This study evaluates the performance of the export marketing strategy for Malaysian palm oil over the period 1980-90, with emphasis on the promotion of this commodity in a large number of importing countries world-wide. The analysis of global data indicates that over this period the average per capita consumption level of oils and fats grew from 13.4 to 15.1 kg/hd, led by soybean oil and followed by palm, rape seed, and coconut oils, tallow and butter. However, the per capita consumption trend of soybean and coconut oils is declining, while there is a positive trend for rapeseed and palm oils, tallow and butter. Regression analysis using 1990 cross-sectional data based on 92 importing countries indicates that there is a significant positive and inelastic income response in per capita consumption of oils and fats, but that the income elasticity of consumption for animal fats is higher than that for vegetable oils. The relationship between per capita consumption of oils and fats types with price was found to be negative. The only significant relationship between per capita consumption of oil types and price is with palm oil. Between 1982 and 1990, vegetable oils accounted for 78 per cent of world trade in oils and fats, led by palm, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oils. Malaysian palm oil accounted for 21 per cent of the total oils and fats trade in 1982-90. Based on market share analysis, the export gains for Malaysian palm oil came mainly from the general expansion of demand for oils and fats, particularly in developing countries, and to the lesser extent from the market reorientation and competitiveness effects. The contribution of promotional efforts was evaluated using import demand and promotion model for Malaysian palm oil. Promotional efforts were measured by estimated costs of overseas trips and familiarisation programmes, and a binary variable for ministerial visits.

This study examines the international political dimensions of Russian and Chinese oil and gas policies in Northeast Asia. It compares former Soviet and Chinese oil and gas policies, and examines the linkage between Russian and Chinese hydrocarbon industries' problems and their moves into frontier areas. The aim is to explore the two states' future policies for the area. The study analyses the consequences and implications of Russian and Chinese oil and gas policies in Northeast Asia. Looking at the directions of Russian and Chinese policies for Northeast Asia in the 1990s, hypotheses are drawn about: the future stance of Russia and China regarding their oil and gas policies; the international political consequences of these; the possibility of an Energy Regime integrating Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, USA, and the two Koreas; the basis and time scale thereof; and the implications of different levels of Russian and Chinese hydrocarbon exports for their political relationships with the countries of Northeast Asia. As a conclusion, in the 1990s Russia and China seem to have no choice but to pursue very positive oil and gas policies due to the urgency of both countries' frontier oil and gas development, but an invisible competition between Russia and China to attract foreign investment looks highly likely. However, if new links established in Northeast Asia in the wake of the Cold War's demise can be developed into multilateral energy cooperation through an establishment of Northeast Asian Energy Regime, it will not only help both countries' frontier oil and gas and eventually economic development but also make a substantial contribution to the neighbouring countries' energy diversification and the region's balanced economic development.

No description available.

International tourism, as an invisible export product, has been growing considerably with its many economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts on both tourist importing and exporting countries in the world. The unique and multifaceted characteristics of this product make it necessary for the countries concerned to take a comprehensive approach to its production, control and dynamic marketing in harmony with the overall socio-economic development of the country. This study describes and analyses the tourism product and its overall impacts and provides a conceptual, corporate planning model in which not only developing countries but all can find a background. The study goes through four main stages of which the first is the theo-rectical analysis of the tourism industry, its conceptual background, its growth, factors affecting the growth and its overall effects, particularly on developing countries. It then proceeds to the second part with the planning and control of tourism development, and to the marketing of the tourism product. It evaluates the developments in these fields on a comparative basis. The third part of the study begins with an overall picture of the Turkish economy in detail, together with social and political considerations, identifying problems of and prospects for development. It then goes on to provide a thorough examination of both the demand for, and supply of the Turkish tourism product, illustrating how the theoretical model set in the first and second parts could be used in analysing the data. Effectiveness of Turkey's tourism policies is measured, where possible on a comparative basis, identifying main problems and possible solutions. The conclusions of the detailed analysis are given in the fourth and final part of the study in order that policies for a healthy development of international tourism in developing countries and in Turkey particularly, may be formulated and hence followed.

The thesis was written against a backdrop of increasing international competition in the construction consulting sector when, at the same time, there was apparent growth in the requirements of developing countries for technology transfer. The opening chapters describe the industry including specific aspects of the British sector. A theoretical review is given on the eclectic theory, the stages of development approach, strategic theory and professional services literature, as well as technology transfer material and empirical studies relevant to the sector. The study itself is based upon a series of personal interviews with a range of construction firms, leading to sixteen cases being compiled, mostly for consulting firms but also for client organisations, aid agencies, contractors and suppliers. The interviews were also used to test hypotheses in four main areas of concern, covering the nature and extent of technology transfer, types of projects and firm, cooperative arrangements and long term implications. There were a number of findings: In construction consulting, technology transfer, consisting mainly of management know-how, is increasingly being required by overseas clients and aid agencies. Technology transfer changes the organisational structure of a firm, due to the greater need for staff at senior levels, with International experience. Newly internationalised firms, often medium-sized, can sometimes by-pass the stages of internationalisation by locating directly in client offices on technology transfer projects; while joint ventures occur, the role of established subsidiary offices is diminishing. Unlike contractors, construction consultants can sustain competitive advantage over time via technology transfer projects; clients can be accessed more effectively at lower cost and market information on new projects can be gleaned more readily. Wider conclusions were also discussed which had relevance for international business theory and policy of host governments and firms alike.

No description available.

TIlls thesis considers how the presence of firms that operate across national boundaries (multinationals) affect the way we think about several traditional economic issues. Chapter 1 provides some introductory remarks. Chapter 2 considers how the analysis of the impact of taxation on firms' investment incentives is affected by models of the multinational firm It looks at the way in which corporate income taxes affect firms' investment choices when these choices are of a discrete nature, and argues that in such situations the au!Yt1{1! tax rate is a better measure of the impact of tax than the matginal tax rate. Chapter 3 investigates whether there is empirical support for the model laid out in Chapter 2 by examining US-resident firms' choices over whether and how to serve the European market. These choices are modelled using fum level data with a structure that explicitly accounts for the outside options of not serving the European market or producing in the US and exporting to Europe. The empirical results indicate that the effective tZW'~ tax rate plays a part in determining where U.S. firms locate within Europe, conditional on having decided to locate production in Europe. Taxes do not appear to affect the choice between exporting to Europe or locating production there. One of the predominant theoretical models explaining the existence of multinational firms is based on the proposition that they have higher productivity than domestic firms, Chapter 4 empirically examines whether foreign-owned establishments located in the' UK have different characteristics than domesticowned, and in particular whether productivity levels vary systematically by ownership. Parameters of the production function are estimated for the UK car industry using a new establishment level panel data set. The results indicate that higher levels of output per worker in foreign-owned establishments is almost entirely explained by differences in factor usage levels.

A small stock market may be less efficient in the weak sense than a large one, because it is often less elaborately organised technically. Hence, information about stock price formation may spread only gradually through the financial community. Consequontly, stock prices may display e greeter degree of nonrandomness because traders are unable to eliminate this. The objective of the study is to test the weak form efficiency in Kuwait Stock Exchange, a segment of the Kuwait Long Term capital market. In addition, the study explores the impact of several. factors on market efficiency. In Chapter One the role of the stock market and its relationship to the economy will be discussed. The efficient market hypothesis is explored in Chapter Two. Chapter Three is devoted to surveying the empirical findings of other researchers in UK, USA and some other international markets. A number of authors have applied the efficient market hypothesis to actual stock market data, especially in the last twenty years. Some critical analyses are discussed in Chapter Four. The empirical question of the relations between market efficiency and stock valuation is explored in Chapter Five. An efficient market should price the security, so as to fully reflect the firms earning power. The uncertainty surrounding the stream of future income clouds this issue and has prompted debate among economists and financial analysts as to how the market values a given stock at any time. The characteristic of Kuwait Stock Exchange are the subject of Chapter Six. Chapter Seven presents empirical findings on the behaviour of Kuwait Stock Exchange in the context of efficient market theory. These findings will be compared with those related studies based on data from the United States and Europe. Chapter Eight will discuss the Kuwait Gulf Stock Exchange (over-the- counter market) or Al-Manakh. The 1982 crash of Al-Manakh is explored in depth in Chapter Nine and some of the important solutions will be discussed. In Chapter Ten the discussion Focusses on the three hypothesised Factors leading to market efficiency (market information, governmental rules and regulations, and market support facilities). Finally, in Chapter Eleven, general conclusions are drawn and recommendations presented with suggestions for further research.

The International competitiveness of Jordan's manufacturing sector has recently been of considerable concern to officials in Jordan. This study examines Jordan's capacity to compete successfully in foreign markets and with imports in Jordan's market, and the impact of the recent policies on the price and short-run aspects of competitiveness for a period from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Unlike previous studies, assessment and analysis of Jordan's relative competitive position are built on indicators constructed exclusively for the manufacturing sector covering import, export, and overall dimensions of competitiveness. The OECD model has been employed using export, import and producer prices, and trade double weights for manufactures. The results show that Jordan's competitiveness deteriorated until the mid-1980s. Subsequently, competitiveness improved with the most pronounced gains being achieved at the end of the 1980s and in the early 1990s, particularly in import and overall competitiveness. The maintenance of a strong Jordanian dinar associated with other unfavourable internal and external developments in Jordan's and competitors' prices before the mid-1980s, and the favourable developments in these prices including the devaluation of the Jordanian dinar at the end of the 1980s, may explain the initial deterioration in competitiveness and the subsequent improvement. Between the mid-1970s and the late-1980s the gains achieved in import competitiveness process were reflected in most years in declines in the import penetration ratio; and in the case of the export competitiveness process were translated into higher market shares. The Constant-Market-Share approach shows that one-third of the expansion in Jordan's manufactured exports was attributable to improved competitiveness. The Commodity effect, particularly for chemicals, was favourable to this expansion, while the concentration of exports on the sluggish import demand of the Middle Eastern countries resulted in a slight unfavourable market effect.

Empirical investigations on firms' export behaviour and performance have tended to focus on the experience of firms from developed nations. Little is known about such issues among firms in developing nations generally, and Malaysia in particular. This study investigates export behaviour and performance of manufacturing firms in Malaysia. The central concerns of this study are i) to establish the characteristics of successful and less successful exporters; and ii) to determine factors that distinguish the two groups of exporters. Fieldwork for this research was carried out in Malaysia between May and July 1992. The study employed two research methods, a mail survey and case study. A total of 190 useful returns were received from firms representing a cross-section of the manufacturing sector. As regards case study, five companies consented to be personally interviewed by the researcher. Through statistical analysis, it was established that there are three characteristics or profiles of successful and less successful exporters. In the first profile, exporters which are classified as adopting a market diversification strategy are more successful than exporters adopting a market concentration strategy. The second profile is made up of exporters characterised as exhibiting a selling orientation policy. In this group of firms, it was determined that the large-sized firms are more successful than the medium-sized firms. The third profile is represented by firms which are classified as foreign-owned. The analysis shows that firms characterised as exhibiting a marketing orientation policy are more successful than firms characterised as exhibiting a selling orientation. Analysis determined that variables measuring firms' marketing strengths (broadly classified into organisational and marketing-mix strengths) separate successful and less successful exporters. The two groups of firms also display different attitude with regards the state of the infrastructure in the domestic economy, intensity of competition in export markets, and export barriers. The findings from case the studies show that both internal and external factors motivate firms to explore export opportunities. The factors peculiar to the export success of case companies, include the manager's international orientation, the company's commitment to producing high and consistent quality products, and the maintenance of close contacts with overseas markets. The findings confirm the findings from the mail survey. Differences and similarities exist between the findings of this study and those generated in other countries. The results add new information on the export behaviour of firms from Malaysia.