Multinational Corporations and Regional Strategy

Multinational Corporations and Regional Strategy

Globalization has become a widespread phenomenon over the past two decade in the sense that no one is surprised any more to find world brands in the most remote places of the world. The exposure from large multinational companies’ product portfolios has become everyday reality for most people around the world.

Strategizing globally has for the last decades been the buzzword for multinational corporations (MNC) in order to exploit synergies and arbitrage across regions and achieving global success. However, during the past years global strategies have been subject of extensive criticism from researchers who argue that despite the trend of globalization there are few MNCs that are in fact global, but rather seem to strategize and structure regionally. The emergence of this regional theory has in recent years gained momentum within the field of MNC research and many new findings and theoretical concepts have emerged that have challenged the establishment. This polarization of MNC theory creates a current theoretical state that is unfocused and many new concepts have emerged.

Thus, there is need to identify key dimensions of regional strategy for MNCs and provide an overview of the relationship between environment, strategy and structure also revealing a gap in industry related research and suggest more research being focused on degree of commoditization of products and services provided by the MNC as well as a new focus of research on emerging global suppliers.

Harmonization in measurement is needed to elevate the research within MNCs and regional strategies as well as more industry based analysis to avoid measuring apples and pears in an important strategic field of international strategy.

The Role of Business in Development

The Role of Business in Development

In recent times, the role of business organizations in development has come under greater scrutiny. The shift of resources for development from official development assistance and loans to foreign direct investment and outsourcing by business has meant that at a practical level, economic development has become more intimately linked with the policies and practices of large business organizations. Economic, technological and cultural globalization is largely driven by multinational companies (MNCs). Many corporations command resources – technological and financial – far in excess of those enjoyed by many of the countries and communities in which they operate around the world. This has not always been seen as a positive trend, and opponents of globalization have typically targeted ‘business’ as both a cause and an accelerator of negative social and ecological outcomes of economic development.

In contrast, even the most trenchant critics of globalization recognize the need for economic development at the local or regional community level. Many social and environmental advocacy organizations and international development agencies are researching and publishing material on the importance of sustainable livelihoods – where economic, social and ecological factors are integrated to the benefit of society and nature. We strive to describe the response of ‘business’ and provide a contemporary perspective on development which acknowledges the importance of economic development and entrepreneurship to community development.

We introduce the notion that ‘business’ might be better defined as a creative, entrepreneurial act involving multiple collaborating partners rather than as an institution associated with particular multinational interests, and we describe a number of cases that help illustrate why this is relevant to the notion of development.

We reprise recent developments in the management literature which envisage a new role for multinational corporations in development and add some conclusions about how new perspectives on business might resolve some of the current tensions and ambiguities about the roles of different actors.

Draft Conference Agenda of African Multinational Corporations Forum 2014

Draft Conference Agenda

of 

African Multinational Corporations Forum 2014

Tentative Program

Theme: Promoting Multinational Corporations Investment, Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility and Facilitate Sustainability Development.

November  1st Day, 3 Days Program, 2014, Johannesburg/Pretoria
1st Day	Registration Meeting Welcome Reception
2nd Day	Opening Ceremony Addresses by Key Note Speakers UNIT 1. Meeting on Attracting Foreign Direct Investment for Economic African Development Connecting Africa to Redundant / underutilized capital in the West & Asia. Making Use of African Capital Markets Authorities and agencies. UNIT 2. Meeting on Environment and Industrialization. Topics: Low Carbon Economy and African Industrial Revolution Development, Application and Promotion of Clean Technologies. strategic Significance of Foreign Direct  Investments (FDIs) strategic Significance of Investment by African Indigenous Multinationals.  African Environmental Policies and Politics. policies, Projects and Environment of African Governments for Introducing Foreign Investments. strengthening Media Supervision for Environment Malpractices. Introducing Pan African Business Coalition for Environment. Supported by , …..Sponsored by…………………………….
	UNIT 3: Meeting on Industrial Parks as a tool to foster and attract Foreign Investment and multinational corporations in Africa. Topics: Strengthening Policies for African Industrial Parks. Establishing a regional framework of Industrial Parks – Pan-African Network for Industrial Parks. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 4: Meeting of CEOs of Foreign Multinational Corporation Operating Africa. Topics: 1.          African Periodical Economic Strategic Plan and the Development of Multinational Corporations. 2.          strategic Interpretation and review of African Economic Report 2013. 3.          The Difficulties met in obtaining and identifying business opportunities in Africa. 4.          Review of African Industry Sector Reports and analyses. 5.          Problems faced during business expansion and development in different African Countries. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 5: Meeting of African Indigenous Multinational Corporations Leaders. Topics; This fruits of economic Cooperation and the role of regional economic blocks in fostering investment. African Multinational Corporation Going Global. The present situation and the future of (going global). How to use foreign diplomatic resources – African Corporations (going out) in marketing, business logistics and financial services, etc. How to take advantage of inexpensive labor to compete in foreign markets. Risk Controls and Best Business Practices. How to use foreign exchange reserves - going global. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
3rd Day	UNIT 6: Meeting of Heads of Chambers of Commerce; Private Sector Organizations, African Trade Ministers. Topics; Strengthening their role to attract foreign investments in Africa. How to generate industry sector reports and analyses to inform prospective foreign investors. Fostering the development of industry cluster associations for transparent Private Sector, industry segmentation and representation. How to use foreign diplomatic resources to invite and attract Multinational Corporations to African countries. Role of Regional Chambers of Commerce, Business councils, Bilateral Multinational Corporation in Africa. Resource Nationalism. Risks associated with Indigenization of Foreign Corporations. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 7: Meeting of Heads of African Investment Authorities and Departments Topics; How to strengthen their role to attract foreign Investments. Best practice Sharing Separation of the state and politics from Multinational Corporation Misinterpretation from the local business communities. Off share companies.
	UNIT 8: African Economic Structure and sustainable Development. Topics; Presentation from Economic experts. Economic Research organizations on Multinational Corporation in Africa. The Academia on Multinational Corporations. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 8: Meeting on Protection of Intellectual Property Rights. Topics: The Overseas Development of Enterprises and the Protection of Intellectual Property. Transnational laws and Legal challenges of Multinational Corporations. Investment protection Insurance and risk. Counterfeits and Piracy. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 9: Meeting on Standards, Food and Drug Safety and Responsibility. Topics: Products  and Services Standards Responsible and safe Dumping of Products Safety of food and drugs, Governmental and enterprises credibility. Establishment of regional food and drugs safety standards. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 12: Asian Multinational Corporation in African Topics. Criticisms and Implications of malpractices of Asian Multinational Corporations. Labor Concerns and Implications for Chinese and Indian Multinational Corporations Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 8: Meeting on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development. Topics: The impact of CSR on Mankind, Society and Sustainable development of Economy. How Multinational Corporation can set good models of CSR for the SME’s Enterprises at the Bottom of the Pyramid of Sustainable Development. Operational Guidelines on Multinational Corporation in Africa. Pan African Business Coalition to Protect the Environment Pan African Business Coalition for Health Pan African Business Coalition for Education Pan African Network for Industrial Parks Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT 9: Multinational Corporations and the Rising Africa. Topics: What contributions Multinational Corporation make to Human Progress and Social Development in Africa?
	UNIT : Meeting of Heads of African Revenue Authorities and Departments Topics: Multinational Tax Obligations Multinational Tax Evasions and Avoidance Corporate Tax exemptions Tax incentives for multinational corporations and their misinterpretations from local business communities. Offshore Companies. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….
	UNIT  10: Awards Giving Ceremony: Award of Regional Investment Strategist Award of Multinational  Corporation best in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Announcing the list of Top Most 50 African Multinational Corporations. award of African Low-Carbon Corporation. Award of Multinational Corporation Outstanding in Community Contribution in Africa. Supported by ………. …..Sponsored by……………….

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