This book examines Foreign Direct Investment of major Korean automotive companies in Europe, with particular reference to how economic integration has affected the motivations and patterns of FDI and industrial location. The book is a valuable source of information on FDI, the automobile industry in Europe and South Korea and business decision-making process in general.

This book addresses the fundamental question why and under which conditions Korean firms increased their investment so heavily in the EU after 1986 and why they and not the Korean government took the initiative in the decision-making process. The author contends that the main reason for the firm's departure from government policy is the belief of t

In this book Judith Cherry analyses the impact of economic and cultural globalization on efforts to promote inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) in South Korea over the past four decades. The book traces the development of Korean IFDI policy from one of restriction and control to one of encouragement and promotion. Specifically, it focuses on the challenges inherent in reforming the ‘software’ of IFDI promotion (socio-cultural issues, mindsets and perceptions) as opposed to changing its ‘hardware’ (systems, laws and regulations). Although the Korean government has made sustained efforts over the past decade to enhance Korea’s attractions as a host for inward investment, it has faced significant challenges in improving Korea’s IFDI performance. The discussion in this book of the wide range of transparent and non-transparent barriers that continue to hamper efforts to promote inward investment draws not only on the Korean debate concerning strategies for maximizing the benefits of IFDI, but also on the assessment of the Korean business and investment environment revealed in interviews conducted with European investors and officials in Seoul. Foreign Direct Investment in Post-Crisis Korea will appeal to students and scholars of international business, economics and globalization, as well as those with a more general interest in Korean society.

In 1962, South Korea assembled just 1,100 new automobiles. By 1996, this total had soared to 2,812,714. What explains this remarkable growth? The answer is complex, and involves a combination of a supportive State, timely technology alliances, a skilled but historically low-paid workforce, aggressive pricing, savvy entrepreneurs, and fortuitous circumstances. Despite this amazing ascent, comparatively little has been written about the Korean auto industry in English. In the first of a two-volume set, this 11-chapter book seeks to help fill this void by providing in-depth examinations of all six of Korea’s automakers from their beginnings through 1996. Uniquely written from the perspective of industry analysts at the time (without knowledge of the Asian Fiscal Crisis), the book should prove informative to practitioners, scholars, and students interested in automotive history, international political economy, Asian studies, and more.

This study examines the economic and political benefits of the U.S. pursuing Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Korea, which is pursuing FTA accords as part of a strategy to restructure its economy and sustain the recovery from its 1997-98 economic crisis. The authors examine the impact of a prospective pact on other trading partners, on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and on the multilateral trading system.

The geopolitical landscape of Central Europe has undergone considerable transformation in the last two decades. While the pre-Global Financial Crisis period saw a focus on strengthening ties with Western Europe and the USA, the post-crisis period has seen reorientation towards Asia, in particular China. This book charts these changes in geopolitical dominance in the region, covering the economic influence of China, the increasingly assertive diplomatic involvement of Russia and increased US interest in the region under the Biden administration. The book also seeks to explain why the countries of Central Europe are realigning their geopolitical alliances towards the great powers as confidence in the European project and its economic benefits has waned, and what opportunities this realignment could hold.

In a world of continuing financial volatility, this book critically evaluates the oft-cited claim that US firms and the US government attempt to open emerging markets in economic distress and acquire valuable industrial and financial assets. Focusing particularly on Korea and Thailand, the author examines the degree of market opening, the roles US actors played in this process and the level of foreign firm activity in the years after the Asian crisis. Justin Robertson finds surprisingly little coherence between the strategies of US firms and US policy-makers. At the same time, the book downplays European investments, concluding instead that the decade since the Asian crisis has reaffirmed strengths of US capital, particularly in some of the most important sectors of the global economy. Investment banking, private equity and subcontracting are significant new features of US-Asia economic relations. Providing a sophisticated understanding of US interests in Asia, especially in terms of the politics of finance capital, and including a wealth of empirical data on the US and Asian political economies, this book will be invaluable for students and scholars of international political economy and Asian economics and politics.

Based upon extensive fieldwork in India and Korea, this book is a detailed account of the globalization of the Korean automobile industry and Hyundai Motor Company, one of the most prominent of the new Korean multinational corporations.

The OECD Global Forum on International Investment, at its inaugural meeting in Mexico City in November 2001, provided a unique platform for participants originating from OECD and non-OECD economies to address the challenges posed by FDI. Theseconference papers add to the existing literature on FDI.

Advance your business interests in the ever-changing European market! Foreign direct investment (FDI) and strategic alliances are among the most popular modes of international market entry and expansion in major markets by multinationals. This informative book uses case examples, a wide-ranging survey, and the expertise of authorities in the field to shed light on the when, why, and how of investing and forming alliances in the volatile environment of the European market. Providing both theoretical background and fascinating case studies, Foreign Direct Investment and Strategic Alliances in Europe begins with an examination of the relationship between contextual and strategic factors and foreign market entry strategies. Then it illustrates its meaning with a real-world application of that information, in this case examining the way Israeli manufacturers developed their entry strategies in the European Union. This insightful book also: analyzes the market entry, development, and expansion of the Coca-Cola company in Russia discusses strategic problems, barriers to expansion, and first- versus late-mover advantages in Russia’s transition economy looks at the relationship between United States software firms and European companies provides guidelines for choosing what form a strategic alliance should take presents a survey of 114 international strategic alliances between firms in the United Kingdom and their European, American, and Japanese partners Strategic alliances and foreign direct investment are expected to continue to flourish in Europe. By integrating FDI issues with those of strategic alliances, this well-referenced book will provide you with insights into both areas as well as up-close perspectives on specific segments of the European market.