This book focuses on the questions of: why do some economically disadvantaged nations develop significantly faster than others, and what roles do their educational systems play? In the early 1960s Mexico and South Korea were both equally underdeveloped agrarian societies. Since that time, the development strategies pursued by each country resulted
Are transnational corporations (TNCs) and foreign direct investment beneficial or harmful to societies around the world? Since the birth of the United Nations more than 60 years ago, these questions have been major issues of interest and involvement for UN institutions. What have been the key ideas generated by the UN about TNCs and their relations with nation-states? How have these ideas evolved and what has been their impact? This book examines the history of UN engagement with TNCs, including the creation of the UN Commission and Centre on Transnational Corporations in 1974, the failed efforts of these bodies to craft a code of conduct to temper the revealed abuses of TNCs, and, with the advent of globalization in the 1980s, the evolution of a more cooperative relationship between TNCs and developing countries, resulting in the 1999 Global Compact.
In his perceptive and easily readable autobiography, John Dunning walks the reader through the four seasons of his professional and private life. With just the right touch of humour, he recounts his boyhood experience during the eventful days of the Second World War, his three-year spell in the Royal Navy, as well as his years as a student and research assistant at University College London. He then goes on to describe his times as teacher and researcher at Southampton, Reading and Rutgers Universities, and the origin and evolution of the Reading School of International Business scholarship. Along the way, the author shares some of his many and varied consultancy assignments and travelling experiences, offering some insights into his personal values and home life in Henley-on-Thames and Cornwall. This remarkable book gives a unique personal insight into the life and work of one of the most influential figures in the study of international business. It will no doubt prove a fascinating read to all those with an interest in the field and its development and especially to those who have benefited from the work of one of its great thinkers and scholars.
This is the 13th volume in the series which contains a collection of international instruments relating to foreign direct investment (FDI) and transnational corporations (TNCs). It is divided into three parts which cover: additional regional instruments; investment-related provisions in a number of additional free trade, economic partnership arrangements and framework agreements not covered in previous volumes; and the text of a number of additional prototype bilateral treaties for the promotion and protection of foreign investments (BITs) not covered in previous volumes.
In Strategic Coupling, Henry Wai-chung Yeung examines economic development and state-firm relations in East Asia, focusing in particular on South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. As a result of the massive changes of the last twenty-five years, new explanations must be found for the economic success and industrial transformation in the region. State-assisted startups and incubator firms in East Asia have become major players in the manufacture of products with a global reach: Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision has assembled more than 500 million iPhones, for instance, and South Korea’s Samsung provides the iPhone’s semiconductor chips and retina displays.Drawing on extensive interviews with top executives and senior government officials, Yeung argues that since the late 1980s, many East Asian firms have outgrown their home states, and are no longer dependent on state support; as a result the developmental state has lost much of its capacity to steer and direct industrialization. We cannot read the performance of national firms as a direct outcome of state action. Yeung calls for a thorough renovation of the still-dominant view that states are the primary engine of industrial transformation. He stresses action by national firms and traces various global production networks to incorporate both firm-specific activities and the international political economy. He identifies two sets of dynamics in these national-global articulations known as strategic coupling: coevolution in the confluence of state, firm, and global production networks, and the various strategies pursued by East Asian firms to attain competitive positions in the global marketplace.
In this final collection of his essays, John Dunning looks back on more than 40 years of research in International Business (IB), whilst at the same time considering possibilities for the future
'. . . an updated and illuminating analysis of the main forces behind the development of transnational corporations. . .' Nicola Acocella, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Italy 'In the second edition of her authoritative book, this prominent figure in the study of transnational corporations has achieved an excellent job. . .' Wladimir Andreff, University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, France 'Do we really need a specific theory to interpret transnational. . .corporations,. . . The answer is yeas and this brilliant and inspiring book by Grazia Ietto-Gillies explains why.' Giovanni Balcet, University of Turin, Italy '. . . Brilliant analyses and comparisons of basic theories in the field.' Mats Forsgren, Uppsala University, Sweden '. . . a truly complrehensive perspective of the development on the theory of transnational corporations. . . It is a marvellous and admirable work.' Masahiko Itaki, Ritsumeikan University, Japan '. . . offers vibrant insights on the convergence of different theoretical strands on the emergence, role and effects of transnational corporations. . .' Lucia Piscitello, Politecnico di Milano, Italy 'From my experience students like it as it enables them to capture in short time the gist of a variety of theories and offers them useful conceptual perspectives. . .' Slavo Radosevic, University College London, UK '. . . this book will be the outstanding choice.' Mohammad Yamin, The University of Manchester, UK 'This is an excellent book which dares to accomplish a challenging mission.' Antonello Zanfei, University of Urbino, Italy This comprehensive critical analysis of concepts, theories and effects relating to transnational corporations will prove to be an invaluable learning tool to post graduate and advanced undergraduate students across a broad section of disciplines including business/international business, economics, international relations, and development studies. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of this highly acclaimed textbook includes new features such as deeper analysis of evolutionary theories, a discussion of Penrose and of the Network theory, and an additional chapter on innovation effects. Lecturers and researchers wishing to familiarize themselves with the theoretical developments of the subject will find this book to be an effective and informative teaching resource.
