Foreign Direct Investment And Developing Countries

Foreign direct investment FDI is an investment of a company from one country to another whereby assets are acquired, operations are set up and joint ventures with local firms are made (Financial Times , n.d.). FDI is a risky and more expensive method of venturing globally as compared to licensing and exporting, however it does not stop companies from doing so due to its many advantages. FDI is one of the key drivers in speeding up the development and economic growth in Malaysia. Sound macroeconomic management, presence of a well-functioning financial system and sustained economic growth has made Malaysia an attractive country for FDI. Moreover, FDI plays a crucial role in Malaysia economy as it generates economic growth by increasing capital formation through the expansion of production capacity.

In addition it is worth considering that emerging economies having been attracting increasingly more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) having accounted for 52% of global FDI inflows according to recent data. Looking closer at the FDI spread based on regional allocation it is worth noting that Nigeria received the greatest proportion of FDI in Africa, Indonesia in South-Eastern Asia, Mexico in Central America and Turkey in West Asia. This demonstrates the investment potential within the MINT

This phenomenal change in the international environment in which business is conducted has resulted in increased levels of foreign direct investment by companies from developed countries in lesser developed economies such as the Third World as economic benefits were sought through the globalization of production as well as markets. (Hill 2011, p.5)

The most important channel through which foreign capital flows into the country is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). FDI as defined in Dictionary of Economics (Graham Bannock et.al) is “investment in a foreign country through the acquisition of a local company or the establishment there of an operation on a new (Greenfield) site. International Monetary Organization (IMF) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) define FDI as a category of cross border investment made by a resident in one economy (the direct investor) with the objective of establishing a ‘lasting interest’ in an enterprise (the direct investment enterprise) that is resident in an economy other than that of the direct investor. The motive of the direct

Foreign Direct Investment refers to the type of investment into a country that is characterized by the inflow of funds from a foreign source that can be in the form of ownership such as stocks, bonds, infrastructural presence, etc. by the element of ‘control’. FDI is defined as the net inflows of investment to acquire a management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) can be defined as a process whereby residents of one country (the source country) acquire ownership of assets for the purpose of controlling the production, distributions and other activities of a firm in another country (the host country). FDI also have another definition like ‘an investment that is made to acquire a lasting interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor, the investor’s purpose being to have an effective voice in the management of the enterprise’- International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payment Manual and ‘ an investment involving a long-term relationship and reflecting a lasting interest and control of a resident entity in one economy (foreign

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is defined as “cross border investment where a resident in one economy has control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise in another country.” FDI in the past decade has grown intensively, exceeding the growth of world production and the growth of international trade (Dierk, 2008). Many nations are open and engage in FDI because it will benefit domestic firms. Brazil, a top emerging market, has experienced record number of FDI projects, establishing it as the second most popular global destination in terms of FDI value. The country has experienced steady growth over the past decade and is projected to keep increasing its number of FDIs.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been considered important for the growth of a country. When the individuals or companies from a country invest in another country, it is regarded as FDI. FDI not only strengthens the manufacturing base of the host country but also contributes to the strengthening of the economic outlook. FDI can be seen as an investment that leads directly to job creation in an economy. The unemployment rate decreases due to FDI, which leads to stability in economic, social and political spheres. This leads to establishing the notion that FDI is necessary for a country because it helps in strengthening the economy of a particular country. Ireland has been benefitted by

Foreign Direct Investment is the direct investment in new facilities or companies to expand a business in a new country. In evaluating and analyzing East Asia, it is important to focus on cultural issues as they are major indicators of the business environment and implementation in a given local. East Asia, including China, only began opening up for foreign investment in the 1970s. Japan is considered a developing market, where the rest of Eastern Asia is an emerging market, the majority of FDI around the world is targeted to developing nations due to increased stability, consumer culture, and large markets. The risk of emerging markets is greater than in developed, thus yielding a greater return on investment when the endeavor succeeds.

In today’s world of investment, every country, every region, competes for foreign direct investment; however, they do so disproportionately - one thing is for sure: The more FDI, the better. FDI flows generally follow investor’s choices, interests, and perceptions. The need to earn more creates new opportunities for investors and nations alike. But

Over the recent years, FDI has responded to new information technology systems, the reduction in global communication costs and the liberalisation of the national regulatory framework which controls investment in enterprises, (easing of restrictions and on foreign investments and acquisition in many nations) have simplified the management of foreign investments as compared to the past ( Spaulding and Graham, 2004). These are some of the factors which fuelled FDI’s expanded role in today’s global business. According to the UNCTAD (2004) foreign direct investment flow in developing countries has exploded through mergers and acquisition and internationalisation of production in a range of industries. FDI in developed countries rose from $481 billion in 1998 to $636 billion in 2004 (UNCTAD, 2004).

In the recent time, significant rise of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) was witnessed from developing countries like China and India. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines FDI as an investment that reflects the objective of establishing a lasting interest or long-term relationship by a resident enterprise in one economy (direct investor) in an enterprise (direct investment enterprise) that is resident in an economy other than that of the

FDI is where the MNE invests directly in production or other facilities over which it has effective control in a host economy (j &t). According to Pollan (), the definition of the terms “investment” is highly significant to Foreign Direct Investment, which can be typical comprehend as the conveyance of capital to a country. Investment can be defined as money committed or property acquired in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, future income or appreciation in value (business dictionary, 2014). The commonest definition used to understand the idea of FDI is the definition provided by International Monetary Fund’s (IMF). The IMF definition of FDI introduces systems and structures which clearly demarcates foreign direct investment from portfolio investment. According to the IMF, direct investment creates a lasting interest in an enterprise, consisting of a long-term relationship between the investor and the enterprise and that the investor has an outstanding amount of control on the management of the enterprise, while portfolio investment does not create an extended relationship and the portfolio investor is rarely directly partaking in the day-to-day management of the enterprise (Pollan,). FDI however has no comprehensive, authoritative and ubiquitous legal definition and the test for the existence of enough degree of control differs in scope depending on applicable law in a

In developing countries FDI is seen as a useful source of funds. LDC’s look upon FDI as a source to bridge their demand supply gap of funds. It represents an important source of non-debt inflow that often brings along with it new technology and management

Foreign Direct Investment as seen as a main source of non-debt inflows and is increasing being required as a vehicle for technology flows and as a means of attaining competitive efficiency by creating a meaningful network of global interconnections. FDI plays a critical role in the economy since it does not only give opportunities to host countries to enhance their economic development but also opens new vistas to home countries to optimize their earnings by employing their ideal resources.