Тенденции развития транснациональных компаний в современных условиях

Abstract

Globalization process in world economy causes the evolution of Transnational Corporations (TNC) strategies, new forms nad features of their activities. In the 90s the growth of direct foreign investments (DFI) leaves international trade behind, therefore, the main trends of development of international companies can be primarily seen through the DFI issues. The analysis of DFI regional distribution, their scope and the dynamics of growth gives the following regularities: most developed countries play the leading and dominant role in this process. They are not only the donors but also the recipients, proving the general conclusion of close dependence of the DPI activity index on economic development level of the country. The characteristic features of the 90s is the boom of DFI in Asian countries. However, the integral index of TNC transnationality in the developing countries is much lower than in the top 100 biggest TNC of the world. DFI still have a low index in African states. In Africa today many western companies count on keeping the same level of profit or even on its growth due to control measures that are not connected with property but are based on the advantages in the sphere of technology, administration and marketing. DFI flows into Central and Eastern Europe are unstable. Generally speaking, the policy strategy of western TNC in these countries can be explained by the well-known theory of «the life cycle of the products by Vernon, according to which one can determine the basic stages of development for the international enterprises in Eastern Europe and the CIS. It also shows the forms of internationalization activities of Belarusian enterprises. The experience of external economic policy of some of these enterprises proves the possibility of gradual winning of Western market through various forms of export organization: e. g., the availability of consignation warehouses hear direct customers, establishment of joint ventures in Western Europe and the USA. This allows to reduce the cost of the goods due to optimal export and import activities. As for branches, TNC get more and more involved in the services and infrastructures, mostly telecommunications. In this segment, companies are required to establish from the very beginning foreign affiliates, which could render their clients the services needed. Telecommunications development provides the growing "transportability" of information services, e. g. information processing and book-keeping. Export companies are characterized by the transfer of certain internal functions to the independent companies of transnational type, e. g. logistics is a characteristic one. TNC investment activity, especially in the developing countries is characterized by the frequent use of new internationalization forms: granting licenses with technologies; company administration, franchizing, subcontracts for the production deliveries from abroad. With regard to world experience, the basis of process of transnationalization of Belarusian companies can be: high technologies, skilled personnel (researchers, qualified specialists with comparatively low salaries), production infrastructure, transit position between Eastern Europe and the CIS, and the establishment of Belarusian TNC in the CIS countries.