FDI inflows and outflows, intellectual property rights, and productivity growth

Using panel data of 57 countries during the period of 1995-2012, this study investigates the impact of intellectual property rights (IPR) processes on productivity growth. The IPR processes are decomposed into three stages, innovation process, commercialization process, and IPR protection process. Our results suggest that better IPR protection is directly associated with productivity improvement only in developed economies. In addition, the contribution of IPR processes on growth through foreign direct investment (FDI) appears to be very limited. Only FDI inflows in developed countries which help to create a better innovative capability lead to a higher growth. And in connection with FDI outflows, only IPR protection and commercialization processes are proven to improve productivity in the case of developing countries, particularly when the country acts as the investing country.

Firm-level impacts of natural disasters on production networks : evidence from a flood in Thailand

In this paper, we explore the firm-level impacts of flooding in Thailand in 2011, specifically those on the procurement patterns at Japanese affiliates in Thailand. Our findings are as follow. First, the damaged small firms are more likely to lower their local procurement share, particularly the share of procurement from other Japanese-owned firms in Thailand. Second, damaged young firms and damaged old firms are more likely to raise the shares of imports from Japan and China, respectively. Third, there are no impacts on imports from ASEAN and other countries. These findings are useful for uncovering how multinational firms adjust their production networks before and after natural disasters.

Did Japanese direct investment in Korea suppress indigenous industrialization in the 1930s? : evidence from country-level factory entry patterns

Foreign direct investment (FDI) can deliver both positive and negative spillovers to the local economy. Negative effects such as crowding-out or entry-barrier effects might outweigh the positive ones when the technological gap between foreign and local firms is significant. This paper examines the impact of Japanese direct investment into Korea under colonization in the 1930s on the entry of Korean-owned factories. By using the census of manufacturing factories in Korea, we exploit variations in the share of Japanese factories and their entry rates across counties within the same subsectors. We find that within a subsector, entry rates of Korean factories were higher in counties with higher presence and entry of Japanese factories. Positive correlations are also found between subsectors. The results imply that Japanese direct investment did not suppress the entry of Korean factories and that FDI could exert positive entry spillovers on indigenous firms, even at a very early stage of industrialization.

Competition between firms in developing and developed countries

We analyze competition in emerging markets between firms in developing and developed countries from the viewpoint of the boundaries of the firm. Although indigenous firms generally face a disadvantage in technology compared with foreign firms, they have an advantage in marketing as local firms. Moreover, they have opportunities to leave weaker fields to independent specialized firms and use lower wages. On the other hand, foreign firms also have their own advantages and disadvantages for growth. Therefore, entry conditions for indigenous firms can vary greatly depending on the situation. We classify these conditions into eight cases by developing a model and showing each boundary choice for indigenous firms.

Theory and empirics of Markusen type multinationals

Research on multinational firms’ activity has been conducted widely since late 1980s. The literature is differentiated into three types: horizontal FDI, vertical FDI, and three-country FDI, represented by export platform FDI. There are other methods of differentiation of the literature by approach, for example, the pure theory approach represented by Krugman and Melitz and the numerical simulation approach represented by Markusen. This paper surveys Markusen type literature by firm type. There is little literature focused on intermediate goods trade, although intermediate goods trade is considered to be strongly related to the production patterns of MNEs. In this paper, we introduce a model to explicitly treat intermediate goods trade and present simulation analysis for empirical estimation.

Is FTA/EPA effective for a developing country to attract FDI? : simulation analysis based on an extended knowledge-capital model

To prepare an answer to the question of how a developing country can attract FDI, this paper explored the factors and policies that may help bring FDI into a developing country by utilizing an extended version of the knowledge-capital model. With a special focus on the effects of FTAs/EPAs between market countries and developing countries, simulations with the model revealed the following: (1) Although FTA/EPA generally ends to increase FDI to a developing country, the possibility of improving welfare through increased demand for skilled and unskilled labor becomes higher as the size of the country declines; (2) Because the additional implementation of cost-saving policies to reduce firm-type/trade-link specific fixed costs ends to depreciate the price of skilled labor by saving its input, a developing country, which is extremely scarce in skilled labor, is better off avoiding the additional option; (3) If a country hopes to enjoy larger welfare gains with EPA, efforts to increase skilled labor in the country, such as investing in education, may be beneficial.

The impact of foreign firms on industrial productivity : evidence from Japan

With a newly constructed dataset on foreign firms in Japan for the period 1995-2008 from firm-level surveys, this paper estimates the impact of foreign firms on industrial productivity at the regional level. A Bayesian-model averaging approach is taken to account for model uncertainty resulting from various linkages between foreign firms and domestic industries. The results show that the foreign firms may contribute to industrial efficiency directly through their above-average productivity and indirectly through positive spillovers in intra-industry and local backward linkages. Forward linkages with foreign firms may have a negative impact on industrial productivity. However, these impacts depend on the nationality and entry mode of foreign investors. Aggregating foreign firms may mask their distinctive impacts on productivity.

Balanced scorecard to improve strategic management control at School of Mines and Energy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

We studied the situation in Spanish public universities regarding the use of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), as an instrument of control and strategic management. Also, we studied its application to the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The main advantage of the BSC is that improves the organizational structure of the workplace and the achievement of the objectives that ensure long-term success. First we review the strategy for success used in the Spanish educational system and specifically in the Spanish public universities. Then using the BSC and applying the main strategic lines for the successful management of the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The strategic lines affect all the college groups and the success of the BSC tool is to increase communication between the faculties, personal auxiliary, students and society in general that make up the university. First we performed a SWOT analysis (DAFO in Spanish) there are proposed different perspectives that focus the long-term strategic objectives. The BSC is designed based on the strategic objectives that set the direction through using indicators and initiatives, the goals are achieved up to the programmed schedule. In the perspective of teaching, objectives are set to update facilities and increase partnerships with other universities and businesses, encouraging ongoing training of staff and improved coordination and internal communication. The internal process perspective aims at improving the marketing, the promotion of the international dimension of the school through strategic alliances, better mobility for students and professors and improved teaching and research quality results. It continues with improving the image of the school between customer?s perspective, the quality perceived by students and the loyalty of the teaching staff by retaining talent. Finally, the financial perspective which should contain costs without harming the quality, improving the employability of students and achieve relevant jobs at teaching and research through international measurement standards.

Toward a planning model for the peruvian university system as a competitive strategy.

University education in Peru is based on models of teacher-centered teaching and a conception of knowledge which is closed and static and under the dominance of an information model now overwhelmed by multiple factors hastened by international change. The worlds most prestigious universities have chosen cultural diversity as a sign of quality and are hence interested in the mobility of teachers and students through exchange and cooperation with foreign educational institutions. These universities respond more effectively to pressure from the international business sector, better satisfy training demands, introduce new information and communication technologies into education and research and have improved administration and management structures. While there is progress, the university system in Peru is a planning model defined "as a discipline that seeks to respond to the needs of an organization defined by new cultural and social models" (A. Cazorla, et al 2007).This paper studies the non-Euclidean thinking of planning and development of John Friedmann (2001). Based on the four domains of social practice, it proposes a planning model for Peruvian universities that meets international requirements.

Tips and tricks about financial ratios: how to anticipate unpleasant surprises

Following recent accounting and ethical scandals within the Telecom Industry like Gowex case, old cards are laid on the table: what kind of management and control are we doing on our businesses and what use do we give to the specific tools we have at our disposition? There are indicators, that on a very specific, concise and accurate manner, aside from brief, allow us to analyze and capture the complexity of a business and also they constitute an important support when making optimal decisions. These instruments or indicators show, a priori, all relevant data from a purely economic perspective, while there also exist, the possibility of including factors that are not of this nature strictly. For instance, there are indicators that take into account the customer?s satisfaction, the corporate reputation among others. Both kind of performance indicators form, together, an integral dashboard while the pure economic side of it could be considered as a basic dashboard. Based on DuPont?s methodology, we will be able to calculate the ROI (Return on Investment) of a company from the disaggregation of very useful and much needed indicators like the ROE (Return on Equity) or the ROA (Return on Assets); thereby, we will be able to get to know, to control and, hence, to optimize the company?s leverage level, its liquidity ratio or its solvency ratio, among others; as well as the yield we will be able to obtain if our decisions and management are optimal related to the bodies of assets. Bear in mind and make the most of the abovementioned management tools and indicators that we have at our disposition, allow us to act knowing our path and taking full responsibility, as well as, to obtain the maximum planned benefits, instead of leaving them to be casual. We will be able to avoid errors that can lead the company to an unfortunate and non-desirable situation and, of course, we will detect, way in advance, the actual needs of the business in terms of accounting and financial sanitation before irreversible situations are reached.

Customer loyalty plan at Residencia Gómez-Pardo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Accommodation is a first need and one of the most important decisions that university students have to decide taking into account their limited budget. The satisfaction grade of these students is the relevant aspect for the administrators and managers of the university residences, because it allows assuring the viability and sustainability of this kind of accommodation. In a situation of decline in rate of retention of students into the residence, coupled with an environment of economic crisis. Hence, of disposable income reduction, it seems essential to get to know what factors affect the motivation to remain into the university residence more than others when it comes to the final choice. The offer?s increase of different kind of accommodation is another variable to be considered when taking the decision related to the management of this kind of accommodation. Thus, there is the need to know which are the key factors and to obtain information about these variables in order to go deep into the relevance grade with the aim to pursue the strategic objectives, that will allow to improve the relationship with the customer and to respond to his accommodation? needs. This article researches the motivation elements that lead the students to remain in a university residence or to abandon it in exchange or a different accommodation, as per example shared flats or individual apartments. This research work intends to be useful for the university residence?s managers in order to increase its incomes, to raise the satisfaction degree among its residents and to obtain better end results in the management of these properties. The fieldwork conducted in the Residencia Universitaria Gómez Pardo (RUGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), for four semesters, which means students from 27 different grades (undergraduates) and 81 surveys finished, shows the following conclusions. Not only the relation with the residence?s personnel but also the quality and quantity of the feeding and the availability and quality of the internet service, constitute key factors when it comes to make the decision of remaining or of abandoning the residence when the semester comes to its end.

El nuevo escenario global y un modelo de negocio para la industria naval militar del 2025

Los retos y oportunidades a los que se enfrentan las organizaciones y administraciones de las primeras décadas del siglo XXI se caracterizan por una serie de fuerzas perturbadoras como la globalización, el avance de las tecnologías emergentes y el desequilibrio económico, que están actuando como impulsores de la transformación del mercado. La acción conjunta de estos factores está obligando a todas las empresas industriales a tener que trabajar con mayores y más exigentes niveles de productividad planteándose continuamente como mejorar y lograr satisfacer los requerimientos de los clientes. De esta situación surge la necesidad de volver a plantearse de nuevo ¿quién es el cliente?, ¿qué valora el cliente? y ¿cómo se pueden generan beneficios sostenibles? La aplicación de esta reflexión a la industria naval militar marca los objetivos a los que esta tesis doctoral busca dar respuesta. El primer objetivo, de carácter general, consiste en la definición de un modelo de negocio sostenible para la industria naval militar del 2025 que se adapte a los requisitos del cliente y al nuevo escenario político, económico, social, tecnológico y ambiental que rodea esta industria. El segundo objetivo, consecuencia del modelo general, trata de desarrollar una metodología para ejecutar programas de apoyo al ciclo de vida del “buque militar”. La investigación se estructura en cuatro partes: en la primera se justifica, por un lado, la necesidad del cambio de modelo y por otro se identifican los factores estructurantes para la definición del modelo. La segunda parte revisa la literatura existente sobre uno de los aspectos básicos para el nuevo modelo, el concepto Producto-Servicio. La tercera parte se centra totalmente en la industria naval militar estudiando los aspectos concretos del sector y, en base al trabajo de campo realizado, se identifican los puntos que más valoran las Marinas de Guerra y como estas gestionan al buque militar durante todo su ciclo de vida. Por último se presentan los principios del modelo propuesto y se desarrollan los pilares básicos para la ejecución de proyectos de Apoyo al Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Como resultado de la investigación, el modelo propuesto para la industria naval militar se fundamenta en once principios: 1. El buque militar (producto de alto valor añadido) debe ser diseñado y construido en un astillero del país que desarrolla el programa de defensa. 2. El diseño tiene que estar orientado al valor para el cliente, es decir, se tiene que diseñar el buque militar para que cumpla su misión, eficaz y eficientemente, durante toda su vida operativa, asegurando la seguridad del buque y de las personas y protegiendo el medio ambiente de acuerdo con las regulaciones vigentes. 3. La empresa debe suministrar soluciones integrales de apoyo al ciclo de vida al producto. 4. Desarrollar y mantener las capacidades de integración de sistemas complejos para todo el ciclo de vida del buque militar. 5. Incorporar las tecnologías digitales al producto, a los procesos, a las personas y al propio modelo de negocio. 6. Desarrollar planes de actuación con el cliente domestico a largo plazo. Estos planes tienen que estar basados en tres premisas: (i) deben incluir el ciclo de vida completo, desde la fase de investigación y desarrollo hasta la retirada del buque del servicio; (ii) la demanda debe ser sofisticada, es decir las exigencias del cliente, tanto desde la óptica de producto como de eficiencia, “tiran” del contratista y (iii) permitir el mantenimiento del nivel tecnológico y de las capacidades industriales de la compañía a futuro y posicionarla para que pueda competir en el mercado de exportación. 7. Impulsar el sector militar de exportación mediante una mayor actividad comercial a nivel internacional. 8. Fomentar la multilocalización ya que representa una oportunidad de crecimiento y favorece la exportación posibilitando el suministro de soluciones integrales en el país destino. 9. Reforzar la diplomacia institucional como palanca para la exportación. 10. Potenciar el liderazgo tecnológico tanto en producto como en procesos con políticas activas de I + D+ i. 11. Reforzar la capacidad de financiación con soluciones innovadoras. El segundo objetivo de esta tesis se centra en el desarrollo de soluciones integrales de Apoyo al Ciclo de Vida (ACV). La metodología planteada trata de minimizar la brecha entre capacidades y necesidades a lo largo de la vida operativa del barco. Es decir, el objetivo principal de los programas de ACV es que la unidad conserve durante toda su vida operativa, en términos relativos a las tecnologías existentes, las capacidades equivalentes a las que tendrá cuando entre en servicio. Los ejes de actuación para conseguir que un programa de Apoyo al Ciclo de Vida cumpla su objetivo son: el diseño orientado al valor, la ingeniería de Apoyo al Ciclo de Vida, los proyectos de refresco de tecnología, el mantenimiento Inteligente y los contratos basados en prestaciones. ABSTRACT On the first decades of the 21st century, organizations and administrations face challenges and come across opportunities threatened by a number of disruptive forces such as globalization, the ever-changing emerging technologies and the economic imbalances acting as drivers of the market transformation. This combination of factors is forcing all industrial companies to have more and higher demanding productivity levels, while bearing always in mind how to improve and meet the customer’s requirements. In this situation, we need to question ourselves again: Who is the customer? What does the customer value? And how can we deliver sustainable economic benefits? Considering this matter in a military naval industry framework sets the goals that this thesis intends to achieve. The first general goal is the definition of a new sustainable business model for the 2025 naval industry, adapted to the customer requirements and the new political, economic, social, technological and environmental scenario. And the second goal that arises as a consequence of the general model develops a methodology to implement “warship” through life support programs. The research is divided in four parts: the first one justifies, on the one hand, the need to change the existing model and, on the other, identifies the model structural factors. On the second part, current literature regarding one of the key issues on the new model (the Product-Service concept) is reviewed. Based on field research, the third part focuses entirely on military shipbuilding, analyzing specific key aspects of this field and identifying which of them are valued the most by Navies and how they manage through life cycles of warships. Finally, the foundation of the proposed model is presented and also the basic grounds for implementing a Through Life Support (TLS) program are developed. As a result of this research, the proposed model for the naval industry is based on eleven (11) key principles: 1. The warship (a high added value product) must be designed and built in a shipyard at the country developing the defense program. 2. Design must be customer value oriented, i.e.warship must be designed to effectively fulfill its mission throughout its operational life, ensuring safety at the ship and for the people and protecting the environment in accordance with current regulations. 3. The industry has to provide integrated Through Life Support solutions. 4. Develop and maintain integrated complex systems capabilities for the entire warship life cycle. 5. Introduce the product, processes, people and business model itself to digital technologies. 6. Develop long-term action plans with the domestic customer. These plans must be based on three premises: (i) the complete life cycle must be included, starting from the research and development stage throughout the ship’s disposal; (ii) customer demand has to be sophisticated, i.e. customer requirements, both from the efficiency and product perspective, "attract" the contractor and (iii) technological level and manufacturing capabilities of the company in the future must be maintained and a competitive position on the export market has to be achieved. 7. Promote the military exporting sector through increased international business. 8. Develop contractor multi-location as it entails an opportunity for growth and promote export opportunities providing integrated solutions in the customer's country. 9. Strengthen institutional diplomacy as a lever for export. 10. Promote technological leadership in both product and processes with active R & D & I policies (Research & Development & Innovation) 11. Strengthen financing capacity through innovative solutions. The second goal of this thesis is focused on developing integrated Through Life Support (TLS) solutions. The proposed methodology tries to minimize the gap between needs and capabilities through the ship operational life. It means, the main TLS program objective is to maintain the ship’s performance and capabilities during operational life, in relative terms to current technologies, equivalent to those the ship had when it entered service. The main actions to fulfill the TLS program objectives are: value-oriented design, TLS engineering, technology updating projects, intelligent maintenance and performance based contracts.

A Porposal: "Agro-ERASMUS"

The rural population is getting smaller as percentage of the total population in the countries. There is a constant depopulation of rural areas to urban areas. The most extreme data are in countries like USA, where the rural population is 1.5%, from which 1% of that amount is part time and only 0.5% full time. On the other side, we have countries with more than 50% rural population. Related to training, cultural development, business and specific weight in society, rural residents have no significance in their societies. As they are few, and separated across the territory they have no influence on their societies. Comparing the USA farmer with one from the EU, we see that the American one is a businessperson and the European one, in most cases is a farm worker. To reduce this gap between these different farmers, we believe that we must train the new generations of children belonging to farming Europe. They must have a common language, English; they must know other countries culture and farming systems, live and network with other young Europeans colleagues,future young farmers. It is what we have coined as AGRO-ERASMUS. A project to be placed within the EU Common Agriculture Policies. The project must be designed before its implementation. Even some previous experience should make better viability. It should make use of a network of agricultural universities in several European countries. Each university would build a "farm school" where young people would learn "English?, and visit and work in small agricultural practices with a correct use of the time. One important subject dealing with should be agribusiness. The procedure based on the ?Farm School? (F-S) experience, should start with young people from 13 years up to 18 years. Their attendance, every summer, to the F-S should be rotated between different countries besides their own. The first and second year, with young people 13/14 years old, the Farm School would last less than three weeks in an English speaking country (Ireland, UK or someone else). They should live with a local family the time they stay outside of the Farm School (F-S). This two years period must be devoted to learn and become familiar with the English language and cultural differences. The rest of the four years left, the Farm Schools will have longer duration and be placed in other countries from the network. The living way would be in multinational teams of young people where the only spoken language would be English. After six years of summer oexistence speaking English and learning new competences and skills with colleagues from other countries, we would have a great team of young and future European farmers, able to travel free and confident through the whole Europe and ready to be engaged in productive, commercial and research activities. These new young farmers may revive European agriculture and would not look any more like rural habitants, but international business-farmers, professionally speaking. In a brief survey among the assistants to the Fifth International Academic Conference titled "Alternative Income Sources in Small Agricultural Holdings of the European Union" held in Krakow (PL) in June 2015, participants from universities and countries like Poland, Hungary, Rep. Czech, Portugal, Romania, etc., expressed the necessity of addressing this problem in a new and bold way.

Análise da possível expansão internacional de empresas brasileiras de real estate residencial para o mercado costarriquenho, uma abordagem SWOT.

Devido ao crescimento e à experiência adquirida pelas empresas brasileiras de real estate residencial nos últimos anos, e às características próprias desse setor, os mercados internacionais poderiam ser considerados como possíveis alvos para essas empresas. Por exemplo, no mercado residencial costarriquenho, incentivos para projetos residenciais de alta densidade populacional, reformas nos processos para a obtenção dos alvarás de construção e mudanças demográficas e culturais, parecem propiciar um ambiente favorável para empresas dessa indústria. Portanto, o objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar uma possível expansão geográfica de empresas brasileiras de real estate no mercado residencial costarriquenho, a partir da estruturação de uma análise de abordagem SWOT dos elementos necessários para tal incursão. Para isso, realizou-se uma revisão bibliográfica na busca dos elementos estratégicos do ambiente interno de empresas de real estate residencial que devem ser considerados para processos de internacionalização, identificando-se 12 forças e 10 fraquezas desta revisão. Ademais, analisou-se: o mercado residencial; a macroeconomia, e as conjunturas político-legais e socioculturais da Costa Rica, na procura de fatores que devem ser tomados em conta por parte de empresas de real estate ao ingressar nesse país, distinguindo-se 24 oportunidades e 20 ameaças dessa análise. Para complementar o estudo, foi avaliada a atratividade do mercado residencial costarriquenho para receber investimentos por onze importantes empresas do setor de real estate residencial brasileiro, por meio de um questionário estruturado com os elementos identificados na primeira parte do trabalho. Os resultados mostraram que, no momento da avaliação, as empresas entrevistadas deram maior atenção ao tamanho do mercado e às características do sistema financeiro para o setor residencial, e identificaram a carência do conhecimento local e sua cultura empresarial, como os elementos que dificultariam sua internacionalização. Conclui-se sobre a possível internacionalização de empresas brasileiras de real estate residencial para o mercado da Costa Rica, que elementos desde uma perspectiva econômica racional e principalmente contingencial definem essa estratégia, não sendo viável nem vantajoso idealizar um processo de internacionalização nesse mercado, devido às atuais condições de seus mercados locais e aos elementos do ambiente interno que várias dessas empresas apresentam.

La elección entre tipos de inversión directa en el exterior: evidencia empírica de las empresas españolas en China

Una de las cuestiones que más interés despierta entre los investigadores del campo de la internacionalización empresarial es la selección de la estrategia de entrada en un país extranjero. Actualmente, China es uno de los destinos que está cobrando una mayor relevancia en la expansión internacional de muchas empresas. En ese contexto, este trabajo examina la influencia de diversos factores empresariales sobre el nivel de compromiso asumido por las compañías españolas que han entrado en China a través de inversiones directas.