Events

Research Group Meeting

Management Geography (ManGeo/国際経済経営地理学研究会) organizes a hybrid event entitled
Embedding MNEs in Poland and Japan – Inward investment promotion of multinational manufacturing companies

Place: RITSUMEIKAN UNIVERSITY Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) Room C473, 2-150 Iwakura-cho, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-8570 Japan

Date: JUNE 23, 2023

Time: 16:00-18:00 JST (9:00-11:00 MEZ)

Overseas research group members and interested domestic scholars and students are invited discussing options for joint research projects on 1. Manufacturing companies and investment promotion / MNEs local and regional aspects in the context of Poland & Japan; 2. Poland’s role in Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery; 3. Economic globalization and local industrial clusters. This hybrid event is sponsored by Ritsumeikan University Management Association 60th Anniversary of Faculty Founding (立命館大学経営学会 学部創⽴60周年記念). Please notice that only 46 seats are available at the lecture room C473. Register in time and state if and why you wish to participate on spot or online indicating your research interest in Management Geography. Mail to [email protected] and register by 12. June 2023 for online and/or on the spot participation. 

Dr. Rolf D. Schlunze features following speakers:

  1. Professor Dr. hab. Tomasz Dorożyński, Department of International Trade, University of Lodz, Poland
  2. Professor emeritus Hiroshi Tanaka Ph.D., College of Economics, Ritsumeikan University
  3. Professor Dr. Atsushi Taira, Faculty of Education, Kagawa University

Discussant: Professor Dr. Patrik Ström, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden

Find below more details and the abstracts of our speakers.

1. Presenter:

Tomasz Dorożyński 

Presentation title:

Incentives for attracting investors to Poland: The case study of manufacturing companies

Abstract

Internationalization is surely one of the major processes observed in contemporary global economy. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are looking for optimum locations in almost all countries and regions across the world which are politically and economically safe. A foreign investor is interested, above all, in finding a concrete location where he would be able to bring the project to a successful end. With this knowledge in mind, authorities (at different levels) try to attract foreign investors using public resources for this purpose.

Incentive schemes offered to potential investors continue to stir heated debates amongst economists, IB researchers and experts. Most governments actively compete for FDIs offering them, e.g., fiscal, financial, regulatory, technical and information tools. However, using incentives to attract MNEs cannot be a priori considered economically justified, as it is connected with incurring costs which, is some circumstances, may exceed expected returns. Such operations may raise doubts not only because economic operators are being subsidized, which means that a government interferes with the market, but because of the selective nature of granted aid.

Research studies conducted globally to date, but also in Poland, do not let to unambiguously evaluate the effectiveness of incentives in attracting foreign investors. Most of their results, however, entitle to draw a conclusion that incentives, compared to other (fundamental) factors, played a secondary role in making location choices. Ambiguous and sometimes even contradictory conclusions are, in my opinion, the main reason why in-depth studies on the effects of incentives targeting foreign investors, especially at regional and local levels, should be conducted.

Special attention was given to investments in special economic zones (SEZs). SEZs have become a popular investment policy tool especially in emerging economies. Growing popularity of zones among the governments seems to confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of the instrument. More skeptical assessments can be heard from researchers aware that we are dealing with the second best solution, i.e., the one which may, but does not have to, be beneficial to the economy and may also generate loses.

Hence the principal scientific goal of the study is to evaluate the economic rationale behind using investment incentives and their impact on location choices made by enterprises with foreign capital. Author used the case of manufacturing companies, including Japanese ones operating in Poland. The primary and secondary data from several sources were analyzed, e.g. from special economic zones in Poland, Polish investment zone program, primary data collected within direct questionnaire studies among foreign investors and other secondary sources. Statistical methods were employed.

Keywords: Multinational enterprises, foreign direct investment, location, investment incentives, special economic zones

References:

Dorożyński T., & Świerkocki J., (2022), Specjalne strefy ekonomiczne w Polsce. Doświadczenia i perspektywy, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź.

Dorożyński, T., Świerkocki, J., & Dobrowolska, B. (2021). Governance of special economic zones and their performance: Evidence from Poland. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 9(3), 149-167.

Dorożyński, T., Dobrowolska, B., & Kuna-Marszałek, A. (2021), Institutional Quality and its Impact on FDI Inflow: Evidence from the EU Member States, Comparative Economic Research. Central and Eastern Europe, Volume 24(4), 23–44.

Dorożyński T., (2020), Incentives to Attract FDI: Evidence from the Łódź Province, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego, Łódź.

 

2. Presenter:

Hiroshi Tanaka

Presentation title:

The automotive EVisation in the EU and the transformation of the German – cored global value chain.

Abstract

This study reveals the EVisation and de-Russianisation of the car industry in Europe in terms of the formation and development of integration capacities that guarantee the transition from high-speed, long-distance mobile durable goods to engine-powered car and then EV vehicles. The formation and development of such integration capacities is a combination of 1) the development of indigenous technologies, 2) changes in the product/production architecture of car manufacturing, and 3) the creation of institutional networks. The final conclusions summarise the imperial way of life, Germany’s geopolitical superpower status, the influence of China and the trend towards de-Russianisation.

Keywords: Automotive EVisation, Germany, GVC

 

3. Presenter:

Atsushi Taira

Presentation title:

Economic globalization and local industrial clusters: A case study of Glocal production and management strategies of the glove-related industry in Shikoku, Japan

Abstract

Economic globalization has brought severe competitive environment to local industries in the world. Especially, local mundane ‘low-tech’ industries in the developed countries have been facing continuous challenges to survive in the market. The glove-related industry in Eastern Kagawa in Shikoku, Japan, is a good example. The various concepts on the industrial cluster have provided critical tools to explain its formation and development. And the Global Value Chains (GVC) and Global Production Networks (GPN) concepts have contributed to understand processes and configuration of globalization of firms’ operations. Relational perspectives, which suggests an alternative point of view about space and place of firms’ operations, are recently attracting increasing attentions of researchers. This paper argues survival strategies of local industries and firms introducing relational concepts of pipelines and buzz.

 Keywords: industrial cluster, glocal, relational, pipeline, buzz, Japan

 

Other events:

ManGeo Intercultural management training at Japanese-German Business Association (DJW)

We use discussions with successful practitioners to learn how to build synergy and trust in cross cultural workplaces. Our goal is to help young managers by teaching them the self-coaching skills they need to manage complex projects and environments. Following topics will be addressed throughout our manager training:

  • Awareness of cognitive processes in intercultural management
  • Recognizing and reconciling cultural differences
  • Creating cultural synergy and innovation
  • Networking for mutual trust

We encourage participants also to think critical about various cross-cultural management issues and international management ethics. We advise how to building trustful relationships with business partners from other cultures. We also suggest practical strategies for international team building. Applying a constructive intercultural management approach they are enabled to bridge diverse cultures as successful boundary spanners.

 Forthcoming Events

DJW Working Group – Intercultural Management is a monthly meeting conducted usually on a Wednesday 12:00 MEZ/19:00 JST at the DJW Teams Workspace.  To join our Focus Group as a  regular member please contact the Professor Rolf D. Schlunze by e-mail [email protected] 

    • Focus Group – Intercultural Competence features guest speaker Georg Buellesbach, CEO of Mitsui Deutschland, speaking about CORPORATE POST MERGE CHALLENGES – A CASE STUDY OF POST-MERGER INTEGRATION IN A JAPANESE MULTINATIONAL COMPANY 

    • Georg will share the practical experience he made in the process of acquisition of a European company conducted by his employer company. The focus of his case is about difficulties and mistakes made, and also includes positive experiences such as solutions and intercultural insights. In this context we’d like to include and discuss with agile DJW members their observation of recent changes in an intercultural workplaces. We like to encourage everybody to contribute with your own experiences asking following question:

      What is the most important change that you could observe, in your intercultural workplace?

    • Click on the hyperlink to learn about more details and register online.

Previous Events

It is planed that you can watch presentations and learn about the outcomes of our events in future. Presentation and study material will be made available at this homepage under the rubric webinars after login in with your password received from our ManGeo administration.

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