Many governments can be considered pragmatic nationalists when it comes to FDI. Accordingly, their policy is shaped by a consideration of the costs and benefits of FDI. Here we explore the benefits and costs of FDI, first from the perspective of a host country and then from a perspective of the home country. Host Country Effects: Benefits There are three main benefits of inward FDI for a host country: the resource-transfer effect, the employment effect, and the balance of payments effect. Resource transfer effects: Foreign direct investment can make a positive contribution to the host country’s economy by supplying capital, technology, and management resources that would otherwise not be available. If such factors are scarce in a country, the FDI may boost that country’s economic growth rate. Many of the MNEs by virtue of their size and financial strength, have access to financial resources not available in the host country Continue reading
International Business
International Business Management deals with the maintenance and development of a multinational operation across national borders, whose manager has the knowledge and the skills to manage and handle cross-cultural processes, stakeholders and business environments in a right way.
Multinational Corporations and Accounts Receivable Management
Multinational Corporations (MNC’s) grant trade credit to customers, both domestically and internationally, because they expect the investment in receivables to be profitable, either by expanding sales volume or by retaining sales that otherwise would be lost to competitors. Some companies also earn a profit on the financing charges they levy on credit sales. The need to scrutinize credit terms is particularly important in countries experiencing rapid rates of inflation. The incentive for customers to defer payment, liquidating their debts with less valuable money in the future, is great. Furthermore, credit standards abroad are often more relaxed than in the home market, especially in countries lacking alternative sources of credit for small customers. To remain competitive, MNCs may feel compelled to loosen their own credit standards. Finally, the compensation system in many companies tends to reward higher sales more than it penalizes an increased investment in accounts receivable. Local managers frequently Continue reading
Marine Insurance Claims
Under an ordinary marine insurance cover, if the goods have been damaged or pilfered or lost, the buyer report the fact immediately to his local agents or the local branch of the marine insurance company or to the firm of insurance assessors. They examine the goods and certify the extent of the loss. The buyer then works out his claim on the basis of the proportion which the damaged goods bear to the whole consignment. If the goods have been invoiced on F.O.B (Freight On Board) value plus the cost of marine freight, insurance, and shipping charges, the buyer is entitled to claim a proportion of such charges. The buyer would send the original insurance certificate or policy to the broker or company which issued it, with a statement of the claim and the latter would send him the money. Alternatively, the buyer may send these paper to the exporter Continue reading
Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts
Forward exchange is a device to protect traders against risk arising out of fluctuations in exchange rates. A trader, who has to make or receive payment in foreign currency at the end of a given period, may find at the time of payment or receipt that the foreign currency has appreciated or depreciated. If the currency moves down or gets depreciated the trader will be at a loss as he will get lesser units of home currency for a given amount of foreign currency, which he was holding. Similarly, an importer, who was contracted to make payment of a given amount in dollar at the end of a given period, may find that at the time of payment, the rupee dollar rate is higher. He would then have to pay more in rupees than what it would have been at the time when the contract was made. To protect traders Continue reading
What are the Driving Forces behind Globalization?
Globalization can be characterized by four factors; the growing worldwide interconnections, rapid, discontinuous change, increased number and diversity of participants, as well as growing complexity. According to the Dictionary of Economics the term; globalization, is defined as the geographical shifts in domestic activity around the world and away from the nation states. It can also be referred to the interdependence of economies, through the increase in cross-border movement of goods, service, technology and capital. Examples of such integrations can be seen in the growing presence of many multinational companies as they expand into new regions (i.e. McDonalds) and the outsourcing of manufacturing and services. Drivers of Globalization The four main areas of drivers for globalization are market, government; cost and competition. These external drivers affect the main conditions for the potential of globalization across industries, which are mainly uncontrollable by individual firms. Market drivers include areas such as common customer needs Continue reading
Foreign Direct Investment and the Business Environment
Direct investment abroad is a complex venture. As distinct from trade, licensing or investment, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) involves a long-term commitment to a business endeavor in a foreign country. It often involves the engagement of considerable assets and resources that need to be coordinated and managed across countries and to satisfy the principle of successful investment, such as sustainable profitability and acceptable risk/profitability ratios. Typically, there are many host country factors involved in deciding where an FDI project should be located and it is often difficult to pinpoint the most decisive factor. However, it is widely agreed that FDI takes place when three sets of determining factors exist simultaneously; the presence of ownership-specific competitive ages in a transnational corporation (TNC), the presence of locational advantages in a host country, and the presence of superior commercial benefits in an intra-firm as against an arm’s-length relationship between investor and recipient. The Continue reading