Abstract
As an extension of the export-led growth of national economy overseas, direct investment by Korean multinationals has been rapidly increasing. This article explores the development of the overseas manufacturing direct investment by Korean firms and the relationship between parent firms and overseas affiliates. Three main issues are discussed: the ownership-specific assets, location-specific factors, and government policies are the important sets of variables that help to explain the internationalization of the Korean firms in the manufacturing sector, the nature of technology transfer by Korean multinationals to their subsidiaries, and the benefits as a result of its overseas investment to Korean. The data for this study were gathered through structured interviews with the parent companies of 18 out of 21 manufacturing overseas subsidiaries and joint ventures formed by Korean firms.
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*Krishna Kumar received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He has held many academic and administrative positions and has published extensively in professional journals. His most recent books include Ethics and Politics of International Collaborative Research (co-author), Multinationals from Developing Countries (co-editor), Transnational Enterprises: Their impact on Third World Societies and Cultures (editor), and The Social and Cultural impacts of Multinational Enterprises. Currently, Dr. Kumar is completing a volume on the monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
**Kee Young Kim is a Professor of Management at the School of Business and Economics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korean. He holds a B.A. from Yonsei University; an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. from Washington University; and was at MIT and the East-West Center as a research fellow. His published books Include Production and Operations Management, and Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions. His recent research interests lie in the areas of technology innovation, technology transfer, and foreign direct investment from developing countries.
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Kumar, K., Kim, K. The Korean Manufacturing Multinationals. J Int Bus Stud 15, 45–61 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490470
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490470