Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 273-280).

published_or_final_version / China Development Studies / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies

published_or_final_version / Politics and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis comprises three essays on international business strategy with regards to services and technology. The first essay investigates why the average expense ratio paid by Canadian mutual fund investors is 50% higher than that paid in U.S. This discrepancy is commonly thought to exist because Canadian funds do not take advantage of economies of scale and have less competition. A monopolistic competition framework is used to develop a model for the mutual fund industry. By allowing each fund to have different attributes, the model permits funds to charge different expense ratios in equilibrium and is found to strongly fit the North American mutual fund market. Empirical analysis indicates that these two common explanations and measurable fund attributes account for 15% of the discrepancy. The second essay analyses the U.S. mutual fund decision to enter the Canadian market through either foreign direct investment (FDI) or trade in advisement services. The total value of U.S.-controlled funds amounts to 18% of the Canadian equity fund market. This paper investigates how the fund-level and firm-level characteristics affect the channel used to enter the Canadian market. Empirical results indicate that the funds offered through FDI are not especially successful in the U.S. market but are associated with companies with large market shares, whereas the funds offered through trade in advisement services are highly successful in the U.S. market and are from companies with relatively few successful funds. The third essay compares the motivation for acquisition between foreign and domestic acquirers of U.S. drug companies, especially with regard to technology transfer. An estimation of the acquisition decision reveals that foreign acquirers choose targets with high research intensity more as their own intensity decreases while domestic acquirers choose targets with high research intensity more as their own intensity increases. Domestic acquirers' post-acquisition innovative productivity increases mostly due to efficiency of knowledge synthesis because the targets are usually have familiar product lines. Foreign acquirers' innovative productivity does not increase after acquisition because they tend to take over firms in unfamiliar research areas that are usually highly technical and require a long-term commitment of R&D.

In the Chinese business environment, owner-managers of SMEs emphasize engaging in networking and are good at developing networks, especially personal networks (Guanxi). The primary purposes of the research were to ascertain whether there is a relationship between networking practice and business performance in the main city zones of SMEs making motorbike components in Chongqing; which types of networking are perceived to be more important and effective to improve business performance; and which types of networking are less likely to contribute to the business performance. The Chongqing motorbike industry is the predominant industry in Chongqing and is also the largest motorbike manufacturing cluster in China. The Chongqing motorbike components SMEs also produce the most motorbike components in China. Over 90 per cent of the required components can be locally supplied (Tzswj, 2004: Online). Therefore, the primary motivation for conducting this research comes from the recognition of the importance of networking practices (Guanxi) in the Chinese business environment and the realisation of the importance of the Chongqing motorbike components SMEs to the Chongqing motorbike industry. This research is to assist Chongqing motorbike components SMEs to improve business performance through appropriately engaging in networking practices. In turn, the Chongqing motorbike industry can be expected to consolidate and improve its market position in the long term. This research first discussed the related theories about networking and Guanxi. This is followed by the description of the Chongqing motorbike industry and its component industry, with specific description of the major problems associated with both industries as well as those associated with the external environment. Thereafter, the descriptive chapter is followed by the methodology used for the research and research findings and discussion. Finally, the recommendations and conclusions are followed. Findings from this research indicated that networking practices have a positive relationship with business performance of the motorbike component SMEs of the main city zones in Chongqing. In addition, each type of networking practice has a potential to facilitate business performance. In terms of the four types of formal networking: customer, supplier, competitor, and supporting networking, these were respectively realised as the first, second, third, fourth most contributive and effective type of networking. However, the respondents also considered that personal networking (Guanxi) was one of the most significant and essential networking activities that can facilitate the process of business performance. Based on the findings and the key problems of the Chongqing motorbike component industry, recommendations can be made to the SMEs on how to effectively engage in networking practices with all possible networking participants in order to obtain required resources that are essential to sustain and improve business performance of the motorbike industry of the main city zones in Chongqing. / Thesis (M.Comm.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

No description available.

This study is specifically directed to implications of international investment, policies and procedures by American business enterprise, i.e. the Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Asia and Pacific, with specific reference to India and Developing Countries, in comparison to the total world.In anticipation of data to quantify and verify claims and counter claims concerning the effects of MINCs, the following objectives were studied: (1) the trends of the past decade of the U. S. direct investments by Majority Owned foreign affiliates, (2) the identification of significant economic and commercial areas in which public policiesand MNCs investment interact, (3) the major. policy consequences that flow from such interactions, and (4) projections of the trends for the period 1977 and 1979. The main policy areas discussed are: (1) U. S. direct investments (book value), (2) net capital outflows, (3) reinvested earnings, (4) earnings, (5) balance of payments income, (6) sales, and (7) expenditures.The research design incorporates treatment of regressions by using orthogonal polynomial model, correlations and analysis of financial ratios. Secondary source data has been primarily involved in the study. The two major sources of government data were the U.S. Department of Commerce publications from (1) the Bureau of Economic Analysis and (2) the Bureau of International Economic Policy and Research.The analysis of the data indicates that in the past decade (1966-75) the investments in the Total World had an increase of 42 percent with an increase of 172 percent in net sales. Developing Countries had an increase of 25 percent in investments with a 250 percent increase in net sales, an increase of 134 percent in plant and equipment expenditures and an increase of 120 percent in capital expenditure. _Asia and Pacific had an increase of 50 percent in investments, with 397 percent in plant and equipment expenditures and 241 percent in capital expenditure. However, in India decreases are indicated of 11 percent in investments and .13 percent in net sales, an increase of 25 percent was indicated in plant and equipment expenditures, with a decrease of 38 percent in capital expenditures.However, all the areas under study indicated a very significant increase in export sales to other foreign countries which signifies the maximum profit margin according to the analysis.The projections for 1975-1979 indicate an increase in investment of 252 percent in Developing Countries 115* percent in India, and an increase of 14 percent in Total World, with a decrease of 19 percent in Asia' and Pacific. However, there is an increase indicated in net sales of 48 percent in the Total 'world, 28 percent in Developing Countries, 100 percent in Asia and Pacific and 15 percent in India. Similarly, the expenditures project an increase in plant and equipment expenditures of 11 percent in Developing Countries, 43 percent in Asia and Pacific and a decrease of 89 percent in India.The following inferences have been drawn from this study: (1) investments of the 11NCs are going to increase in the Total World; (2) Asia and Pacific with reference also to India hive a very positive indication of expansion, particularly in petroleum and manufacturing affiliates; (3) net earnings have the maximum returns on export sales to other foreign countries followed by sales to the U. S. in all of the areas; (4) expansion of N1NCs investment in Developing Countries and Asia and Pacific indicates a higher return in the Balance of Payments Income, thus indicating a positive impact on the American economy as well as on the host country's economy; (3) defects of financial market mechanisms in the less developed countries as in India have vitally affected the flow and allocation of funds, the mobility of financial assets, and the value of money; (6) lack of a properly functioning capital market has vitally affected the economic development in the less developed countries.The following suggestions are presented as indicative of needed improvements in regard to the study:(1) A mixture of public and private institutions may achieve a workable allocation of loanable funds in a nation's credit market.(2) In the spirit of long-run analysis, it remains to be noted that current capital outflow gives to future return flow, which may depend on the degree of reinvestment abroad. This may also have its bearing on domestic investment. (3)Profits, before and after foreign tax, should be shown for foreign operations in the branch form. These profits are currently included with other types of foreign income.(4) Foreign taxes paid and the credit claimed against then: should be separated into foreign profit taxes (or other similar taxes) and foreign withholding taxes, and should be attributed to the various forms of foreign income (branch profits, dividends, interest, etc.).(5) The distribution of foreign income and taxes paid by size of total assets of the U. S. reporting corporation is inadequate. The breakdown is not advanced beyond the $250 million asset-size class and in some cases the breakdown stops at $100 million, even though the vast bulk of foreign income accrues to corporations in size classes above this level. This distribution should thus change.

Universities around the world are increasingly focusing on entrepreneurial activities. In Australia, the growth of international entrepreneurial activities has resulted in the creation of a billion-dollar export-oriented sector. These activities include the recruitment of international students to Australian campuses, the development of Australian university campuses in offshore locations, and the delivery of Australian degree programs at both onshore and offshore locations in partnership with universities, professional associations and private corporations. Australian universities currently receive on average around seven percent of revenues from these sources, with some depending on international entrepreneurialism for as much as one-third of revenues. Managing these activities in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner has thus become critically important to virtually every institution in the Australian higher education sector. Long dependent on government funding, Australian universities have found the rise of international entrepreneurialism a significant shift. As is the case when businesses become international, universities are faced with the need to manage the complexities, risks and challenges associated with international operations. To date, little empirical work has been undertaken which explores and examines how Australian universities are managing their international entrepreneurial business operations. The aim of this study is thus to respond to this research gap by exploring how Australian universities, particularly in terms of their Faculties of Business, organise and manage international entrepreneurial activities. The research examines management approaches, practices and processes at five Australian universities. Two are highly international, metropolitan universities recognised around the world as leaders in international entrepreneurialism. Two are smaller, regional institutions, while the fifth university is a medium-sized metropolitan institution which had in recent times moved aggressively to develop its international activities. Document analysis, observation and interviews with senior institutional managers, academic managers and academics at each university revealed several common themes arising in institutional approaches. These included an emphasis on diversified, offshore growth; a degree of movement towards structural centralisation, particularly in the highly international universities which had been historically highly decentralised; the presence of generally supportive organisational cultures; a perception among academic managers and academics that most international activities remain driven by financial imperatives; the perceived potential for detrimental impacts on academic research arising from increased involvement in international activities; the existence of a common concern among senior institutional managers for the effects of Faculty of Business dominance of international programs in their institutions; a tendency for most organisational learning to be informal, except in the highly international institutions; and a preference for decentralised strategic leadership which included a degree of oversight by internationally experienced senior institutional managers. A Strategic Advantage Model of Internationalisation is presented representing a theoretical and conceptual synthesis of the findings. Building on previous work undertaken in the field, the model focuses on the need for institutions to achieve best practice and competitive advantage through the leveraging of organisational and strategic competencies, the pursuit of executional advantages, the implementation of strategically decentralised leadership and the development of international business competencies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2005. / Adviser: Paul Vaaler. Submitted to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-138). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;