Varieties of capitalism in multinational companies: A comparative study of Volkswagen Slovakia and Kia Motors Slovakia

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-51
Author(s):  
Thomas Haipeter ◽  
Hyung Je Jo
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Varieties Of Capitalism ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Shortage ◽  
Foreign Operations ◽  
Power Position

This paper is about industrial relation (IR) strategies and practices in multinational companies (MNCs). It is based on a comparison of these practices in subsidiaries of different MNC within one country. We discuss how far differences and commonalities can be explained by national IR institutions, by company structures and cultures or by the agency of IR actors. In doing so, this will also address the broader question of how far the varieties of capitalism affect what MNCs do abroad and if, and in what way, they adapt to local conditions in terms of IRs and union structures. The paper is based on a case study comparison of two of the biggest automotive companies, Volkswagen and Hyundai, and their production locations in Slovakia. Both companies have different institutional backgrounds in their host countries with different patterns of labour relations, they are internationalized on a growing level and they both have foreign operations in identical countries like in Slovakia, which makes it possible to analyse the effects of institutions, strategies and labour agency by a comparison of establishments. There are two main findings exposing a strong interplay of the factors under scrutiny. First, in both companies, the local IR patterns are strongly shaped by the varieties of institutions at the company headquarters, whereas the IR institutions of the host country are adapted to them; and second, agency plays a growing role as the labour shortage improves the power position of the unions.

scholarly journals Modeling and Estimating Host Country Values in International Projects to Facilitate In-Country Value Creation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5592
Author(s):  
Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal ◽  
Franck Marle ◽  
Mathieu Dernis
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Complex Projects ◽  
Domain Mapping ◽  
International Projects ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Industrial Needs

International companies are more and more seeking to act proactively by proposing In-Country Value (ICV) strategies to create sustainable local values in the host countries in which they carry out projects. Still, such sustainable local values are complex to identify because they are often indirectly related to their own value chains, project activities, and outcomes. There are, therefore, both theoretical and industrial needs to model and estimate sustainable values brought by complex projects in host countries, considering direct and indirect effects. In this paper, a systems thinking-based approach combined with a frequency analysis first permitted to build up a model of the sustainable values created by the project in a host country. Then, after underlining the complexity of such a model, a Domain Mapping Matrix (DMM) approach was proposed to help build a process to estimate project impacts in terms of ICV creation. An application to a case study built up with an industrial practitioner (an oil and gas company) permitted to test and validate the overall model and approach. It notably showed how such a model permitted to facilitate discussions among stakeholders and laid the foundations of ICV creation-oriented decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Arrival Cities: Refugees in Three German Cities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajo Neis ◽  
Briana Meier ◽  
Tomo Furukawazono
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Ruhr Area ◽  
The Social ◽  
German Cities

Since 2015, the authors have studied the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East. The intent of theproject is to not only study the refugee crisis in various spatial and architectural settings and aspectsbut also actively try to help refugees with their problems that they experience in the events fromstarting an escape and to settling in a given host country, city town or neighborhood.In this paper, the authors present three case studies in three different cities in Germany. Refugees areeverywhere in Germany, even in smaller towns and villages. The case study cities are at differentscales with Borken (15,000 people), Kassel, a mid-size city (200,000), and Essen a larger city(600,000) as part of the still larger Ruhr Area Megacity. In these cities we try to understand the life ofrefugees from their original escape country/city to their arrival in their new cities and new countries.Our work focuses on the social-spatial aspects of refugee experiences, and their impact on urbanmorphology and building typology.We also try to understand how refugees manage their new life in partial safety of place, shelter foodand financial support but also in uncertainty and insecurity until officially accepted as refugees.Beyond crisis we are looking at how refugees can and want to integrate into their host countries, citiesand neighborhoods and start a new life. Social activities and physical projects including urbanarchitecture projects for housing and work, that help the process of integration, are part of thispresentation.

Human Capital of Returnee Entrepreneurs: A Case Study in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (04) ◽  
pp. 391-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhou ◽  
Maris Farquharson ◽  
Thomas Wing Yan Man
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Opportunity Identification ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Legal Professionals ◽  
New Firm ◽  
Specific Human Capital

Returnee entrepreneurs (REs), who left China for education or work experience, accumulate human capital (HC) from their host countries. Such HC may be of benefit when forming new firms on their return to their home country. Insight from an in-depth case study of a service company for legal professionals, formed by three REs in Shanghai, is observed. Data were collected through participant observation and in-depth interviews. Findings indicate a contingency effect of HC. REs’ specific human capital (SHC), leveraged from their ‘host country experiences’, increased their alertness to business opportunities (i.e., opportunity identification). Their general human capital (GHC), leveraged from their ‘home and host country experiences’, prompted the new firm formation (i.e., opportunity exploitation).

Breaking the Shackles of Gender Stereotyping to Create New Norms: The Case of Zimbabwean Migrant Women in Mthatha Town

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanction Madambi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Gender Stereotyping ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Migrant Women ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Recent Case Study ◽  
Traditional Approaches

The migration of Zimbabweans into South Africa is shaped by several factors and processes. Traditionally, the decision to migrate was mostly based on family considerations (where gender stereotypic roles were a priority), although in some cases the migrants exercised individualism and personal agency. This led to migration trends that were male dominated. Current Zimbabwean migration trends reflect large volumes of women as the socio-economic crisis forces them to leave their country. These migrant women encounter a myriad of challenges in their host countries. This paper explores Zimbabwean women’s migration to the town of Mthatha in South Africa, highlighting their challenges and the strategies they employ to overcome these, as found in a recent case study. Applying a qualitative research design and using questionnaires and interviews to gather data from the 100 purposively sampled women, the study found that many Zimbabwean migrant women in Mthatha encountered numerous challenges. They lacked the required documents to live and work in South Africa, experienced exploitation and marriage constraints, and had broken ties with their families back in Zimbabwe. According to the study, these women managed to navigate these challenges, rising above the stereotypic norms and values that used to label them as non-productive citizens to superheroes who were supporting their families and the country’s economy—thus breaking the shackles of gender stereotyping to create new norms. These findings underline the importance of shifting from the traditional approaches to women migration and pursuing perspectives that present migration as a critical component of the process of social change and development to all migrants.

From converts to cooperation: Protestant internationalism, US missionaries and Indian Christians and ‘Professional’ social work between Boston and Bombay (c. 1920–1950)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Michael Phillipp Brunner
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
North America ◽  
Social Gospel ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Concerns ◽  
High Phase

Abstract The 1920s and 30s were a high phase of liberal missionary internationalism driven especially by American-led visions of the Social Gospel. As the missionary consensus shifted from proselytization to social concerns, the indigenization of missions and the role of the ‘younger churches’ outside of Europe and North America was brought into focus. This article shows how Protestant internationalism pursued a ‘Christian Sociology’ in dialogue with the field’s academic and professional form. Through the case study of settlement sociology and social work schemes by the American Marathi Mission (AMM) in Bombay, the article highlights the intricacies of applying internationalist visions in the field and asks how they were contested and shaped by local conditions and processes. Challenging a simplistic ‘secularization’ narrative, the article then argues that it was the liberal, anti-imperialist drive of the missionary discourse that eventually facilitated an American ‘professional imperialism’ in the development of secular social work in India. Adding local dynamics to the analysis of an internationalist discourse benefits the understanding of both Protestant internationalism and the genesis of Indian social work and shows the value of an integrated global micro-historical approach.

scholarly journals Innovation on Wheels in Emerging Economies: Lessons from Auto MNC’s Experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rifat Sharmelly
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Mass Market ◽  
Innovative Performance ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Acceptability Criteria

Emerging economies (EEs) are increasingly being considered as new sources of growth and innovation opportunities for global auto multinational companies. Many multinational companies from developed countries are eager to prosper in these economies. However, the crucial challenge that companies face today is to identify what precisely are the approaches required to serve mass market customers in EEs. In this research, the case study of a foreign auto multinational operating in India has been utilized. Focusing on the product innovation for the Indian masses with the creation of the most affordable car ‘Figo’ from the reputed auto multinational Ford, this analysis reveal the importance of engaging same set of suppliers in trust based, recurrent collaborative linkages to enhance the innovative performance. In addition, ensuring an effective value-for-money proposition is needed to achieve innovations with required affordability and acceptability criteria. Furthermore, experimenting with modules and resultant learning about markets are needed to enhance the innovative performance. With the suggested testable propositions, this study has significant theoretical contributions as well as implications for managers of aspiring companies intending to serve EEs.

scholarly journals Economic impact of refugees

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (27) ◽  
pp. 7449-7453 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Edward Taylor ◽  
Mateusz J. Filipski ◽  
Mohamad Alloush ◽  
Anubhab Gupta ◽  
Ruben Irvin Rojas Valdes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Real Income ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Food Aid ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
World Food ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Unique Study

In 2015, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees accommodated over 15 million refugees, mostly in refugee camps in developing countries. The World Food Program provided these refugees with food aid, in cash or in kind. Refugees’ impacts on host countries are controversial and little understood. This unique study analyzes the economic impacts of refugees on host-country economies within a 10-km radius of three Congolese refugee camps in Rwanda. Simulations using Monte Carlo methods reveal that cash aid to refugees creates significant positive income spillovers to host-country businesses and households. An additional adult refugee receiving cash aid increases annual real income in the local economy by $205 to $253, significantly more than the $120–$126 in aid each refugee receives. Trade between the local economy and the rest of Rwanda increases by $49 to $55. The impacts are lower for in-kind food aid, a finding relevant to development aid generally.

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