scholarly journals Capital Round-Tripping: Determinants of Emerging Market Firm Investments into Offshore Financial Centers and Their Ethical Implications

Author(s):  
Päivi Karhunen ◽  
Svetlana Ledyaeva ◽  
Keith D. Brouthers

AbstractForeign direct investment (FDI) in offshore financial centers (OFCs) is gaining increased attention in business ethics research. Much of this research tends to focus on OFCs as locations where firms can avoid taxes, considering such behavior as unethical. Yet, there is dearth of studies on capital round-tripping by emerging market firms, which is an integral part of this phenomenon. Such round-tripping involves firms sending capital into OFCs only to invest it back in the home country under the guise of “foreign” investment. Presently there is little discussion of the ethical implications of such round-trip FDI activities. In this paper, we conceptualize round-tripping as institutional arbitrage and look at the determinants and ethical implications of such investments into OFCs. Exploring Russian round-tripping we note that firms tend to invest more funds in OFCs that offer a combination of tax and secrecy, or secrecy and property rights protection arbitrage opportunities. In either case firms exploit the opportunities provided by institutional differences between the OFC and Russia while investing back into Russia. Our results tend to indicate that equating OFC investment to tax avoidance and thus deeming it as unethical behavior is too narrow an explanation in the case of emerging economy round-tripping. This is because such investments are often motivated by the unethical behavior of home country stakeholders and may in fact provide benefits to society.

Author(s):  
Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra ◽  
Ravi Ramamurti

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use the rise of emerging-market multinationals as a vehicle to explore how a firm’s country of origin influences its internationalization. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a conceptual paper. Findings We argue that the home country’s institutional and economic underdevelopment can influence the internationalization of firms in two ways. First, emerging-market firms may leverage innovations made at home to cope with underdeveloped institutions or economic backwardness to gain a competitive advantage abroad, especially in other emerging markets; We call this innovation-based internationalization. Second, they may expand into countries that are more developed or have better institutions to escape weaknesses on these fronts at home; we call this escape-based internationalization. Research limitations/implications Comparative disadvantages influence the internationalization of the firm differently from comparative advantage, as it forces the firm to actively upgrade its firm-specific advantage and internationalize. Practical implications We explain two drivers of internationalization that managers operating in emerging markets can consider when facing disadvantages in their home countries and follow several strategies, namely, trickle-up innovation, self-reliant innovation, improvisation management, self-reliance management, technological escape, marketing escape, institutional escape and discriminatory escape. Originality/value We explain how a firm’s home country’s comparative disadvantage, not just its comparative advantage, can spur firms its internationalization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-62
Author(s):  
Konstantin V. KRINICHANSKII

Subject. This article examines the non-financial sector debt ratio relative to the GDP of emerging and developed market economies. Objectives. The article aims to find out what institutional units show debt growth or reduction, what causes and conditions prevent debt decline or lead to its growth in different countries and sectors, and highlight the foundations of public policy in this area. Methods. For the study, I used a cross-country comparative analysis, grouping method, and graphical and trend analyses. The study covers 43 market economies, including 26 developed and 17 emerging ones. The time period is from Q4 2001 to Q4 2019. Results. The article identifies and describes the structural debt changes that have taken place since 2008, which include a reduction in private sector leverage and rising public sector debt in developed market economies, and accelerated growth in the non-financial corporations and households' debt in emerging market economies. Conclusions and Relevance. Given the different conditions of access to the capital market and the institutional differences between developed and emerging market economies, different approaches to debt management are needed. The identified trends are important to develop non-financial sector debt management policies, including both fiscal and monetary policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 8-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrie Firmansyah ◽  
Gitty Ajeng Triastie

This study aims to examine the effect of tax avoidance, corporate social responsibility disclosures, and risk disclosures on investment efficiency. This study also examines the role of corporate governance in the association between tax avoidance, corporate social responsibility disclosures, risk disclosures, and investment efficiency. This study uses multiple linear regression with panel data. The sample uses 43 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesian Securities Exchange from 2014 up to 2017 so that the total sample in this study amounted to 172 firm-years. The result suggests that tax avoidance is negatively associated with investment efficiency. However, corporate social responsibility disclosures and risk disclosures do not affect investment efficiency. Furthermore, another result suggests that corporate governance failed to moderate the effect of tax avoidance on investment efficiency. Besides, corporate governance can weaken the negative influence of corporate social responsibility disclosures on investment efficiency as well as corporate governance drives the negative effect of risk disclosures on investment efficiency.


Author(s):  
D. Smyslov

«The Group of Twenty» is an informal forum for international cooperation between the leading developed states, the largest developing countries and emerging market economies. The article explores the key strategic approaches and governance decisions related to the main directions of international macroeconomic and financial regulation elaborated during the Russian chairmanship in the G-20 (December 2012 – December 2013) which culminated in the St. Petersburg summit. The author makes attempt to estimate viability of discussed approaches and decisions against the background of the actual problems of global economy. The author pays special attention to the St. Petersburg summit’s approaches to the problems of providing favorable conditions for strong and sustainable economic growth and of addressing unemployment. The point is how to achieve an acceptable compromise between the purposes of fiscal and monetary policies, on the one part, and providing balanced state budgets, as well as price stability, on the other part. Also, the importance of a wide range of radical structural reforms is stressed. The author argues that Russia proposed to vital themes to discuss at G-20 summit: long-term financing for investment as a foundation for economic growth and improvement of public debt management practices. The article describes the principal provisions of the Declaration and the Action plan related to various aspects of the reconstruction of financial and monetary system, including: tackling tax avoidance; implementing the Basel-3 standards, dealing with the adequacy of the bank’s capital; ending «too big to fail» problem; reforming over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market; reducing reliance on the credit rating agencies; addressing potential risks for financial stability posed by the shadow banking; increasing financial inclusion, financial education and strengthening financial consumer protection; eliminating the international misbalances through broad based rebalancing of global demand; resisting of all forms of protectionism and promoting liberalization of global trade and investment; moving towards exchange rate flexibility to avoid persistent exchange rate misalignment; transforming the International Monetary Fund and Financial Stability Board. The author points to significant achievements of G-20 as a coordinating body for economic crisis management and, at the same time, discloses obstacles complicating its activities and development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Hossein Tarighi ◽  
Tahereh Alidoust Shahri

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between auditor characteristics and the level of tax avoidance in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach In this regard, the effect of various factors such as auditor tenure, auditor industry specialization, audit reports and audit fees on tax avoidance was examined. The study sample includes listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange. The time period of study is six years from 2011 to 2016. Also in this study, firm size, leverage, firm age and auditor size were controlled. Findings The results of this research were determined in four hypotheses. First and second hypotheses that explore the relationship between auditor tenure and auditor industry specialization with tax avoidance were not confirmed. But the results showed a significant relationship between the type of audit opinions and audit fees with tax avoidance. Originality/value The current study investigates the auditor characteristics on tax avoidance in a developing nation of Iran and the results may helpful the developing countries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIERAN OBERMAN

What are the ethical implications of global poverty for immigration policy? This article finds substantial evidence that migration is effective at reducing poverty. There is every indication that the adoption of a fairly open immigration policy by rich countries, coupled with selective use of immigration restrictions in cases of deleterious brain drain, could be of significant assistance to people living in poor countries. Empirically there is nothing wrong with using immigration policy to address poverty. The reason we have to reject such an approach is not empirical but normative. People have human rights to stay in their home country and to migrate elsewhere. Counter poverty measures that require people to move or to stay are likely to violate these rights. Everyone should be free to migrate but no one should be forced to migrate. Using immigration policy to address global poverty, in place of alternatives, fails on both these counts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Panibratov

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how the government influences the internationalization of emerging MNEs and, more specifically, answer the questions how and to what extent does the combination of the home country government’s control and interest influence Russian MNEs. Design/methodology/approach First, the author examined sector-specific factors and institutional forces that affect the development of the Russian economy’s industries. Second, the author has classified the sectors included in this study into four groups according to the following two main criteria: the interest of the government in the development of the sector, and the degree of state control for the firms in the sector. Third, the author has analyzed the forms and types of the government participation in firms’ internationalization in defined groups based on the observation of industries’ legislative acts and state decrees and orders. After that, the author has verified the existence of certain similarities of strategies under the governmental influence, and finally discussed the extent of the control and interest implied by the government toward these firms. Findings After analyzing the patterns of the state involvement in firms’ internationalization in various groups the author found that some of the groups are characterized by similar types of government role and their responses are, also, sometimes similar. The author presents a more detailed look at the above results in Table III, and explain the two-sided role of the government in different groups of firms. Research limitations/implications While the literature emphasizes that institutional forces shape the internationalization of emerging multinational enterprises, they have not been comprehensively linked to explaining the contradictory role of the government in this process. The author addresses this gap by examining an integrated influence that home government factors (namely, control and interest) exert in enabling firms to compete abroad. In addition, the author contributes to the knowledge about the behavior of Russian firms, which is one of the less researched areas in the field of international management. Practical implications The paper also has value for companies’ strategists as it provides them with understanding of the complexity of government-related determinants influencing the internationalization process of their firms and the types of firms’ abilities to be developed or supported. It also provides a practical tool for modeling their international strategy formation and accounting for different types of state influences on internationalization of EM firms. Originality/value This paper highlights the government-related aspects of the internationalization of Russian MNEs. Even when they go abroad with strong product capabilities and a proactive managerial style, they still benefit from home country institutional resources. The author sees the strength of the empirical findings in further extension of the understanding of origins, consequences and prospects of internationalization of emerging market firms with the home government involvement.


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