Drawing on original research, Multinationals, Local Capacity Building and Development presents an extensive analysis of MNEs in Africa, taking Ghana as a case study, and broaching subject matter previously unaddressed in the field. Looking at MNEs impacts – both positive and negative – this book examines skill transfer from foreign management to local workers, the impact of MNEs on the improvement of local production capabilities, as well as their contributions to sustainable development goals.

International Investment for Sustainable Development critically examines the interface between sustainability, development, and the governance of international investment. It challenges the conventional view that foreign direct investment is a 'miracle drug' for developing countries and exposes serious shortcomings in the current international investment regime. Composed of norms, agreements, treaties and regulations, the emerging investment regime expands the rights of transnational corporations (TNCs) without commensurate rewards for the common good. Drawing on both research and engaged advocacy, the contributors ultimately map out a new way forward, towards the creation and implementation of international investment rules that will promote global sustainability and equity.

This book analyses the complex relationship between the private sector, UK official development assistance (ODA) and poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, the private sector has occupied an increasingly prominent position within UK ODA, bringing a range of opportunities and conflicting interests. This book first traces the trajectory of private sector engagement in ODA, before setting out the theoretical and analytical framework for analysing the mutual prosperity agenda in UK ODA – the notion that ODA can benefit both donor and beneficiary country interests. By extending corporate social responsibility theory (in the emerging field of business and development studies) to ODA, the book critiques the underlying assumptions contained within UK ODA-multinational corporation partnerships. With reference to three case studies GlaxoSmithKline plc., Barclays plc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev (formerly SABMiller), the book identifies where the activities of multinational corporations support and/or undermine ODA goals and the implications for the UK’s mutual prosperity agenda. Overall, the book reflects a pragmatic approach to maximising the role of private sector actors in ODA, whilst also drawing attention to the opportunities and challenges in the mutual prosperity agenda. The book will be of interest to researchers from business management, development studies and political science, as well as to practitioners with an interest in the role of the private sector in ODA.

Global interest in African studies has been rapidly growing as researchers realize the importance of understanding the impact African communities can have on the economy, development, education, and more. As the use, acceptance, and popularity of African knowledge increases, it is crucial to explore how this community-based knowledge provides deeper insights, understanding, and influence on such things as decision making and problem solving. African Studies: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines the politics, culture, language, history, socio-economic development, methodologies, and contemporary experiences of African peoples from around the world. Highlighting a range of topics such as indigenous knowledge, developing countries, and public administration, this publication is an ideal reference source for sociologists, policymakers, anthropologists, government officials, economists, instructors, researchers, academicians, and graduate-level students in a variety of fields.

The analysis is notable for its insistence that, for a corporate governance system to work, the principles and practicalities of that system must be derived from customary cultural norms. Experience shows that imported models, although they may be enshrined in law, lead to economic stagnation unless actual practice is monitored and reformed and the laws change to reflect these necessary adjustments. Thus the model proposed here begins with the Company Law of 1994, and proceeds to show how practical experience is already providing valuable data for the task of improving the law.

High prices and concerns about energy security in the oil and gas industry are driving expansion into ever more sensitive environments with greater technoological, political and social risks.While brands such as BP, Shell and ExxonMobil are well known, some 70 per cent of oil and gas industry activities are typically contracted out to service providers and their subcontractors. The fallout from the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster has shone a spotlight on alleged systemic failures and ongoing difficulties in contracting relationships. As the governments of oil producing countries - from Nigeria to Kazakhstan to Venezuela - seek to take greater control of their oil and gas resources, there are pressures to expand the role of local businesses in chains of contractors. Government targets for local hiring and procurement paper draws on three years of research and interviews within the oil and gas sector to highlight an array of critical challenges facing oil and gas companies involved in complex supply chains, and to identify urgent and longer-term actions for progress.

This book provides an overview of the main tools and approaches available to enterprises wishing to put the Environment chapter of the OECD Guidelines into practice.