Materials and Man's Needs Materials Science and Engineering -- Volume IV, Aspects of Materials Technology Abroad (1975) / Chapter Skim
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Multinational Corporations
Multinational Corporations
Pages 273-283
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From page 273... ...
A third type of MC is the conglomerate; while a particular industrial theme may provide the backbone to a particular conglomerate its overall enterprise resists simple categorization into technological fields. Over half (528)
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From page 274... ...
On the other hand, some other governments have considered the attempt to impose U.S. antitrust statutes, balance of payments guidelines, and trade regulations on foreign subsidiaries of American firms as an unjustified extension of U.S.
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From page 275... ...
and in the foreign circuit -- charges of neocolonialism from the developing countries; charges of exporting jobs from organized labor; charges of unfair foreign competition from businessmen in host countries; charges of unfair advantages to the MC's in U.S. from small businessmen; charges that the way of life in other countries will be engulfed.
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From page 276... ...
by use of local nationals in management, use of local capital, etc., the external ties remain so significant that the conflict with nationalism remained unabated. Truly multinational corporations, not identified with any major advanced countries in particular, are likely to be more appealing to most developing countries but such MC's will still be regarded as outsiders from the viewpoint of narrow nationalism.
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From page 277... ...
What is needed is an internationally-coordinated approach to the MC and its problems. It has been suggested that some of the problems requiring attention are the establishment of more uniform tax laws; come-on guidelines for setting intracorporate transfer prices; the coordination of national policies for preserving competition; a tribunal for resolving problems of conflicting jurisdictions; clarifications of the conditions on how far a home country government can enforce its laws against subsidiary companies in foreign countries; and the role of private foreign direct investment in the extractive industries.
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From page 278... ...
The corporate technical staff undertakes, on a continuous basis, to monitor the programs which are being carried out at the various locations. Such monitoring is done by means of reports generated at the locations, by review meetings between corporate and local staffs and by periodic visits to review individual programs in depth.
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From page 279... ...
Information flow between the units in various countries is facilitated by this process, and the information and technology available to the engineering staff at any given location is optimized. Technology Diffusion via High-Technology 30 Multinational Corporations in the Electronics Field In Europe, foreign subsidiaries have assured the swift diffusion of new From John E
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From page 280... ...
This may come from new domestic firms if entry barriers are low, from other established firms if competition for the domestic market is vigorous, or from foreign firms if overseas markets are important. While the risks may be reduced, they cannot be completely eliminated, for in barring new foreign subsidiaries an imitating country cuts off a potential diffusion channel that just may be needed.
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From page 281... ...
But the ability of an LDC to absorb successfully foreign technology depends not only on the transfer of technical knowledge and methods, but also on the ability to introduce new and foreign developments in those administrative, financial, and social fields which constitute the infrastructure of industrial activities. Another factor of concern to a V~MC is that those LDC's seeking to emulate Japan's meteoric economic rise may note that Japan successfully absorbed foreign technology while essentially barring foreign subsidiaries.
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From page 282... ...
The problem for an MC is not so much one of choosing between basic, intermediate, or advanced technologies but of selecting and encouraging compatible technologies with built-in opportunities for development to match world economic and productive trends. For example, instead of launching into large-scale basic production, it may be more effective to encourage programs of industrial development through the establishment of a final products industry using imported raw materials, and gradually build up the basic and integrated industries after a proper market size has been reached.
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From page 283... ...
R&D in the LDC is often regarded as a technical service backing up the adaptation and use of the imported technology and ensuring quality control. Arguments for investment in more fundamental research in the LDC have to be based on general premises, such as that improved understanding of structureproperty relationships in materials is of importance in all forms of technology, or that science is a potential industrial strength because the quality of tomorrow's technology depends on the influence of the scientific effort today.
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