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Recent Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) reforms promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) carried out by the Sierra Leonean government has attracted foreign investors into its extractive industry. Access to natural minerals in the country has been ensured through land leases, and the government of Sierra Leone has obtained the opportunity to accumulate revenues through participation on the global market. However, despite increasing state revenues the country remains underdeveloped and unindustrialized, and faces great challenges in promoting public development within state borders. This study aims at illuminating structures of the global economic system and domestic social fabric which may hinder public development in Sierra Leone. Such structures have be illuminated through the application of a qualitative approach including field work, participating observations and open-ended interviews in Kalansogoia chiefdom during May and June 2013. The findings of this study suggest that the international structure of dependency, and domestic formal; informal; informal institutions; and social networks structures hinder public development within Sierra Leone.

No / This paper examines the linkage effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on firm-level productivity in Chinese manufacturing. It is found that FDI generates positive vertical linkage effects in Chinese manufacturing at both the national and regional levels, and limited positive horizontal spillovers at the regional level. While OECD firms gain from both vertical and (probably) horizontal linkages, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwanese firms benefit only from backward linkage effects. In the domestic sector, in which we are most interested, both state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-SOEs are hurt by competition from foreign firms in the same industries. While SOEs gain from vertical linkages with foreign firms, non-SOEs are unable to do so. The patterns of productivity spillovers from FDI in Chinese manufacturing seem to be determined by one key factor ¿ the technological capabilities of the firms involved. Important data limitations and policy implications of this research are discussed.

Yes / This study examines the institutional arrangements that define the characteristics of national legal systems that are used to protect intellectual property (IP) assets embedded in outward FDI. The focus of the study is on how the institutional underpinnings of IPR regimes affect the costs and risk of using legal arenas to enable effective use of IP assets. Following a property rights approach it is postulated that formal and informal institutional arrangements influence how IP regimes affect the transaction costs and risk associated with converting ownership rights over IP into economic rights. Informal institutions are considered to affect the behaviour of agents involved in enforcing legal rights. This behaviour influences how IP law is implemented in legal arenas and thereby impacts on the efficacy of IPR regimes to help secure economic rights from the use of IP assets. Using data on outward FDI from the USA to 42 host countries the results find that the strength of informal institutions connected to the enforcement of IP in a country directly affects outcomes and positively moderates the effect of formal legal aspects of IP law on FDI flows. The results highlight the importance of informal institutional aspects connected to the behaviour of enforcement agents when using national legal systems to protect IP rights in cross-frontier transactions.

Background:Nova Poshta, a leading Ukrainian logistics company, faced with the disruption caused by the 2022full-scaled Russian invasion, strategically adapted by expanding into Europe under the new brand"Nova Post," becoming the first Ukrainian company to enter the EU internal market during wartime.Despite the challenges posed by the war, Nova Post entered 13 European countries, aiming to servethe Ukrainian diaspora while also attracting a broader European customer base.Problem:Despite the fact that the Temporary Protection Directive was crucial in harmonizing the EU’sresponse to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war and allowing Nova Post to target displacedUkrainians as their primary audience, the company faced significant legal challenges and varyingenforcement across member states, particularly affecting parcel delivery services and food products.Understanding the harmonization of EU legislation is essential for Nova Post's expansion strategy.Research methods:This research undertakes a mix of legal and business methods, namely a legal dogmatic method and aqualitative single-case study, describing the Ukrainian firm Nova Post’s expansion to Europeancountries during wartime.Conclusion:Nova Post's internationalization into the European market has been shaped by strategic entry modes,leveraging network relationships, and adapting to local market conditions. While EU legislation hasprovided a robust framework facilitating smoother logistics, trade in services, and a stable businessenvironment, regulatory fragmentation and non-harmonized procedures across member states posesignificant challenges. Overcoming these barriers through greater regulatory harmonization will becrucial for enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in Nova Post’s cross-border operations.

The effectiveness of South Africa's policy framework towards attracting FDI has been questionable. Determined to redress the instabilities created by the apartheid regime, the Government of National Unity (GNU) commissioned the Macroeconomic and Research Group (MERG), and charged it to devise appropriate policy reforms and intervention mechanism to address the shortcomings. This research critically interrogates the effectiveness of government's policy reforms towards attracting FDI, especially the impacts of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) initiative and the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA). This research concludes that the policy determinants for inflow FDI have been self-defeating. Also, it was found that necessary reforms would have to be conducted to correct some of the shortcomings of the macroeconomic policies, as a way of creating an environment that is capable of attracting greenfield investments (FDI) to South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This dissertation is divided into six chapters, as foHows: Chapter 1 of this dissertation discusses the growing significance of FDI for developing countries. It compares FDT in developed and developing countries and analyses recent evidence ofFDI flows to developing countries. Chapter 2 analyses the (endogenous and exogenous) detenninants ofFDI flows into developing countries. Chapter 3 discusses the importance of FDI flows, which are essential for new investments or for financing fortuitous deficits in host countries, and looks at the adjustment mechanisms for the equilibrium of the balance of payments. Chapter 4 gives attention to FDI flows, the liberalisation of financial markets and the financial account of the balance of payments in developing countries in providing more opportunities and mechanisms for development and economic growth. Finally, chapter S examines and compares FDI flows tu South Africa and Angola - the biggest FDI recipients on the African continent. / Economics / MCom (Economics)

The purpose of this project is to describe and explain the foreign investment decision process in the uncertain and turbulent environment of transition economy. By getting an in-depth understanding of how decision-making works in the environment of transition economy, the study intends to contribute to the development of business administration theory in the area of foreign investment decision-making, particularly its application in the turbulent and uncertain world. Theoretical ‘blocks’, elaborated on the basis of literature study, include the following concepts: the framework of transition economy; initial motivation (or reasons) of companies to make foreign direct investments (FDI); investigation of the investment climate and information collection methods; project evaluation and investment decision criteria; risk assessment factors and risk reduction measures. Transition economy is defined in the study as ‘a non-planned, non-market economy’ where the new emerging market institutions coexist with the bureaucracy and hierarchy inherited from the old administrative system. Investment projects, therefore, should probably be seen as being under institutional influence from both the local (i.e. transition economy) and the Western investor’s home country environments. The empirical data presented in the paper also shows that it is necessary to establish the relevant economic, legal, political and social institutions in order to attract FDI. The study further includes the analysis of the main components and features of transition economies and their influence on FDI decision-making. One of the results of the study is that FDI decision-making in transition economies is largely consistent with different theoretical approaches suggested in the literature. On the other hand, the empirical support obtained for different theoretical approaches is often questionable and opened to alternative interpretations. The presented project suggests that theoretical perspectives do not preclude each other, but rather have a complimentary character. The study attempts to contribute to the mainstream FDI theories through a firm-level approach based on the case studies. Two in-depth case studies are presented in the paper: Ericsson’s direct investments in Russia and Vattenfall’s investments in the Baltic countries. A formal questionnaire based on the parameters of theoretical ‘blocks’ was created and 25 top executives from Ericsson and Vattenfall who participated in FDI decision-making were surveyed. The empirical investigation took place during the period 1997 - 1998 with partial updating of the cases during the year 2000.  The study shows that where companies confront stable environments, investment decision routines and procedures will be less necessary and important than where market uncertainty is high. The strong appreciation of the local business partners for properly done investment calculations increases the importance of capital budgeting in transition economies more than in developed market economies. Besides, traditional investment appraisal methods provide managers with an ‘objective’ or ‘materialistic’ feedback for the decision-making in the rapidly changing uncertain environment. On the other hand, the study emphasises the importance of strategy over financial techniques and argues that FDI decisions in transition economies should be based on methods consistent with the company’s long-term objectives. In case of permanent changes, new approaches as well as better co-ordination of traditional techniques with strategic, political, historical, geographical and cultural issues are required. Ericsson’ s direct investments in Russia are presented in the paper in connection with other factors: the company’s historical involvement in Russia, marketing strategy, human resource development, privatisation and restructuring of the telecommunication sector in Russia, etc. Nordic Electric Power Co-operation (Nordel), the EU’ s decision in 1996 to create an internal electricity market in Europe, Baltic ring study, future plans to privatise the energy companies in the Baltic countries, etc., are the framework to present the second case. An application of project evaluation and risk assessment techniques for broader and more complicated environments shows that investment decision-making is probably as much, if not more, a social, political and cultural technology as an economic one. The study argues then that the rational choice decision-making model often co-exists with alternative models elaborated in social science - limited rationality, political and garbage can. According to the empirical data, the investment decisions are largely based on intuition, business experience and judgement, personal contacts with representatives from the local country, and these investment criteria are inevitable and acceptable in a situation of total chaos and permanent change. The right chosen partner, for example, is one of the major criteria for the success of the investment project in a transition economy. One of the outcomes of this study is that the revitalised form of investment decision-making will differ rather markedly from much of what has gone before: less emphasis on the quantitative aspects of capital budgeting, more on the qualitative aspects of companies and investment environment. The project also argues that determinants, approaches and criteria of investment activity in transition economies are largely consistent with patterns observed in other parts of the world. A few specific environmental conditions of transition economies, however, are shown in the study to affect the pattern of FDI decision-making. The level of turbulence is still different compared to the developed market economies due to uncertainties and unpredictibilities associated with environment of transition economies. Other major differences are the large power distance with authoritarian leadership, strong hierarchy and bureaucracy as well as the vital role of personal contacts in transition economies. It is not clear, however, if these features of transition economies should be seen as inherited from the past communist system or as an alternative way to organise the economic actors through networks, a way that is natural and appropriate for the majority of Asian societies.

ŠIMČIKAITĖ, Diana. (2010) Tiesioginių užsienio investicijų plėtra Lietuvoje. Magistro baigiamasis darbas. Kaunas: Vilniaus universiteto Kauno humanitarinis fakultetas. 99 p. SANTRAUKA RAKTINIAI ŽODŽIAI: tiesioginės užsienio investicijos, investicijas lemiantys veiksniai, TUI pritraukimas, mokestinės lengvatos, patrauklumo TUI indeksas. Dabartinėmis ekonominių procesų globalizacijos sąlygomis užsienio investicijų ir tarptautinio kapitalo judėjimo procesai daro vis didesnę įtaką tarptautinei prekių, paslaugų ir technologijų srautų kaitai. Pereinamosios ekonomikos šalims, tame tarpe ir Lietuvai, tiesioginės užsienio investicijos yra vienas svarbiausių ūkio plėtros veiksnių. Kadangi į Lietuvą investicijų pritraukiama nedaug, tai skatina analizuoti valstybės ekonominę politiką, skatinant tiesioginių užsienio investicijų atėjimą į šalį bei vertinti tiesioginių užsienio investicijų plėtrą lemiančius veiksnius. Darbo objektas- tiesioginių užsienio investicijų plėtrą lemiantys veiksniai. Darbo tikslas- išanalizavus tiesioginio investavimo procesus Lietuvoje, įvertinti tiesioginių užsienio investicijų plėtrą į Lietuvos ekonomiką lemiančius veiksnius. Darbo uždaviniai: atlikti tiesioginių užsienio investicijų sampratos teorinį nagrinėjimą, atlikti Lietuvos investicinės aplinkos SSGG analizę, atlikti Lietuvos ir kitų Baltijos valstybių palyginamąją analizę pagal tiesioginių užsienio investicijų plėtrą lemiančius veiksnius, atlikti ekspertų apklausą. Pirmoje dalyje nagrinėjama tiesioginių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / ŠIMČIKAITĖ, Diana. (2010) The development of Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI ) in Lithuania. MBA Graduation Paper. Kaunas: Kaunas Faculty of Humanities, Vilnius University.99 p. SUMMARY KEYWORDS: foreign direct investments, factors causing foreign direct investment, attracting FDI, taxing exemption, index of FDI attractiveness. In global economy fireign capital flows process influence international items, services and development of technologies. Foreign direct investments is one of the main factor for economic growth in all markets in transition and Lithuania also. On the whole, it’s just a small amount of foreign direct investments is attracting to Lithuania now. From the point of view effectiveness, Lithuania is after a lot of countries, that’s why it’s very important to analyse the main factors causing foreign direct investment. Object of the work: the main factors causing foreign direct investment. Aim of the work: evaluate the main factors causing foreign direct investment to Liethuania, after analysis of the foreign direct investing process. Tasks of teh work: to analise foreign direct investments composition, to accomplish Lithuania‘s investment environment SWOT analysis and comperative analysis of Lithuania and other Baltic states, to perform experts interrogation. First part, analyses foreign direct investments composition. Having in mind theories of capital movement and factors causing FDI flows to host economy, theoretical considerations of foreign direct... [to full text]