Integration into the production and marketing arrangements of multinational corporations may offer many benefits to transition economies that, after a long period of isolation, have liberalized trade and investment. The fragmentation of production offers a unique opportunity for producers in developing countries to move from servicing small local markets to supplying large firms abroad and, indirectly, their customers all over the world.

Integration into the production and marketing arrangements of multinational corporations may offer many benefits to transition economies that, after a long period of isolation, have liberalized trade and investment. The fragmentation of production offers a unique opportunity for producers in developing countries to move from servicing small local markets to supplying large firms abroad and, indirectly, their customers all over the world.Not until the end of the twentieth century, the quot;second globalization,quot; has the ratio of trade to GDP been comparable to that during the first globalization, which took place at the end of the nineteenth century and was interrupted by World War I. Technological progress has increased the importance of the international division of labor and of global production and distribution networks. Multinational corporations have been a driving force behind these developments. As a transition economy, Poland provides an interesting case for study, as its sudden opening to foreign investment after a long period of isolation allows the process of integration into global networks to be studied more clearly.Using Poland as a case study, Kaminski and Smarzynska study multinational corporations' role in integrating a host country into the increasingly international division of labor. They provide evidence that inflows of foreign direct investment are increasing Poland's participation in global production and distribution networks. They conclude that because of the large volume of foreign direct investment inflows expected in Poland in the near future, Poland's exports - driven by fragmented production - will continue to expand at even faster rates than observed there recently.This paper - a product of Trade, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to study the effects of foreign direct investment on economic activity.

This book is concerned with various aspects of global economies. Economists from the Universities of Freiburg i. Br. and Nagoya/Japan had met in a joint seminar to discuss these problems. Their analysis concentrated on current trends in Europe and in Asia with special emphasis on Japan. The first part of the extended and updated seminar contributions stresses the importance of foreign direct investment in the process of globalization. The second part deals with the deficiencies and required adjustments of financial institutions. The last part of the book explores international issues on the level of business policy, including the development of global competition, of environmental policies and of world-wide integration of information and communication technologies. The objective of the joint seminar, as reflected in this book, is the mutual understanding of economic problems that emerge with the interplay of globalization and national interests.

With the emergence of a truly global marketplace, regions now face far greater competition in attracting outside investment, and multinational companies have to consider local conditions on many levels before choosing to invest. Foreign Direct Investment and the Global Economy looks at the pattern of FDI and its impacts on the global, regional (trade block), national and sub-national scales. The contributors describe the much discussed global-local interlay apparent in the operations of multinational companies and their involvement with 'regulatory' institutions at different levels, from the global to the local.

This volume addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. From several angles, the contributions analyze factors which may explain, and/or influence the relationship between the competitiveness of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the countries in which they operate. More particularly, the four main issues address: the recent advances in the determinants and strategy of multinational business activity; the determinants of location competitiveness of countries; the competitiveness of emergent and developing countries and the locational responses of both indigenous and foreign-owned firms; and the policy challenges raised by the highly fragmented, and often uncoordinated international regulatory framework on government FDI. It is hoped the contents of the volume will be of interest to international business scholars, senior executives of multinational enterprises and national policy makers interested in advancing their competitiveness by engaging in outward, and encouraging inward foreign direct investment. This book addresses some of the critical issues now demanding the attention of International Business teachers and researchers. This book is published annually.

This book illustrates Korea's experience with outward foreign direct investment (FDI) and shows that the ancillary benefits of such investment -- knowledge and management transfer, market acquisition and skills enhancement -- can be substantial for individual firms.