Development Centre Studies FDI from Developing Countries A Vector for Trade and Development


Book Description

This book illustrates Korea's experience with outward foreign direct investment (FDI) and shows that the ancillary benefits of such investment -- knowledge and management transfer, market acquisition and skills enhancement -- can be substantial for individual firms.




World Development Report 2020


Book Description

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.




Diplomacy and International Business


Book Description

International business and globalization requires governments to operate in a context different than before, which is to integrate other participants of diplomacy in its own decision-making processes. Governments have been focusing on new strategies, such as involving ministries and non-state actors and institutions, providing greater transparency, and acting collectively. Facing the challenges of an increasingly complex world Diplomats are not the only actors involved in the diplomatic process because due to globalization, many actors such as NGOs, international organizations and individuals can be seen practicing diplomacy. Diplomacy is a course of actions, based on the exchange of ideas, values and traditions to reinforce the business relationships, improve the social cooperation and stimulate the national interests, with respects to globalization. Diplomacy, due to globalization the mass communication technology help access between people to promote peace & stability all over the world because it influences the opinion globally of businesses, trade, individuals, communities, cultures and countries (Kamsaris, 2020). The tactics to form international relations can be described either hard or soft power and according to Nye soft power is the ability to persuade and get what you want through culture, values and ideas through attraction rather than coercion or payments, while hard power involves activating forces. Through soft power, the use of cultural diplomacy becomes significant (Kamsaris, 2020). Regarding the international business world, the will and ability to appreciate and embrace the diverse values and needs of dissimilar cultures is important for the strategic decisions and adopt diplomacy models tactics by increasing social awareness of international companies engaged in the development of culturally sensitive marketing plans and campaigns in order to build positive public opinion, form a good image, free of local problems, conduct research regarding the cultural differences of the new country and international companies with local focus (Kamsaris, 2020). Bound states that the internet has created a world where cultures meet and mix and reform easily and constantly and countries are increasingly finding that they need to reaffirm their sovereignty to stop their cultures being swamped or changed by access to other cultural outputs. As Mark says, a state’s international cultural mission now involves a more active role in protecting and developing country culture. A country’s cultural identity needs to be strong and constantly reinforced and revitalised, or it will be flooded and lost. A culture is the set of values which underpins a country and the way that other countries use to understand you. Culture for Ribeiro is a non-threatening, inclusive way of communicating with people. It is powerful because it is universal and is shared as it is a manifestation of human genius and achievement and is charged with symbolic meaning. International relations referred to the study of foreign affairs and political interaction between countries and cover the complex of cultural, economic, legal, military, and political relations of all countries and their populations, actors and international organizations. The goal of this book is to introduce some of the main issues of international politics, such as war and peace, development, regional integration and security, and to familiarize with different ways to conceptualise and analyse these issues. This should allow to make a more confident decision about your own attitude towards particular issues and to analyse these issues more thoroughly, but it should also make you question both your own as well as others’ representations of the world.




Making It Big


Book Description

Economic and social progress requires a diverse ecosystem of firms that play complementary roles. Making It Big: Why Developing Countries Need More Large Firms constitutes one of the most up-to-date assessments of how large firms are created in low- and middle-income countries and their role in development. It argues that large firms advance a range of development objectives in ways that other firms do not: large firms are more likely to innovate, export, and offer training and are more likely to adopt international standards of quality, among other contributions. Their particularities are closely associated with productivity advantages and translate into improved outcomes not only for their owners but also for their workers and for smaller enterprises in their value chains. The challenge for economic development, however, is that production does not reach economic scale in low- and middle-income countries. Why are large firms scarcer in developing countries? Drawing on a rare set of data from public and private sources, as well as proprietary data from the International Finance Corporation and case studies, this book shows that large firms are often born large—or with the attributes of largeness. In other words, what is distinct about them is often in place from day one of their operations. To fill the “missing top†? of the firm-size distribution with additional large firms, governments should support the creation of such firms by opening markets to greater competition. In low-income countries, this objective can be achieved through simple policy reorientation, such as breaking oligopolies, removing unnecessary restrictions to international trade and investment, and establishing strong rules to prevent the abuse of market power. Governments should also strive to ensure that private actors have the skills, technology, intelligence, infrastructure, and finance they need to create large ventures. Additionally, they should actively work to spread the benefits from production at scale across the largest possible number of market participants. This book seeks to bring frontier thinking and evidence on the role and origins of large firms to a wide range of readers, including academics, development practitioners and policy makers.




Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment


Book Description

Using a dataset which breaks down FDI flows into primary, secondary and tertiary sector investments and a GMM dynamic approach to address concerns about endogeneity, the paper analyzes various macroeconomic, developmental, and institutional/qualitative determinants of FDI in a sample of emerging market and developed economies. While FDI flows into the primary sector show little dependence on any of these variables, secondary and tertiary sector investments are affected in different ways by countries’ income levels and exchange rate valuation, as well as development indicators such as financial depth and school enrollment, and institutional factors such as judicial independence and labor market flexibility. Finally, we find that the effect of these factors often differs between advanced and emerging economies.




New Voices in Investment


Book Description

This study analyzes the characteristics, motivations, strategies, and needs of FDI from emerging markets. It draws from a survey of investors and potential investors in Brazil, India, South Korea, and South Africa.




OECD Factbook 2005 Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics


Book Description

OECD Factbook 2005 is the first edition of a comprehensive and dynamic new statistical annual from the OECD. More than 100 indicators cover the full range of topics covered by the OECD.







Trade and Development Report 2011


Book Description

What lessons have policy makers drawn from the global financial and economic crisis to reform the international monetary and financial system and the design of macroeconomic policies? The enthusiasm about system reform and a reorientation of macroeconomic policies has not lasted. Reforms of financial regulations are progressing slowly and only at the national level, monetary system reform is limited. After an interlude that some considered as a return to Keynesianism, the orientation of macroeconomic policy, especially fiscal policy, is back to business as usual. This will hinder a sustained recovery of the world economy and open the door for new financial crises. Thus, the rethinking of policies and reshaping the financial and monetary system remain an urgent task. The Report makes concrete proposals on how, and in which priority areas, to advance with the strengthening regulation of the financial sector and commodity markets, reform of the international monetary system, and the reorientation of fiscal policy.




Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2017/2018


Book Description

The Global Investment Competitiveness report presents new insights and evidence on drivers of foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries, and FDI’s role in development. The report’s survey of 750 executives of multinational corporations finds that a business-friendly legal and regulatory environment is a key driver of investment decisions in developing countries, along with political stability, security, and macroeconomic conditions. The report’s topic-specific chapters explore the potential of FDI to create new growth opportunities for local firms, assess the power of tax holidays and other fiscal incentives to attract FDI, analyze characteristics of FDI originating in developing countries, and examine the experience of foreign investors in countries affected by conflict and fragility. Three key features of this Global Investment Competitiveness report distinguish it from other publications on FDI. First, its insights are based on a combination of first-hand perspectives of investors, extensive analysis of available data and evidence, and international good practices in investment policy design and implementation. Secondly, rather than exploring broad FDI trends, the report provides detailed and unique analysis of FDI depending on its motivation, sector, geographic origin and destination, and phase of investment. Thirdly, the report offers practical and actionable recommendations to policymakers in developing countries wishing to reform their business climates for increased investment competitiveness. As such, the report is meant to complement other knowledge products of the World Bank Group focused even more explicitly on country-level data, detailed reform diagnostics, and presentation of best practices. We are confident this report will bring value and fresh perspectives to a variety of audiences. To governments and policymakers, including investment promotion professionals, the report offers direct insights into the role of government policies and actions in investors’ decision-making. To foreign investors and site location consultants, the report provides information on FDI trends and drivers across sectors and geographies. For academic audiences, the new datasets on investment incentives and FDI motivations enables opportunities for additional research and analysis. Lastly, for development assistance providers and other stakeholders, the report highlights key approaches for maximizing FDI’s benefits for development.