MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISE AND PUBLIC POLICY: A Study of the Industrial Countries

by A.E. Safarian

Multinational Enterprise and Public Policy is a timely and instructive analysis of the relations between multinational corporations and the governments of the industrialized states. Traditional studies have emphasized the activities of multinational corporations in the developing economies, while ignoring their less dramatic, but no less significant, role in the political and economic life of the industrialized nations. A.E. Safarian has written a comprehensive account of policy development in 15 industrial countries over the past three decades which questions both the motivation and effectiveness of government policy in relation to multinationals. He explains how government policies have evolved, comparing the application of specific policies such as restricted sectors, investment review and investment incentives. In conclusion, he offers a masterly assessment of recent progress towards more liberal and better targeted government policies. This work offers a wealth of data and makes a comparative analysis that has rarely been attempted on this scale before. It will be an invaluable reference companion for every serious student of international business.

608 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993