Publication details
Transformace českého průmyslu po roce 1989 - vliv přímých zahraničních investic
| Title in English | Transformation of the Czech industry after 1989 - foreign direct investments influence |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Monograph |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The geography of industry, as a scientific discipline, is in a context of other disciplines, even geographical ones, a very recent issue. The reason is purely pragmatic non-existence of a long-term periodical data basis, which could be built on. That is why the geography of industry has been for a number of decades substituted by mainly historic sciences, economics and statistics, and pursued a fast development of industrial production only from a distance. Only in 1950s it was established at a field of science and started to create its own study subject and object. The first part of the dissertation thesis monitors the development of the geography of industry in the world as a scientific discipline, its beginnings, formation and a current situation with regard to topical issues. Transformation of the Czech economy in 1990s influenced significantly all economic branches, including industry. On the contrary, the industrial production can be considered as a branch, which was affected by the shift from the centrally planned to market economy probably most. There were radical changes going on (privatization, price and external economic relations liberalization), institutional conditions for market mechanism functioning started to be set up, and large organizational and structural changes were made. This is valid mainly for the privatization and connected restructuring of industrial companies (Czech way of company privatization through privatization coupons was a significant specific among transitive countries) and for setting up institutional and legal framework of market economy, securing its effective functioning. The second extensive part of the thesis is devoted to the transformation period after 1989, to the impacts on the whole Czech economy, especially on industry. The third part of the dissertation thesis is closely connected with macroeconomic phenomenon affecting in recent years mainly manufacturing industry foreign direct investments (FDI). FDI as one of the possible forms of company expansion to international markets (mainly in a form of a greenfield investment) substituted after the introduction of investment incentives system by the Czech government in 1998 with its importance the capital input denoted as a merger and acquisition. Since the introduction of incentive system the amount of FDI inflow to the Czech Republic increased sharply and in 2002 reached its maximum. The following year is marked by a deep fall in FDI inflow into our country and other transitive countries of Central Europe (as a certain phase wave of economic recession in developed countries). Foreign direct investments are considered by most of the experts to be a great contribution to the national economy. They stress mainly their positive influence on employment in problematic, structurally afflicted regions and in regions with high unemployment. In recent years there are however also voices warning against uncritical view of self-redeeming significance of FDI. A number of studies and research carried out demonstrate that most jobs created by foreign investors in the Czech Republic are going to be aimed at assembling works rather that at creation of new jobs for highly qualified workforce in hi-tech branches. It will be interesting to follow these signals, which together with a fall in FDI inflow and tendencies to move production capacities of multinational companies to the countries with even cheaper workforce are an open question for future years. |