Foreign Direct Investment & Outsourcing (DP IB Geography)

Revision Note

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

  • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an investment from one country into the structure, equipment or organisations of another country

  • FDI is a way for companies to expand their operations into new markets, gaining access to new customers, resources, or talents

  • This type of investment is different from indirect investments like purchasing stocks, as FDI usually involves active management and control of the foreign business

  • The 2008–2009 financial crisis saw FDI decline, with inflows decreasing from $1.7 trillion to below $1.2 trillion in 2009

  • By 2011, inflows had returned to pre-2008 figures and continued to increase until COVID-19, when FDI fell to $929 billion in 2020

  • Global FDI rebounded by 77% to $1.65 trillion in 2021

  • However, in 2022, global FDI fell again by 12% to $1.3 trillion because of numerous global crises, such as the war in Ukraine, high food and energy prices and soaring public debt

  • Despite the overall decline, certain industries like agriculture and extractive industries, usually do well during crises

  • Europe and North America are currently the largest investors of FDI

  • Flows of FDI to developing countries are uneven but 2022 saw a global increase of 4%

  • Africa had the largest decline in FDI flows, at 44%, with landlocked and small-island states receiving the least

  • Latin America and the Caribbean saw a 51% increase in investment in 2022

  • Asia saw no change in FDI and Europe spent more than it received in 2022

Advantage

Disadvantage

NICs and LICs

Export-generated income is higher

Reduction of negative trade balances

Wealth is spread with rise in labour-intensive manufacturing

Export-generated income is higher

Local areas benefit from growth in new, higher-paid jobs

Agricultural output is reduced as people are employed elsewhere

Rural-to-urban migration increases, placing pressure on core regions

Exploitation of workers by TNCs

A narrow economic base results in overdependence

HICs

Imports are cheaper

LIC growth increases demand for exports

Industrial processes are more efficient

Enhanced job prospects lead to increased worker mobility

Lack of jobs for unskilled workers, resulting in skills gap

Job losses are worse in areas of concentrated industries

Local branch factories are vulnerable to change

Outsourcing From TNCs

  • Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are companies that operate in multiple countries

  • They are important agents of globalisation, creating longer and more frequent connections between countries

  • TNCs lead to increased flows of FDI, which helps spread cultures and ideas globally

  • Headquarters are usually based in HIC cities, with research and development (R&D) and decision-making concentrated in growth areas with large supplies of educated and skilled workers; the core

  • Assembly and production are found in LICs, NICs and depressed regions of HICs where labour costs are lower; the periphery

  • Labour costs are reduced through investment in technology, automation and subcontracting

Positive and Negative Impacts of TNCs

Positive impacts

Negative impacts

Employment: TNCs create job opportunities, which can help to create a positive multiplier effect

Environmental degradation: TNCs may exploit natural resources and cause pollution during the production process

Investment: TNCs use outsourcing or offshoring to maximise profits, bringing FDI into LIC and NIC countries

The exploitation of workers: sometimes workers are forced to work long hours for low pay in poor conditions

Trade: TNCs can increase trade between the countries they operate in due to the linkages they create

Closure of local businesses: local companies may be unable to compete with TNCs because of their economies of scale

Technology transfer: TNCs introduce new methods of production in countries, which can improve productivity and create further job opportunities

Increasing inequalities: the large profits generated by TNCs are not evenly distributed, with rich people getting much richer while poorer people see fewer benefits

Economic development: due to FDI and employment, LIC countries start to achieve more economic growth

Loss of culture: this is sometimes referred to as cultural erosion—the idea that cultural differences start to disappear as TNCs spread western cultural values and ideas

Education and technical skills: TNCs can invest in training, apprenticeships or scholarships to improve labour skills

Loss of taxes: profits are sent overseas, and taxes are not paid to the host country. TNCs are powerful and are not loyal to a host country's government; investment can disappear as quickly as it came

Development of energy resources: around 1.6 billion people in developing countries lack access to adequate energy services and rely on wood, dung and biomass for fuel. TNCs invest in small-scale and large-scale power generation projects such as dams and micro hydro power schemes

Exploitation of local resources: TNCs exploit natural resources, whether renewable, as in forests, fisheries and agricultural products, or non-renewable, such as minerals or petroleum, in developing countries

Examiner Tip

It is important to keep your discussions impartial when talking about TNCs and their advantages and disadvantages. You may feel that TNCs exploit their workers, however, they are providing a wage to many people. It might not be ideal working conditions, but for some people, it is the difference between eating or starving.

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