Browsing by Subject "Fallstudie"

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Reforms and foreign direct investment : possibilities and limits of public policy in attracting multinational corporations; a multiple case study of Romania and Croatia
(2009) Zühlke, Dietmar; Belke, Ansgar
I. Introduction: This thesis analyzes the impact of reforms in Romania and Croatia on the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by German and Austrian Multinational Corporations (MNCs). The research questions are: (1) What role can public policy play in transition countries in attracting FDI, (2) what influence does public policy in transition countries have on the investment decision of MNCs, (3) how successful have investment policies been in Romania and Croatia, (4) what influence do different political actors have on FDI, and (5) what can be learnt from a cross-country analysis? II. Theoretical approach: This dissertation is based on two theoretical pillars: The theory of locational competition is well-suited to analyze both perspectives of potential investors and state actors. Furthermore, it includes the consideration of interdependences of different determinants as well as of trade-offs of political measures and decisions. The NIE is well-suited to categorize FDI measures and to analyze actions and time constraints of individual actors. III. Methodological approach: The analysis is focused on FDI in Romania and Croatia. It follows the case study approach and is based empirically on expert interviews. The analysis of Romania and Croatia is rewarding in particular since both countries belong to the most important FDI recipients of South East Europe and have not been analyzed in this combination so far. The qualitative analysis allows drawing country-comprehensive conclusions and can demonstrate to what extent EU candidate countries can learn from new EU member states. The case study approach enables the use of different types of sources and is open to the consideration of different research disciplines. The author conducted 90 expert interviews. Interviewees were on investors as well as state representatives. The transcript protocols comprise more than 400 pages and the consolidated case study database contains more than 6,700 expert statements. Furthermore 40 state and company documents were evaluated with a total of over 1,900 pages. IV. Key research results: The interview analysis leads to a definition of three dimensions of legal, economic and political determinants that comprise a total of 14 determinants and 29 sub-determinants. The subsequent analysis of the determinants allows answering the research questions above. (1): Political determinants are of key importance of the inflow for FDI into transition countries. States have to provide a minimum quality level for certain determinants in order to be considered as potential investment location at all (e. g. regarding property rights). (2): The analysis of the 29 sub-determinants shows that FDI is influenced by a multitude of determinants. They are considerably dependent on the perception of the MNCs. The most important determinants for transition countries are privatization, EU integration, internal political stability, property law, regional differences in bureaucracy, and the country image. (3) Romania did not start until the end of the 1990s and did not accelerate until 2004. Today Romania benefits, amongst other things, from a sound legal system and a liberal company registration. An important remaining problem is the weak infrastructure. Croatia started gradual reform after the death of Tudman. The political and economic stability as well as the positive country image represent important pull factors for FDI in Croatia. Property law constraints and bureaucratic obstacles are remaining investment barriers. For transition countries in general the removal of bureaucratic hurdles (such as registration times) as well as the reduction of uncertainties appears to have the greatest impact on FDI. MNCs then even seem to accept somewhat higher costs (e. g. for simple customs procedures). The ?race to the bottom? that is often worried about seems less realistic than a ?race for quality?. (4): 6 groups of state actors were identified who influence the inflow of FDI: central government and authorities, local governments and authorities, courts, and the EU. It was that central governments are the most influential actors group overall. Local authorities are of particular importance for follow-up investments. (5): The catching up of Romania in recent years has turned this country into a role for EU accession candidates in different areas (e. g. regarding the reforms of the local bureaucracy). Croatia?s reforms were less speedy due to the impact of the war and ? to some extent ? because it relied too much on its high living standards. The accession process will be an important vehicle for Croatia ? even more than for Romania ? in order to overcome the remaining deficiencies.
Socio-economic evaluation of sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil in view of the potential implementation of innovative plant protein ingredients for human consumption
(2018) Sousa, Lucas Oliveira de; Berger, Thomas
This study aimed at performing a socio-economic analysis of an agri-food chain focused on a non-established crop in view of the potential implementation of food innovations, using sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil and upcoming sunflower high-quality food protein ingredients as a case study. Thus, fieldwork was carried out in the main sunflower-producing areas between April and August 2016 for data collection among sunflower chain agents from the input, farming, and processing segments, besides representatives from the research sector. Section 1 applied a multiple case study embedded design to describe and analyze the dynamics of operation of sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil. The analysis followed a theory-driven approach based on concepts from transaction costs economics and the social network approach. The findings indicated an environment of high transaction costs, in which the economic transactions are ruled by formal and relational governance structures, and made possible through knowledge diffusion, under the coordination of a processing company. Nevertheless, the sustainable long-term operation of the sunflower chains is constrained by typical limitations of non-established crops, such as restricted market structure, land use competition with well-established crops, and technological limitations regarding plant breeding, and control of pests and diseases. Moreover, Section 1 revealed that a farmer-led sunflower chain in the state of Mato Grosso (MT) stood out regarding the operational stability, suggesting a closer analysis of this farmers’ collective endeavor, which was performed in the subsequent section. Thus, Section 2 adopted a single case study embedded design to describe and analyze the establishment process of the leading Brazilian sunflower agri-food chain located in MT under the regime of farmers. The analysis followed a framework that regarded the agri-food chain establishment as an entrepreneurial process. The findings indicated that the process of establishment of this sunflower chain has been a complex social-economic endeavor stemming from a set of interconnected driving forces composed of entrepreneurial skills, social network, resource availability, and crop suitability. Furthermore, Section 2 suggested the existence of a supportive institutional environment for the establishment of new sunflower agri-food chains in MT among soybean farmers, besides indicating the need of examining the potential for sunflower production expansion in MT, which was the focus of the next section. Thus, Section 3 applied an integrated assessment approach that combines an agent-based model (ABM) with a crop growth model to investigate the potential for sunflower land use expansion in double-cropping systems prevailing in MT. The ABM was implemented using the software package Mathematical Programming-based Multi-Agent Systems (MPMAS), and the crop yields simulations were implemented using the process-based model for nitrogen and carbon in agro-ecosystems (MONICA). The findings indicated the existence of a potential for the expansion of the sunflower production in MT. Nevertheless, this potential is constrained by the distance between the producing areas and the processing facilities. Moreover, the simulations confirmed the land use competition between sunflower and maize, showing that sunflower land use is strongly associated with agents’ expectations regarding prices and yields of sunflower and maize. However, the results also revealed a complementary effect between these two crops due to the different water deficit tolerance of these crops. Section 3 also highlighted that the simulated potential production of sunflower would require further increases in the current processing capacity installed in MT. To conclude, the analyses performed in Sections 1, 2, and 3 indicated relevant aspects to be considered by innovators interested in implementing food innovations related to non-established crops. The scarcity of feedstock suppliers requires the adoption of contractual and relational governance structures coupled with the provision of technical assistance at the farming level. Moreover, farmers with a recognized professional and social reputation as well as leadership abilities play an important role in influencing other farmers to adopt a non-established crop. Finally, the suitability of the crop for the agricultural system prevailing in the region is essential for ensuring a minimum level of farmers’ willingness to adopt a non-established crop. In this regard, particular attention should be given to the land use competition with well-established crops.