Transnational Corporations, Technology and Economic Development

Axèle Giroud, Professor of International Business, University of Manchester, UK

• Contents: 1. Introduction 2. TNCs and Backward Linkages in Host Countries: A Theoretical Approach 3. TNCs and their Impact in Host-Developing Economies: The Case of ASEAN Countries 4. Developing Favourable Environment for Backward Linkages: Malaysia, Foreign Direct Investment and the Electrical and Electronics Sector 5. Research Methodology and Design 6. Research Findings: Case-by-Case Analysis 7. Factors Explaining Existence and Degree of Knowledge Transfer 8. Conclusion References Index

'In a meticulously researched and insightful study, Dr Axele Giroud has provided a valuable contribution to the literature on the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in technology transfer and, thereby, the development process. Of course, there are many studies on technology transfer, but few look in so much detail at the nitty-gritty of inter-corporate relations and the contingent, delicate and intricate web of relationships underlying the processes of knowledge transfer. The book focuses on the linkages between TNCs and local suppliers and, by showing which factors explain the existence and degree of knowledge transfer, Dr Giroud illuminates a sorely neglected area of research.'