Associate Professor Michael Jakobsen invites all interested to the launch of his new book

 

‘This book is extremely well written, with thoughtful consideration given to the literature in three areas: international business, Chinese enterprise, and political economy, though with primary focus on the first two themes.  The author has merged well the academic discussion in these areas, creating in the process an original appraisal of how multinational companies operate in a developing economy that has two core features: a state that actively intervenes in an economy and where highly entrepreneurial Chinese enterprises have a dominant presence. 

 

The author also does well in dealing with two issues of concern to him: first, the impact of globalization on a developing economy.  Second, the need for multinational companies to understand the distinctive economic and political features of the local context if they hope to deal effectively with the key actors in an economy, i.e. the state, government-linked enterprises, indigenous capital, and Chinese firms.  The author also provides an interesting assessment of how domestic-owned Chinese firms grow from their business ties with multinational companies by learning new technology and then going on to emerge as transnational enterprises. 

 

While much is attempted in this manuscript to provide a nuanced view of Malaysia’s economic development, much is achieved, including understanding a range of issues such as the role of the state in the economy, the impact of public policies, the outcomes of the government’s attempt to nurture domestic enterprises, the evolution of Chinese-owned firms, and how multinational companies operate in a context where all these factors have to considered.  Therein lies the novelty and strength of this manuscript, a primary reason why it merits publication.  

 

Specialists in the fields of international business and Chinese enterprise will benefit much from the arguments made here, given its inter-disciplinary approach.  With sufficient empirical evidence, the author successfully shows the importance of grappling simultaneously with a range of core variables in order to understand the outcomes of investing in a rapidly developing economy.  This book would undoubtedly be of interests to students of international business, political economy, diaspora business, and Southeast Asian studies.’