Multinational firms in the world economy / Giorgio Barba Navaretti and Anthony J. Venables ; with Frank G. Barry [and others].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barba Navaretti, Giorgio, 1960- author.

Venables, Anthony, author.

Contributor:

Barry, Frank, 1956- contributor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International trade.

International business enterprises.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2006.

Summary:

Depending on one's point of view, multinational enterprises are either the heroes or the villains of the globalized economy. Governments compete fiercely for foreign direct investment by such companies, but complain when firms go global and move their activities elsewhere. Multinationals are seen by some as threats to national identities and wealth and are accused of riding roughshod over national laws and of exploiting cheap labor. However, the debate on these companies and foreign direct investment is rarely grounded on sound economic arguments. This book brings clarity to the debate. With the contribution of other leading experts, Giorgio Barba Navaretti and Anthony Venables assess the determinants of multinationals' actions, investigating why their activity has expanded so rapidly, and why some countries have seen more such activity than others. They analyze their effects on countries that are recipients of inward investments, and on those countries that see multinational firms moving jobs abroad. The arguments are made using modern advances in economic analysis, a case study, and by drawing on the extensive empirical literature that assesses the determinants and consequences of activity by multinationals. The treatment is rigorous, yet accessible to all readers with a background in economics, whether students or professionals. Drawing out policy implications, the authors conclude that multinational enterprises are generally a force for the promotion of prosperity in the world economy.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Contributors

1 Facts and Issues

2 The Multinational Enterprise: an Overview of Theory and Empirical Findings

3 Horizontal Foreign Direct Investment: Product Market Access

4 Vertical Foreign Direct Investment: Input Costs and Factor Prices

5 Multinationals: the Firm and the Market

6 Determinants of FDI: the Evidence

7 Host Country Effects: Conceptual Framework and the Evidence

8 FDI and the Host Economy: a Case Study of Ireland

9 Home Country Effects of Foreign Direct Investment

10 Policy Implications and Effects

11 Conclusions

Appendix A. Statistical Definitions and Databases on Foreign Direct Investment and the Activities of Multinationals

Glossary

References

Index

Notes:

Originally published: 2004.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691214276

0691214271

OCLC:

1159421591