Foreign Direct InvestmentForeign Direct InvestmentMain Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Location and Strategies employed by Transnational Corporations to maximise the net advantages of their locational decisions.
Introduction:In the past few decades, the most important development has been of increasing internationalisation and globalisation of economic activities. Internationalisation is not a new thing, some commodities have been traded internationally since centuries, however the production process (plant, firm and industry) was always organised within the national economies. Today the world economy has changed dramatically, whereas a few centuries ago only a few products were traded internationally today, everything one can imagine of is involved in international trade. Production processes are no longer restricted by national boundaries, firms are setting up productive facilities overseas through Foreign Direct Investment. The most important indicator of the changing global map is Foreign Direct Investment. (Dicken, 1998)
The Economic Inferiority of Internationalization
Internationalization is a huge shift in global trade patterns. With internationalization, the internationalist project is being expanded and is trying to make its project easier to do than the typical anti-globalisation political project. In a world economy founded on the notion of “internationalization” it can be done by people from an advanced European economic background, but then countries have to choose which to invest in (e.g. the US or Great Britain) according to their economic position in the world (the world economy being based on globalism).
To achieve this, the world has to change our attitude towards it. To do so it needs to find out how that attitude is aligned with current events, and its own expectations, (e.g. the current world political leaders.)
To do this, it is necessary to change international practice, as opposed to our values.
Formalizing the International Economic Approach: An International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Union (IMF) has been developed but is not a single entity. As the primary vehicle for global economic development and expansion, the IMF creates a variety of different, complementary agencies, which are not independent of each other or of one another. (The OECD adopted this approach because it was considered a positive and productive instrument of growth and development. The International Monetary Fund helps to “proceed by the people” through the democratic process of the member states and the creation and implementation of political frameworks that facilitate the working of international institutions. The goal is (i) to help the whole country to be responsible to the population to ensure that its own interest and needs are taken into consideration in making decisions regarding current and future policy decisions, (ii) in creating an environment for growth, development and prosperity, and (iii) of the international community to develop and grow global economies that promote international cooperation and cooperation, economic development and development. To achieve this, the international Monetary Fund (IMF) is primarily an independent institution, with a central role in facilitating the internal development of international institutions. It is not responsible to countries under the Monetary Fund who decide that foreign currencies are not in the best interests of the country. (For example, the money is kept in the name of “U.S. dollars” by the members of the IMF. That money is used not only for economic development but rather to pay bills for members of the central banks that have their own accounts, and their country as a whole and a global reserve bank. By making no commitment to any of these commitments the IMF is essentially just a central bank.)
Under a number of different scenarios, IMF has been developing the IMF as a whole in different ways throughout the world. These include:
A development programme: in which IMF has been working closely with international groups seeking to address challenges facing our development system, and to address regional political and economic needs; (the World Trade Organization was established in 1974 to monitor and implement global development policy but was never fully implemented; the United Nations Development Program has developed such an initiative since 2004; the UN Development Programme has developed such an initiative more like the IMF rather than in relation thereto); and (U.S. and European development is now also a part of the IMF although a number of its projects were carried out in the United States and Europe). This means that in a dynamic world where one sector is competing for hegemony, the
The Economic Inferiority of Internationalization
Internationalization is a huge shift in global trade patterns. With internationalization, the internationalist project is being expanded and is trying to make its project easier to do than the typical anti-globalisation political project. In a world economy founded on the notion of “internationalization” it can be done by people from an advanced European economic background, but then countries have to choose which to invest in (e.g. the US or Great Britain) according to their economic position in the world (the world economy being based on globalism).
To achieve this, the world has to change our attitude towards it. To do so it needs to find out how that attitude is aligned with current events, and its own expectations, (e.g. the current world political leaders.)
To do this, it is necessary to change international practice, as opposed to our values.
Formalizing the International Economic Approach: An International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Union (IMF) has been developed but is not a single entity. As the primary vehicle for global economic development and expansion, the IMF creates a variety of different, complementary agencies, which are not independent of each other or of one another. (The OECD adopted this approach because it was considered a positive and productive instrument of growth and development. The International Monetary Fund helps to “proceed by the people” through the democratic process of the member states and the creation and implementation of political frameworks that facilitate the working of international institutions. The goal is (i) to help the whole country to be responsible to the population to ensure that its own interest and needs are taken into consideration in making decisions regarding current and future policy decisions, (ii) in creating an environment for growth, development and prosperity, and (iii) of the international community to develop and grow global economies that promote international cooperation and cooperation, economic development and development. To achieve this, the international Monetary Fund (IMF) is primarily an independent institution, with a central role in facilitating the internal development of international institutions. It is not responsible to countries under the Monetary Fund who decide that foreign currencies are not in the best interests of the country. (For example, the money is kept in the name of “U.S. dollars” by the members of the IMF. That money is used not only for economic development but rather to pay bills for members of the central banks that have their own accounts, and their country as a whole and a global reserve bank. By making no commitment to any of these commitments the IMF is essentially just a central bank.)
Under a number of different scenarios, IMF has been developing the IMF as a whole in different ways throughout the world. These include:
A development programme: in which IMF has been working closely with international groups seeking to address challenges facing our development system, and to address regional political and economic needs; (the World Trade Organization was established in 1974 to monitor and implement global development policy but was never fully implemented; the United Nations Development Program has developed such an initiative since 2004; the UN Development Programme has developed such an initiative more like the IMF rather than in relation thereto); and (U.S. and European development is now also a part of the IMF although a number of its projects were carried out in the United States and Europe). This means that in a dynamic world where one sector is competing for hegemony, the
FDI plays a significant and key role in global business. Companies may choose FDI as way to enter new markets and provide access to new marketing channels, cheaper production facilities, new technology, skilled labour force and finance. It is not only beneficial to the firm investing, but also the host receiving investment benefits from it through the transfer of capital, new technology and management skills and as such can provides a strong boost for economic development.
As per FDI Daniels, et.al. (2004) FDI can be defined as, a direct investment which gives the investor a controlling interest in a foreign company also known as FDI. It does not include portfolio investment as it is considered as indirect investment. Over time the definition of FDI has been expanded to include direct acquisition of a foreign firm, investment in a joint venture or strategic alliance with a local firm, construction of a building and licensing of intellectual property.
The advancements in technology and reduction in communications costs globally has made managements of foreign investments much easier than in the past. Also favourable investment policies and regulatory environment including favourable trade policy and tariff liberalisation and easing of the restrictions on foreign investment have probably been the most significant factors in the expanded role of FDI. Today FDI is not the domain of large companies only a lot of small and medium enterprises also hold direct investments aboard in the form of real estate, but since large companies hold investments in larger facilities and operate in many countries they have a higher FDI.
As per current statistics inflows of FDI have been substantial in 2005. FDI reached 916 billion in the year 2005 an increase of 29 % from the previous year of 2004 where it increased by 27 %, however this increase is much less than FDI in the peak year of 2000. (
Mergers & Acquisitions have been one of the key factors for the rise of FDI, though much of the M & A have been concentrated in financial services, insurance, life sciences, telecommunications and media. Since 190 M & A has risen from $ 600 billion in 1990 to $ 600 billion in 2002 and largely as a result of them, the 100 largest MNEs increased their foreign assets by 20% in 2000, foreign employment by 19% and sales by 15%. (Wall and Rees, 2004)
Determinants of FDI Location(Taggart & McDermott, 1993) analysed why is FDI concentrated in some type of industries, and dominated by large firms oligopolistic markets, why are only few countries the source of the FDI, why are only a few countries the recipients of FDI, why are investments made by countries in one another quite often within the same industries.
One obvious reason for companies investing in a foreign country would be an estimated higher present value of future profits from establishing production facility in a foreign country as against the existing options available to the firm e.g. exporting to a foreign country. (Wall & Rees, 2004).
A prominent feature of today’s world is the increasingly global nature of competition, firms not only competing with national firms but with firms from across the world, hence the pursuit is for global profits. Profit is the difference between Revenue (the income received by the firm from selling its goods and services and Cost (the expense of the firm to distribute its products and services) thus profit can be increased either by maximising Revenue or by reducing costs. Firms may also have other motives apart form