Authors: Taylor, Michael¹; Thrift, Nigel²

Source: Regional Studies: The Journal of the Regional Studies Association, Volume 15, Number 3, June 1981 , pp. 183-212(30)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

Taylor M. and Thrift N. (1981) British capital overseas: direct investment and corporate development in Australia, Reg. Studies 15, 183-212. Direct investment in Australia by British companies has a number of consequences, both for Britain and for Australia. This paper is an attempt to chart some of these consequences. The deindustralization of Britain is seen as partly due to the export of investment overseas by individual firms. Similarly the level and location of enterprise in Australia is partly due to the pattern of imports and exports of direct investment by overseas firms, including British firms. The growth and development of firms is an obvious crucial link between the origin and destinations of capital and various theories of firm growth and development are therefore examined. The growth and development of two Australian subsidiaries of British firms is then described in order to gain some micro-level understanding of the why and where of direct investment. Finally, the overall implications of this paper are discussed within the context of the costs and benefits to Britain and Australia of the process of direct investment.

Keywords: Multinational enterprises; Direct investment; Organizational growth; Costs and benefits; Deindustrialization; Dependency

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09595238100185211

Affiliations: 1: Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, U.K. 2: Department of Human Geography, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Publication date: 1981-06-01

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