Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

This dissertation consists of three essays in international trade. The first chapter analyzes integration strategies of Korean firms that involve producing final products and providing post-production services for serving geographically separate foreign markets: high-income and low-income countries. I present a model in which heterogeneous firms must provide services for products through their subsidiaries in host countries, but can produce output in different locations. The model shows that the firm's equilibrium decision depends on its own productivity level and economic variables that affect production location and providing services. Using plant- and firm-level data of Korean firms, the empirical analysis provides the results that support the model's predictions. The second chapter analyzes the effects of regional economic integrations on investment patterns among Korean multinational firms. Using Korea's middle-income status, we develop a model in which heterogeneous firms in a middle-income country decide on the optimal FDI strategies for serving different regions: a developed (EEA) and a developing (AFTA) trade integrated regions. Following reduced trade costs between countries inside the trade integrated region, our model predicts that integrating into a regional economic zone affects firms with low productivity levels to enter the region via complex FDI strategies. Depending on the size of the region, however, complex FDI strategies differ such that firms investing in developed region tend to undertake local and export sales to the third country, whereas firms investing in developing region are more likely to engage in not only local and export sales to the third country, but also export sales to the parent country. The empirical analysis confirms the effect of different regional economic integrations on the strategy of firms with different productivity levels. The last chapter examines the conditions under which technology spillovers through workers' movement occur between foreign affiliates in the host country and determine whether such spillovers can affect the exporters' decisions to switch their strategies to serve foreign markets via FDI. Developing a simple two-period duopoly model, I find that the occurrence of technology spillovers is dependent on firm and host country characteristics such that spillovers are more likely to arise when firms have similar technology capabilities and in countries that incur low cost of training local workers. Under these circumstances, exporters are more likely to switch to FDI for serving foreign markets. However, I find that transport costs of goods have ambiguous effect on the occurrence of spillovers and thus, do not play a marginal role in exporters' decision. / text

In an overarching aim to bridge the gap between political science and international business studies, this study explores how, against the backgrond of globalization, multinational coprorations understand and deal with the influence of many differet and sometimes very dynamic political environments, by focusing on the political risk management of a number of Swedish multinational corporations invoved in foreign investing. Based on interviewswith coproate executives in these corporations, this qualitative study found that Swedish invetsors use a "pragmatic" approach toeards political risk and the political envrionments in which they operate. The study also drwas attention to teh role of multinational corporations in teh formation of politica risk as teh result of corporate politiacl activity and the possibility that multinational corporations are moving towards a more pronounced political role.It is suggetsed that political risk needs to be considered not only in terms of the potential impact of the political environment on firms, but also in terms of teh impact of teh firm on the environment, as the political environment cannot be taken as a given, but is the outcome of a process that involves adaption to the environment as well as attempts to change that environment.

Ένα διακριτικό γνώρισμα της παγκόσμιας οικονομίας τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες αποτελεί ο ρυθμός ανόδου και η εντυπωσιακή αύξηση των άμεσων ξένων επενδύσεων (ΑΞΕ) παγκοσμίως. Λόγω του δυνητικού ρόλου που οι άμεσες ξένες επενδύσεις μπορούν να παίξουν στην επιτάχυνση του ρυθμού ανάπτυξη και την μεταστροφή της οικονομίας, πολλές αναπτυσσόμενες χώρες αναζητούν τέτοιου είδους επενδύσεις που θα δρούσαν πολλαπλασιαστικά στις προσπάθειες ανάπτυξης της οικονομίας τους. Κατά συνέπεια, οι άμεσες ξένες επενδύσεις έγιναν μια σημαντική πηγή εξωτερικής ιδιωτικής χρηματοδότησης για τις αναπτυσσόμενες χώρες. Παρόλα αυτά, οι κατανομή των ΑΞΕ χαρακτηρίζεται από μεγάλες ανισότητες και οι αναπτυσσόμενες χώρες αντιμετωπίζουν μείζονα προβλήματα στην προσέλκυση ξένων επενδυτών. Οι χώρες της Μέσης Ανατολής και της Βορείου Αφρικής (Middle East and North Africa, ΜΕΝΑ χώρες) όπως πολλές άλλες ανερχόμενες και αναπτυσσόμενες χώρες αναλώνονται σε τεράστιες προσπάθειες για την προσέλκυση ενός ικανοποιητικού επιπέδου ΑΞΕ, μέσω της προώθησης των τοπικών τους πλεονεκτημάτων και μέσω της μείωσης τόσο των εμποδίων όσο και των κινδύνων που παρακωλύουν τις ροές των ΑΞΕ. Υπάρχουν γνωστοί παράγοντες και κίνδυνοι που επηρεάζουν τις ΑΞΕ, όπως οι οικονομικοί και οι πολιτικοί παράγοντες. Όμως, φαίνεται ότι μένει ένας σημαντικός ρόλος σε αυτόν τον τομέα που θα μπορούσαν να παίξουν άλλοι παράγοντες. Σε πολλές περιπτώσεις αυτός ο ρόλος μπορεί να μην είναι ξεκάθαρος. Σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης είναι να εξετασθούν οι σχετικά άγνωστοι παράγοντες (προσδιοριστικά στοιχεία και κίνδυνοι), παρά οι παραδοσιακοί παράγοντες, που επηρεάζουν τους ξένους επενδυτές στην απόφασή τους να εμπλακούν με ΑΞΕ στις ΜΕΝΑ χώρες. Αυτοί οι νέοι παράγοντες εστιάζουν στο πολιτιστικό πεδίο. Το δείγμα αποτελείται από δεκαεννέα ΜΕΝΑ χώρες για την περίοδο 1970-2003. Η ανάλυση διεξάγεται σε δύο επίπεδα: σε διαστρωματικό επίπεδο χωρών (για το σύνολο των ΜΕΝΑ χωρών, από τη μια πλευρά, και για τα υποσύνολα των πετρελαιοπαραγωγών και μη πετρελαιοπαραγωγών χωρών, από την άλλη), χρησιμοποιώντας το Υπόδειγμα Σταθερής Επίδρασης (Fixed Effect Model, FEM) και σε επίπεδο χώρας, χρησιμοποιώντας τεχνικές αυτοπαλινδρομούμενων διανυαματικών συστημάτων (VAR). Τα αποτελέσματα συμφωνούν στην υπόδειξη του πολιτισμικού κινδύνου ως το βασικό και κυρίαρχο κίνδυνο που επηρεάζει τις ροές των ΑΞΕ στις ΜΕΝΑ χώρες (τόσο για τις πετρελαιοπαραγωγές, όσο και τις μη πετρελαιοπαραγωγές χώρες), ενώ ο πολιτικός κίνδυνος έπεται και ο οικονομικός κίνδυνος φαίνεται να ασκεί τη μικρότερη επιρροή. Η ανάγκη για μια ανάλυση μεγαλύτερη σε βάθος έδωσε ώθηση για την ανάπτυξη της ποιοτικής ανάλυσης με άμεση επικοινωνία με τους ξένους επενδυτές σε μια από τις ΜΕΝΑ χώρες, η οποία τυγχάνει να είναι η Ιορδανία (case-study). Τα αποτελέσματα της ποιοτικής ανάλυσης, ειδικά η τεχνική της δεσμευμένης Logit παλινδρόμησης, επιβεβαιώνει τα οικονομετρικά αποτελέσματα, ότι, δηλαδή, η οικονομική επίδοση και η πολιτική σταθερότητα (αστάθεια) είναι σημαντικά θέματα στην διαμόρφωση των ΑΞΕ. Παρόλα αυτά, οι πολιτισμικοί παράγοντες ασκούν ειδικές επιδράσεις σε αυτό το πλαίσιο. Με άλλα λόγια, οι πολιτισμικοί παράγοντες φαίνεται να κρύβονται πίσω από τους πολιτικούς κινδύνους στις ΜΕΝΑ χώρες και, ακολούθως, να επηρεάζουν τις αποφάσεις σχετικά με τις ροές των ΑΞΕ προς τις χώρες αυτές. / A distinctive feature of the world economy in recent decades has been the growth and the dramatically increase of foreign direct investment FDI in the world. Due to the potential role, foreign direct investment can play in accelerating growth and economic transformation; many developing countries seek such investment to accelerate their development efforts. Consequently, foreign direct investment has become an important source of private external finance for developing countries. However, the distribution of FDI is highly unequal and developing countries face major difficulties in attracting foreign investors. The MENA countries like most other emerging and developing countries spend huge efforts to attract a significant level of FDI by promoting their location advantages and by diminishing both obstacles and risks that hinder FDI. There are well known factors and risks that affect FDI such as economical and political factors; however, it seems that there is a significant role that other factors could play on this field. In several cases this role may not be clear; as it may be hidden behind other factors. The purpose of this study is to examine the real factors (determinants and risks) rather than the traditional factors, which influence foreign investors to engage in FDI in the MENA countries, noting that these new factors focus on the cultural level. The sample consists of nineteen MENA countries for the period of 1970-2003. The analysis has been conducted using two levels: On the cross sectional level (for the whole MENA region from one hand and for both oil and non-oil regions from the other hand), using fixed effect model (FEM), and on the country level using vector autoregressive technique (VAR). Results agreed to present the cultural risk as the main dominant risk that affects FDI inflows in the MENA countries (for both oil and non-oil countries), political risk came to be the next, while the economical risk was the last effective risk. The more depth analysis urged us to develop a qualitative analysis (survey) to directly communicate foreign direct investors in one of the MENA countries, who happened to be Jordan (study case). The qualitative analysis (survey) results especially the conditional Logit regression technique confirmed the econometric results that the economic performance and the political (in) stability are important issues in affecting FDI; however, the cultural factors are also having their special effects on this theme. In other words, cultural factors seem to be behind the political risks in the MENA countries and therefore affect FDI decisions there.

Turkey’s strategic geographical location, the country’s unique Customs Union with the EU and its growing market potential are all factors that create market opportunities for foreign investors. However, despite the presence of necessary economic prerequisites and a diminishing number of barriers to entry, FDI in Turkey has remained quite low. Further, this area has not been covered extensively in the past and has therefore been of interest to study. The purpose of this study has been to identify the determinant factors behind Swedish firms’ investment decisions in Turkey and thus find the advantages that Turkey provides for Swedish firms. The motives and advantages form a proposal for how to best promote Turkey as an interesting market for Swedish firms interested in FDI. A list of Swedish subsidiaries in Turkey was provided by the Swedish Trade Council in Istanbul and came to represent the selected population. The firms were contacted, using both e-mail and telephone, and were requested to respond to an e-mail survey. The final response rate was 22%. The firms’ responses were then analysed together with secondary data such as general facts about Turkey as well as a business climate report about Turkey made by the Swedish Trade Council in November 2005. Regarding the firms’ ownership-specific advantages, the results showed that firm size is irrelevant to the investment decision, while research and development expenditure as well as a long international experience is a condition. Concerning Turkey’s location-specific advantages, market potential, the country’s geographic position, its labour costs and its educational level, are important determinant factors as well as the business climate and the economic climate in Turkey. Agglomeration benefits, in business areas where they exist, and the possibility to receive assistance from external actors when entering a foreign market are also important determinant factors. Furthermore, infrastructure is an important determinant factor, but not of a conclusive significance to the investment decision. In addition to the specified variables, the political situation in Turkey was cited as an important determinant factor. The cultural distance between Turkey and Sweden was the only location-specific factor that proved not to be a determinant factor at all. Conclusively, the Turkish market offers several advantages to Swedish firms wanting to engage in foreign direct investments. First, Turkey has a strategic geographic position that offers proximity to many other markets. Second, the Turkish market potential is alluring and offers opportunities of long term growth. Third, there are possibilities to receive assistance from external actors which facilitates overcoming probable obstacles that might occur when entering the Turkish market. Fourth, the process of establishing a labour force is freed from complications since labour costs are lower in Turkey than in Sweden and the access to highly educated personnel is good. Last, ongoing development in Turkey’s business and economic climate decreases the investment risk involved when entering the Turkish market.

The world we live in is getting more and more global and this development carries many affects, not least for the business environment. During the last decades foreign direct investments have increased rapidly. Historically speaking, foreign direct investments were primarily undertaken by large corporations with high turnover and financial strength. However, with the alleviation of investment regulations smaller companies now also have an opportunity to reap the benefits of international business. Jönköping County is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and high density of small- and medium sized companies. We found that it would be interesting to discover the reason why these, usually successful, firms conducted foreign direct investments. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the reasons and factors behind a foreign direct investment undertaken by mediumsized manufacturing firms in the Jönköping region. The research was carried out by using a qualitative method. We found five firms within this region that were of medium size and wanted to participate in our study. The companies that we interviewed were; Eldon AB, Carlfors Bruk AB, AB Pettersons Järn-förädling, IDAB WAMAC International AB, and RH Form AB. The main reason for conducting a foreign direct investment mentioned by these firms was market seeking motives. The companies wanted to enter new markets in order to grow and widen their customer base. The firms were mainly seeking markets that were large and had a good potential for growth. The remaining company based their decision on a resource seeking motive. The firms have decided to enter these markets through different entry modes. The firms that saw risks and lack of knowledge as important factors have chosen to use a joint venture as an entry mode. The companies that wanted a quick entry chose acquisitions as their form of entry. The two firms that have done green-field investments have done so for different reasons. One had knowledge and contacts already and did not see the need to acquire another firm and the other wanted to keep the full control of its technology. We have found that the factors in the host markets are most influential in the decision to invest abroad, and that push factors from the domestic market has had little significance. The firms are aware of the risks involved but do not choose location based on them.

This paper examines the effect of foreign direct investments, FDI, on economic growth in developing countries. This is done by the presentation of a theoretical framework, in which technological transfer and the learning of new technologies is considered to be the engine of growth along with a critical examination of a number of empirical studies on the subject. I will later on perform a discussion of the underlying conditions for FDI to work efficiently along with the implications for Sub-Saharan Africa regarding FDI inflows. The implications are studied within a framework that considers human capital as an important channel through which the potential benefits arising from FDI may be realized.

Globalizacija - tai laisvas kapitalo, prekių, paslaugų ir darbo jėgos judėjimas pasaulyje, kai kompanijoms yra sudaromos vienodos veikimo sąlygos įvairiose pasaulio šalyse. Globalizaciją galima laikyti tais erdvės ir laiko pokyčio procesais, kurie skatina žmonių veiklos sandaros transformaciją susiedami ir praplėsdami jų veiksmus už regionų ir kontinentų ribų. Globalizacija yra šiuolaikinės ekonominės pažangos ir pasaulio vystymosi forma. Jos sulaikyti neįmanoma: geriausias būdas kovoti su globalizacija yra nesipriešinimas jai. Globalizacijos dimensijos (kultūrinė, socialinė, ekonominė, politinė, aplinkos) yra tampriai tarpusavyje susijusios, apimančios pagrindines valstybės sferas ir įtakojančios jos gyvavimą. Dalyvavimas globalizacijos procese užtikrina prekybos plėtrą, technologijų sklaidą ir inovacijas, suteikia galimybių plėsti rinkas ir dalyvauti žinių bei patirties mainuose, žodžiu, leidžia plėsti ir ugdyti gamybą bei kelti gerovę. Globalizacija yra nevaldoma ir mažai reguliuojama, jos subjektai - didžiosios tarptautinės korporacijos, jos vienintelė varomoji jėga - ekonominis racionalumas ir pelningumas. Pagrindinis globalizacijos privalumas - jos teikiama ekonominė pažanga, pagrindinis trūkumas - stichiškumas ir nestabilumas, kurį patiria kiekviena valstybė. Pagrindiniai jos bruožai ir jėgos yra tarptautinė prekyba, kapitalo judėjimas, didėjantis tarptautinių bendrovių vaidmuo ir gamybos internacionalizavimas, technologijų kaita. Kalbant apie Lietuvos valstybės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Globalization is a process that nobody can stop. The best solution for the defense is to stop the resistance against this process. Globalization does not give heed to borders; it progresses every day and involves all domains of the country. Globalization is understood as a growing interdependence of world economy, as an economic integration of different countries through an international trade, the movement of capital and the movement of people with their feelings and knowledge. Globalization is the penetration of the global market into the life of the countries, caused by the strengthening international financial markets, rising world trade, creation of multinational business and progress in telecommunications. General globalization processes show the benefit of free economic relations between the states for all participating countries. Increased capital mobility limits the opportunities of economics politics and develops pressure for the market to implement useful politics. The benefits of globalization are obvious: it is faster growth, higher standards of life and new opportunities. The phenomenon of globalization seems to weaken the traditional power and sovereignty of nation-states, since much of the aspects seem to be out of control for the states. On of the means of market’s mergers between Lithuania and foreign countries is foreign direct investment (FDI), international trade and migration. These are the key factors for moving globalization process toward different... [to full text]

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjama rinkos ir investicinio klimato veiksnių įtaka tiesioginių užsienio investicijų įplaukoms, tenkančioms vienam gyventojui, Europos Sąjungos valstybėse 1998 – 2009 m. laikotarpiu. Tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad analizuojamu laikotarpiu vidutiniškai didžiausias tiesioginių užsienio investicijų įplaukas pritraukė Didžioji Britanija, Prancūzija, Vokietija ir Olandija, o mažiausias - Malta, Latvija, Lietuva ir Slovėnija. Atliekant tiesioginių užsienio investicijų palyginimą tarp valstybių nustatyta, kad Liuksemburgo, Belgijos ir Airijos gyventojams vidutiniškai teko daugiausiai tiesioginių užsienio investicijų įplaukų, o Rumunijos, Lietuvos ir Bulgarijos gyventojams - mažiausiai. Be to, tiriant sukauptų tiesioginių užsienio investicijų, tenkančių vienam gyventojui, pokytį nustatyta, kad šios įplaukos 2009 metais, lyginant su baziniais metais, labiausiai išaugo Bulgarijoje, o mažiausias augimo tempas nustatytas Airijoje. Tiriant tiesioginių užsienio investicijų indeksą nustatyta, kad daugumos Europos Sąjungos valstybių pritraukiamos užsienio kapitalo apimtys viršija galimybes, o didžiausio investuotojų palankumo, dėl šalyje kuriamos palankios mikroekonominės ir makroekonominės aplinkos, sulaukė – Liuksemburgas, Belgija ir Airija, o mažiausio – Graikija, Rumunija ir Italija. Tiriant ryšį tarp tiesioginių užsienio investicijų įplaukų ir rinkos bei investicinio klimato veiksnių, pirmiausia atlikta porinė koreliacinė analizė, kuri parodė, kad tiek... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Bachelor’s final work examines the influence of market and investment climate determinants of direct foreign investment inflows, which devolve on one inhabitant in European Union countries in the period of 1998 – 2009. The investigation showed that the highest inflows of direct foreign investment were raised by Great Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands, and the lowest by – Malta, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia. Investigating the comparison of direct foreign investments it was identified that Luxembourg, Belgian and Irish inhabitants gained the most foreign direct investment inflows whereas Romanian, Bulgarian and Lithuanian people – the least. The examination of the change in FDI stock showed that foreign direct investment stock per capita in year 2009,as it is compared to base year, mostly increased in Bulgaria, while the lowest growth rate was in Ireland. The research of foreign direct investment index showed that the majority of European Union countries attract foreign capital exceeds their opportunities and most favored investors because of in the development of a favorable microeconomic and macroeconomic environment received Luxembourg, Belgium and Ireland, while the smallest - Greece, Romania and Italy. Investigating the relationship between foreign direct investment inflows and investment climate determinants firstly it was performed the twinning correlation analysis which showed that government effectiveness and regulatory quality indexes of both the old and... [to full text]

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjama tiesioginių užsienio investicijų pritraukimo tendencijos Lietuvoje ir Estijoje 2006-2012 metų laikotarpiu, siekiant atskleisti kaimyninių šalių panašumus ir skirtumus. Darbe analizuojama, kodėl vis daugiau šalių įsijungia į konkurencinę kovą siekdamos pritraukti daugiau tiesioginių užsienio investicijų, ir tam pasiekti valstybių naudojami veiksmai. Tokie klausimai, kaip ekonomikos dydis prisideda prie tiesioginių užsienio investicijų atėjimo į šalį, kokią įtaką darbo užmokestis daro užsienio investuotojų apsisprendimui, ar tiesioginės užsienio investicijos priklauso nuo užsienio prekybos apimčių, kaip stipriai mokesčių našta stabdo tiesiogines užsienio investicijas, yra nagrinėjami. Galiausiai, žinant kad Lietuva ir Estija nuo nepriklausomybės atgavimo reformas pradėjo įgyvendinti iš labai panašios pozicijos, darbe buvo siekiama palyginti Lietuvos ir Estijos investicinės aplinkos patrauklumą, bei šalių galimybes pritraukti tiesiogines užsienio investicijas. / In the bachelor‘s thesis is examined foreign direct investment tendencies in Lithuania and Estonia in the period 2006-2012, reveal similarities and differences of the neighbouring countries. The paper examines why more and more countries get involved in a competition to attract more foreign direct investment, and the goverments actions used. Issues such as the size of the economy, foreign trade volumes, impact of wages and tax burden conribute to the foreign direct investment, are examined. Finally, bearing in mind that reforms in Lithuania and Estonia since independance were launched from a very similar position, the paper aims to compare Lithuanian and Estonian investment enviroment and the countries ability to attract foreign direct investment.