Routledge International Business in Asia – Serie

This book explains the dynamics behind southeast Asia's foreign investment activity, and looks at the region's options for reviving its reputation as an attractive host for foreign investors. Each chapter focuses on a key element; together, they portray southeast Asia's foreign investment profile and prospects. By bringing these key interlocking elements together under a single cover, the book aims to provide a more profound understanding of the challenges southeast Asian countries face in their on-going attempts both to attract new foreign investment inflows and to continue hosting substantial existing foreign-invested assets.

Adopting an international business perspective, this book surveys recent business developments in Asia, and the activities of multinational firms in the region, focusing in particular on the changing nature of organizational and institutional relationships, including intra- and inter- organizational relationships, business relationships with institutions, and relationships with stakeholders. The international team of contributors discuss the current and future trends in a wide range of business sectors across the region, as well as assessing how the nature of multinationals' activities in the region is changing as the business environment evolves and becomes more globalized.

Developing countries in East Asia recorded remarkable economic growth until the Asian financial crisis erupted in mid-1997. Although several countries experienced devastating setbacks, most of them recovered to achieve reasonable rates of economic growth over the next few years. Sound macroeconomic management, export-oriented policies, and the availability of skilled and low-wage labour are among the factors that contributed to the rapid economic growth before the crisis and the recovery thereafter. Especially noteworthy in this regard is the role played by foreign direct investment (FDI).This comprehensive book identifies the factors that contributed to the expansion of FDI inflows in East Asia and the factors that enabled recipient countries to utilize FDI effectively. It includes detailed case studies on China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Also included is a comparative study of investing firms headquartered in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong. The authors conclude that social stability, clear and effective policy implementation and corporate governance are all key factors in reaping economic success from FDI.

Japan’s employment practices were long considered a cornerstone to its economic success. However, the reversal in economic performance during the 1990s altered the positive perception and inspired major adaptations like the rise in performance-related pay (‘seikashugi’) and non-regular employment. This book presents case-studies of the adaptations in personnel management by major Japanese firms. It highlights the diversity, the stability and the considerations behind the adaptations that are implemented by these firms. Drawing on insights from institutional theory, it shows how factors such as legitimacy and institutional interlock have guaranteed an important continuity in employment practices. It discusses how the adaptations have not actually replaced the existing practices but have been shaped by them and, as a consequence, the result may not be as revolutionary as once expected but is likely to last. Furthermore, it argues that the employment practices remain specifically Japanese and that expectations of convergence have so far proved misplaced. Overall, this book is a valuable contribution to the study of employment issues. It provides an effective framework to analyse the ongoing developments in Japanese employment practices and demonstrates that Japanese developments continue to offer important insights for human resource management and labour market institutionalisation in general.

Globalisation makes our world appear smaller: it is easier to connect, communicate and do business with people all over the world. But cultural differences remain and challenge globalized knowledge communication and transfer. This book examines cross-cultural management within multinational enterprises (MNEs), focusing in particular on how cultural differences influence the transfer of knowledge between different units within individual corporations. Based on detailed empirical analysis of 267 companies in Germany and Japan, it considers the relative effectiveness of inter-cultural and intra-cultural knowledge transfer; identifies the factors that inhibit or facilitate successful knowledge transfer; and suggests how management processes of MNEs can be improved. It demonstrates that although cultural differences do not necessarily influence the selection and transmission of knowledge overseas, they do have a strong impact on how that knowledge is received, integrated and put into practice locally. The book shows how knowledge is accepted differently in Europe and Asia and which factors have the strongest impact on efficient knowledge transfer. It suggests that to improve cross-cultural management MNEs should focus less on upgrading the technology that allows knowledge transfer, and more on the capabilities and beliefs of individual employees.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important issue in contemporary business, management and politics, especially since the launch of the United Nations Global Compact in 2000 as an initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on them. This book examines the theory and practice of CSR in Asia. The philosophical and ideological underpinnings of CSR are rooted in Anglo-American and European principles of liberal democratic rights, justice and societal structures. This book not only considers the impact of Western CSR practices in Asia, but also provides much needed Asian perspectives on this issue. It investigates the operation of CSR in different countries across Asia, including China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh – comparing the different meanings given to CSR, and the varying degrees of success experienced in different national contexts. This book argues if CSR is ever to revolutionize the manner in which we trade then it is needs to open itself up to the full variety of social responsibility as it occurs around the world. The book re-maps and refines debates about CSR as a global phenomenon, and will be of great value to professionals making strategic decisions in the global business environment.

Developing countries in East Asia recorded remarkable economic growth until the Asian financial crisis erupted in mid-1997. Although several countries experienced devastating setbacks, most of them recovered to achieve reasonable rates of economic growth over the next few years. Sound macroeconomic management, export-oriented policies, and the availability of skilled and low-wage labour are among the factors that contributed to the rapid economic growth before the crisis and the recovery thereafter. Especially noteworthy in this regard is the role played by foreign direct investment (FDI).This comprehensive book identifies the factors that contributed to the expansion of FDI inflows in East Asia and the factors that enabled recipient countries to utilize FDI effectively. It includes detailed case studies on China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Also included is a comparative study of investing firms headquartered in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong. The authors conclude that social stability, clear and effective policy implementation and corporate governance are all key factors in reaping economic success from FDI.

Adopting an international business perspective, this book surveys recent business developments in Asia, and the activities of multinational firms in the region, focusing in particular on the changing nature of organizational and institutional relationships, including intra- and inter- organizational relationships, business relationships with institutions, and relationships with stakeholders. The international team of contributors discuss the current and future trends in a wide range of business sectors across the region, as well as assessing how the nature of multinationals' activities in the region is changing as the business environment evolves and becomes more globalized.

The idea of corporations exercising corporate social responsibility has spread from the West and is now firmly embedded in Asian countries and in Asian corporations. The latest trend in corporate social responsibility, evident also in Asia, is for corporations to apply corporate social responsibility to local communities and to those at the bottom of the social hierarchy. This book explores corporations’ social responsibility engagement with local communities in a range of Asian countries. It provides examples of corporate social responsibility in a wide range of industrial sectors, focuses extensively on "social enterprises" and on governments’ and corporations’ schemes to encourage them, considers how relations with employees and with local workforces fit into the pattern of corporate social responsibility, and discusses the question as to how far corporations engage with local communities as a way of developing new markets for their products.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important issue in contemporary business, management and politics, especially since the launch of the United Nations Global Compact in 2000 as an initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on them. This book examines the theory and practice of CSR in Asia. The philosophical and ideological underpinnings of CSR are rooted in Anglo-American and European principles of liberal democratic rights, justice and societal structures. This book not only considers the impact of Western CSR practices in Asia, but also provides much needed Asian perspectives on this issue. It investigates the operation of CSR in different countries across Asia, including China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Bangladesh – comparing the different meanings given to CSR, and the varying degrees of success experienced in different national contexts. This book argues if CSR is ever to revolutionize the manner in which we trade then it is needs to open itself up to the full variety of social responsibility as it occurs around the world. The book re-maps and refines debates about CSR as a global phenomenon, and will be of great value to professionals making strategic decisions in the global business environment.

Japan’s employment practices were long considered a cornerstone to its economic success. However, the reversal in economic performance during the 1990s altered the positive perception and inspired major adaptations like the rise in performance-related pay (‘seikashugi’) and non-regular employment. This book presents case-studies of the adaptations in personnel management by major Japanese firms. It highlights the diversity, the stability and the considerations behind the adaptations that are implemented by these firms. Drawing on insights from institutional theory, it shows how factors such as legitimacy and institutional interlock have guaranteed an important continuity in employment practices. It discusses how the adaptations have not actually replaced the existing practices but have been shaped by them and, as a consequence, the result may not be as revolutionary as once expected but is likely to last. Furthermore, it argues that the employment practices remain specifically Japanese and that expectations of convergence have so far proved misplaced. Overall, this book is a valuable contribution to the study of employment issues. It provides an effective framework to analyse the ongoing developments in Japanese employment practices and demonstrates that Japanese developments continue to offer important insights for human resource management and labour market institutionalisation in general.

Globalisation makes our world appear smaller: it is easier to connect, communicate and do business with people all over the world. But cultural differences remain and challenge globalized knowledge communication and transfer. This book examines cross-cultural management within multinational enterprises (MNEs), focusing in particular on how cultural differences influence the transfer of knowledge between different units within individual corporations. Based on detailed empirical analysis of 267 companies in Germany and Japan, it considers the relative effectiveness of inter-cultural and intra-cultural knowledge transfer; identifies the factors that inhibit or facilitate successful knowledge transfer; and suggests how management processes of MNEs can be improved. It demonstrates that although cultural differences do not necessarily influence the selection and transmission of knowledge overseas, they do have a strong impact on how that knowledge is received, integrated and put into practice locally. The book shows how knowledge is accepted differently in Europe and Asia and which factors have the strongest impact on efficient knowledge transfer. It suggests that to improve cross-cultural management MNEs should focus less on upgrading the technology that allows knowledge transfer, and more on the capabilities and beliefs of individual employees.