Exam 2 Flashcards
Sale of state-owned enterprises to privative non-gov sector. Availability of large amounts of capital.
Privatization
The key to privatization:
The availability of large amounts of capital
This is a current event with enormous impact on politics, economics and international business
Transitioning to a market economy
Strategic implications of transitioning to a market economy are
- Far reaching impacting exports / imports
- Acquisitions
- Joint ventures
- Strategic alliances
Transitioning to a market economy is influenced by…
- Distinctive identities under “cloak” of communism
- History – level of commercial activity, etc.
- Skills and knowledge bases
- Geography – land-locked or gateway country
- Culture
- Expatriate populations
- Regional alignments
Objectives of transitioning to a market economy…
- Macroeconomic stabilization
- Microeconomic liberalization
- Institutional reform
Reforms of a transitioning marketing economy…
- Tight monetary policy
- Liberalization of prices
- Trade liberalization
- Privatization of state-owned enterprises
- Removal of barriers to FDI
- Tax reform
- Creation of central bank
- Legal reform
Tax reforms in a transitioning market economy…
- Lack of profitable businesses
- Ingrained tax evasion
- Cannot obtain critical mass
- Massive and sophisticated underground or black market
Legal reforms in a transitioning market economy…
- Property rights
- Rule of law – court system
- Business body of law – laws of incorporation, etc.
Challenges of transitioning to a market economy
- Dominance of state sector
- Heavy price distortion
- Absence of market institutions
- Weak public administration
- Large social welfare system
- Lack of infrastructure necessary for business – legal, physical, financial
Problems with transitioning to a market economy
- Opportunism
- Corruption
- Tax collection
- Environmental damage
- Human capital
Countries transitioning to a market economy
- Russia - Not faring as well
- Eastern Europe - Slow, approaches vary by country
- China - Doing well, 100 year plan
International Trade Theory
- Mercantilism
- Absolute Advantage
- National Advantage
- Acquired Advantage
- Country Similarity Theory
- Comparative Advantage
Absolute Advantage
- Adam Smith
- Some countries produce some goods more efficiently than others.
- Free trade leads to global efficiency and more for all who partake.
- ONLY MAKE WHAT YOU MAKE BEST, THEN SELL IT.
Comparative Advantage
- David Ricardo
- Even if one country has an absolute advantage in producing two products over another country, trading with that other country will still yield more output for both countries than if the more efficient producer did everything for themselves.
Product Life Cycle Theory of Trade
- Production locations for many products moves from one country to another depending on the stage in the product’s life cycle
- Innovating countries receive a premium – as profitability declines, product moves on
The Porter Diamond
- Michael Porter, Yale, Global Ethics Report
- Model for understanding competition at the industry-level
- Going international is VIP force for competition and survival
- Intense rivalry is best for an industry
Anything a country does that helps domestic companies, but not their foreign. Gives domestic companies a leg up.
Protectionism
Subsidies, tax treatments, aid, and loans are all…
Tariffs
Quotas, government procurements, licenses, admin delays, reciprocal requests, sanctions, and imposed standards are all…
Quantity controls
Arguments for protectionism
- Fight unemployment
- To protect infant industries
- Promote industrialization
- Improve global position
Economy Scale
- Cheaper on a per widget basis to make one million than 100
- Fixed costs spread across
Non-economic rationales for protectionism
- Maintain essential industries
- Prevention of shipments to unfriendly countries
- Extension of spheres of influence
- Preservation of a national identity
How is protectionism is a band aid approach?
- Once given, used as a crutch
- Drain of resources to force dying industries afloat
- Lobbying
Why is there a shortage of US workers?
B/C workers tied up in unprofitable industries
For the amount of money we overpay in tax/inflation, we could…
- Retire early
- Retrain others
- Get 4-year-degrees instead of supporting dying industries
Problems with protectionism:
- Lack of vision
- Fear
- You’ll make more money doing what you’re good at
- Trying to force non-commodities
Regional and Economic Trade Agreements
- Give preferential treatment to members of the agreement, and are reciprocal Ex. NAFTA, EU, EFTA, etc.
The objective of economic integration:
Economic growth by getting rid of waste (quotas and tariffs) and reinvesting in your company.
The most ambitious and largest of all regional trade groups:
EU
The Maastricht Treaty’s objective and success:
- Political and monetary union
- Established single currency, the Euro, and European Central Bank
- Sets inflation targets and long-term interest rate targets for all EU countries
- Sets similar targets for budget deficits
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) includes…
- US, Canada, Mexico