MNE ها و توسعه: نقد و مفهوم سازی مجدد

In this paper, we review and critique two prominent theories in the international business and international economics literatures regarding the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in host country development: the “spillovers” perspective on the impact of MNE investment in host countries and the liabilities of foreignness (LOF) view that specifies the constraints MNEs must overcome to succeed in local, developing country markets. We then propose an alternative conceptualization of MNE-host country relations in which MNEs and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) pursue collaborative relationships that make a positive, collective contribution to host country development and to MNE and NGO strategic goals in ways that neither sector is positioned to do alone.

A redirection of the IB literature towards the issue of MNE impact on host country development is vital as scholars are questioning the relevance of international management to contemporary global challenges, arguing that IB must address broader issues beyond the narrow questions of MNE performance (Buckley, 2002; Buckley & Ghauri, 2004; Shenkar, 2004). The IB field has arguably lagged other disciplines such as economics and international relations in its relatively limited contributions to the study of interactions among MNE activities and social and economic development, and has omitted the important emerging role of NGOs in global economics and management. New host country actors such as nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) must be incorporated into the study and practice of international management (Teegen et al., 2004). The process of development, and the role of MNEs in it, has posed intense challenges for researchers, government officials, international development institutions, and societies. In this paper, we have sought to contribute toward addressing these challenges by redirecting discussion away from traditional perspectives, and offering a new conceptualization that we believe is more appropriate for current circumstances. Our contribution is intended to stimulate future research regarding the potential contribution of MNEs to the social and economic progress of developing host countries and to recognition of, and interest in, the opportunities posed by MNE-NGO collaborations. This proposed research perspective is not only important for developing countries, but also to MNEs. A large number of unanswered questions remain for MNEs seeking to manage investment risk and to understand how different institutional and political environments in developing countries affect firm strategy and performance. Finally, we believe MNE and host country objectives can be better reconciled such that there is greater potential for mutual gain, generating the possibility for more sustainable development paths that have more lasting impact.