Yes / This paper investigates the links between institutional systems and the entry mode of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in developing and transition countries (DTCs). An assessment is made of the reasons for the continuing use of international joint ventures (IJVs) in countries that have undergone reforms intended to lead to the development of wholly owned subsidiaries. The paper argues that formal and informal institutional constraints in DTCs lead to high transaction and uncertainty costs for MNCs, and that the use of IJVs is a rational response to attempt to lower these high costs. The paper follows the literature suggesting that IJVs are normally a `second best¿ entry mode in terms of the potential for foreign direct investment (FDI) to contribute to the development of DTCs. The reform process in Jordan is used to illustrate how institutional systems, especially informal institutional constraints, lead to high transaction and uncertainty costs. In the case of Jordan, this occurred despite a series of four reform packages seeking to reduce the institutional barriers to effective business activities. Interviews of 28 foreign companies provide the basis for an empirical assessment of the importance of both formal and informal institutional constraints and infrastructure problems. The paper includes an outline of a future research agenda that seeks to generalise and develop the results from Jordan to other DTCs.

The thesis Role of external radio broadcasting in the Czech public diplomacy deals with the audiovisual (radio and television) external broadcasting operated by the state. It focuses on the Czech external broadcasting represented by the radio station Radio Prague. The broadcasting is arranged by the Czech Radio and financed by the ministry of foreign affairs. The aim of this thesis is to describe the task of Radio Prague in contemporary Czech public diplomacy. It looks at the station's programming, extent of the broadcasting and its orientation. It is concerned with the relation of Radio Prague to the state and compares the Czech model with models of main democratic countries in the Euro-Atlantic space. It takes into consideration the small and medium-sized and also transition states' public diplomacy specifics. It is interested in the position of Radio Prague in the Czech public diplomacy and with the position of the public diplomacy as a whole in the Czech foreign policy. The thesis uses the analysis of relevant primary documents relating to the Czech public diplomacy and external radio broadcasting and information from personal interviews with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and Radio Prague.