareness and responsiveness. Along this line, this study covers some vital elements of Islamic culture, which will help MNCs understand further the cultural needs, values and sensitivities of the Saudi people and Muslims in general.

Controlling International Technology Transfer: Issues, Perspectives, and Policy Implications discusses topics that concern technology transfer control. The book assesses related issues and perspectives, as well as examines alternative policy imperatives from different perspectives. The text is comprised of 15 chapters, which are organized into three parts. The first part contains Chapters 1 to 8 that tackle the underlying issues of technology transfer control, such as alternative channel and modes, the impact of new control systems, pricing, taxation, and business practices. The second part contains Chapters 9 to 14, which cover topics concerning policy perspectives and implication, such as control incentives, technology importing/exporting, and control systems. The last part contains Chapter 15, which provides a closing discussion regarding actors, issues, and alternatives. This book will be of great interest to readers who are concerned with the technology transfer systems.

The first and definitive book of its kind, Joan Spero's The Politics of International Economic Relations has been fully updated to reflect the sweeping changes in the international arena. With the expertise of co-author Jeffrey Hart, the fifth edition strengthens the coverage of political and economic relations since the end of the Cold War, economic polarization in developing nations and the roots of economic decline in centrally planned economies. A new chapter on industrial policy and competitiveness debates further illustrates the changing dynamics of International Political Economy. Ideal as a supplement to the International Relations course or as the core text in International Political Economy, Spero and Hart's The Politics of International Economic Relations continues to give students the breadth and depth of scholarship needed to understand the politics of world economy.

John Dunning’s general theory of international production, first propounded in the late 1970’s, has generated considerable debate. This work thoughtfully reassesses the paradigm, and extends the analysis to embrace issues of theoretical and empirical importance. In a collection of essays, the changing characteristics of international production are examined, and an interdisciplinary approach suggested for understanding the multinational enterprise in the world economy. This book, first published in 1988, will be of value not only to economists and international business analysts, but to scholars in other fields, notably organizational, marketing and management specialists.

International negotiations increasingly involve a myriad of state and nonstate actors who approach major issues from a variety of standpoints and work to determine outcomes acceptable to all. Great powers, military allies, business and industry, LDCs, international organizations, and even domestic politics enter into negotiations on complex issues-ranging from defense and national security to environmental protection and Third World development-that now dominate the global agenda. Abiodun Williams has assembled a collection of case studies that illustrate the variety and dynamism of this complex decisionmaking process. Cases including conflict resolution in Indochina and mining in Antarctica show students the role of contending national objectives, necessary trade-offs, and efforts at coalition building, as well as the influence of personality and persuasion on the outcomes of major negotiations. A case exploring the investment activities of transnational corporations and their impact on developing countries is organized as a simulation exercise that offers students rare insight into negotiations under UN auspices and the impact of regional bloc politics on multilateral diplomacy.