Multinational Companies from Emerging Economies — Composition, Conceptualization and Direction in the Global Economy

A number of multinational corporations (MNCs) from developing economies are becoming key players in the global economy. The world's second-largest forgings-maker comes from India; the biggest Nordic insurer was bought by a South African competitor; a Mexican company reinvented the global cement business; and Brazilian restaurant chains sponsor immigration visas for highly-skilled meat carvers to support their American expansions. Understanding these trends and their implications is a priority for academics, policy-makers and business professionals alike. Do these developments vindicate the view that globalization opens up unprecedented opportunities for the South to catch up with the North? Are these "emerging MNCs" any different from their competitors from industrial countries? Does private sector direct engagement herald a new era for South-South cooperation? As this book shows, emerging MNCs must be analyzed in the context of the global political economy.