Economic and social progress requires a diverse ecosystem of firms that play complementary roles. Making It Big: Why Developing Countries Need More Large Firms constitutes one of the most up-to-date assessments of how large firms are created in low- and middle-income countries and their role in development. It argues that large firms advance a range of development objectives in ways that other firms do not: large firms are more likely to innovate, export, and offer training and are more likely to adopt international standards of quality, among other contributions. Their particularities are closely associated with productivity advantages and translate into improved outcomes not only for their owners but also for their workers and for smaller enterprises in their value chains. The challenge for economic development, however, is that production does not reach economic scale in low- and middle-income countries. Why are large firms scarcer in developing countries? Drawing on a rare set of data from public and private sources, as well as proprietary data from the International Finance Corporation and case studies, this book shows that large firms are often born large—or with the attributes of largeness. In other words, what is distinct about them is often in place from day one of their operations. To fill the “missing top†? of the firm-size distribution with additional large firms, governments should support the creation of such firms by opening markets to greater competition. In low-income countries, this objective can be achieved through simple policy reorientation, such as breaking oligopolies, removing unnecessary restrictions to international trade and investment, and establishing strong rules to prevent the abuse of market power. Governments should also strive to ensure that private actors have the skills, technology, intelligence, infrastructure, and finance they need to create large ventures. Additionally, they should actively work to spread the benefits from production at scale across the largest possible number of market participants. This book seeks to bring frontier thinking and evidence on the role and origins of large firms to a wide range of readers, including academics, development practitioners and policy makers.

For the first time, here is the complete history of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the fifty years since the end of World War II, the world of development finance has grown rapidly. One of the many financial institutions which cropped up to help war-torn countries with their reconstruction was the IFC. International Business Expansion Into Less-Developed Countries examines the success of the IFC in its wide variety of public sector development activities. Covering thirty-five years of IFC operations, the book thoroughly evaluates the formulation of the concept of the IFC and its evolution as a viable global development finance agency. It is the most complete and up-to-date treatment available of the IFC. The administration and operational procedures are described in detail as are case examples of financial development in all regions. Problems encountered by the IFC and new and future activities of the IFC are discussed. Scholars of economic development and international finance will find the unusual way in which the IFC was established and the case examples presented a highly valuable reference, as will students of international studies and organizations.

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.

For the first time, here is the complete history of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the fifty years since the end of World War II, the world of development finance has grown rapidly. One of the many financial institutions which cropped up to help war-torn countries with their reconstruction was the IFC. International Business Expansion Into Less-Developed Countries examines the success of the IFC in its wide variety of public sector development activities. Covering thirty-five years of IFC operations, the book thoroughly evaluates the formulation of the concept of the IFC and its evolution as a viable global development finance agency. It is the most complete and up-to-date treatment available of the IFC. The administration and operational procedures are described in detail as are case examples of financial development in all regions. Problems encountered by the IFC and new and future activities of the IFC are discussed. Scholars of economic development and international finance will find the unusual way in which the IFC was established and the case examples presented a highly valuable reference, as will students of international studies and organizations.

Over the past two decades, the percentage of the world’s population living on less than a dollar a day has been cut in half. How much of that improvement is because of—or in spite of—globalization? While anti-globalization activists mount loud critiques and the media report breathlessly on globalization’s perils and promises, economists have largely remained silent, in part because of an entrenched institutional divide between those who study poverty and those who study trade and finance. Globalization and Poverty bridges that gap, bringing together experts on both international trade and poverty to provide a detailed view of the effects of globalization on the poor in developing nations, answering such questions as: Do lower import tariffs improve the lives of the poor? Has increased financial integration led to more or less poverty? How have the poor fared during various currency crises? Does food aid hurt or help the poor? Poverty, the contributors show here, has been used as a popular and convenient catchphrase by parties on both sides of the globalization debate to further their respective arguments. Globalization and Poverty provides the more nuanced understanding necessary to move that debate beyond the slogans.

An essential reference book for you and your global organization, Executive Development and Organizational Learning for Global Business will guide you through the challenge of producing effective executives and masterminding learning organizations. In this cutting-edge overview, you'll share in the success stories of some of the most tried-and-true, top-selling authors in the world such as Peter Senge and Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Considered a “must-have” handbook for development managers, Executive Development and Organizational Learning for Global Business gives you a unique perspective on the major challenges you'll face when setting up your executive education program. Anyone creating a comprehensive game plan for a large global organization will want to be familiar with the informative practices in this book. In its concise and straightforward chapters, you'll read about: cross-cultural challenges of executive development tools and techniques for developing international executives experiential issues and action learning in global organizations anticipatory learning for global concerns Today, more than ever, piloting your global organization through a world of changing management systems and executive development programs can be overwhelming. But the unique perspectives you'll find in this time-saving collection will start you off right. So, whether you're a human resource development practitioner, a human resource executive, or an academic in human resource development, you'll profit from the bevy of intellectual insight and real-world experience that some of the world's most successful authorities have organized for you in the pages of Executive Development and Organizational Learning for Global Business.

"A new breed of multinational companies is reshaping competition in global industries. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, multinational firms came from the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Over the last two decades, however, new multinational firms from upper-middle-income economies such as Spain, Ireland, Portugal, South Korea or Taiwan, emerging economies like Brazil, Chile, Mexico, China, India or Turkey, developing countries such as Egypt, Indonesia or Thailand, and oil-rich countries like the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Russia or Venezuela have become formidable global competitors. These firms do not necessarily possess technological or marketing skills. This disadvantage, however, did not prevent them from expanding around the world. In contrast to the classic multinationals, they found strength in their ability to organize, manage, execute, and network. They pursued a variety of strategies of vertical integration, product diversification, learning by doing, exploration of new capabilities, and collaboration with other firms. This book documents the dimensions of this phenomenon, identifies the key capabilities of the new multinationals, and provides a new conceptual framework to understand its causes and implications"--