Master Thesis: Foreign Investments in the Chinese Automobile Industry: 2011 Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Master Thesis Foreign Investments in The Chinese Automobile Industry: Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends 1 September, 2011 Authors: Nadezhda Anastasova MSc in Finance and International Business Martin Nenovski MSc in International Business Academic supervisor: Kurt Pedersen Master Thesis: Foreign Investments in The Chinese Automobile Industry: 2011 Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends Abstract This thesis elaborates on the different motives and determinates that influence foreign companies to invest in the Chinese automobile industry, which in 2009 became the largest automobile producer in the world. The Chinese car manufacturing industry has been thoroughly described and analyzed through in-depth PESTEL and Porter’s five forces Analyses. Furthermore, based on the theoretical background of Dunning’s eclectic paradigm (OLI theory) and Ghemawat’s CAGE framework, this paper contributes to the existing literature on the topic by preparing detailed analysis of the drivers that have influenced the investment decisions of the three most powerful players in the Chinese automobile industry: the American General Motors, the German Volkswagen and the Japanese Toyota. Moreover, the thesis presents the most important distance determinants with respect to the three foreign countries: The USA, Germany and Japan and the host country: China and gives valuable examples with regard to the operations of the three biggest global players in China. Last but not least, the paper provides in-depth description of the sustainable trends in the Chinese automobile industry and gives important insights of General Motors’, Volkswagen’s and Toyota’s current strategies in this direction. The conclusion chapter gives and overall discussion of the most important findings with regard to the business operations of the three foreign companies in the host market. What is more, the authors of the thesis offer important recommendations for the future profitability and growth of the three foreign most powerful companies in China. Key Words: Chinese automobile industry, FDI, OLI theory, CAGE framework, General Motors (GM), Volkswagen (VW), Toyota (TMC), PESTEL analysis, Porter’s five forces analysis, Sustainable trends. ii Master Thesis: Foreign Investments in The Chinese Automobile Industry: 2011 Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends Acknowledgements We would like to thank our academic supervisor Prof. Kurt Pedersen for his most valuable advices and kind cooperation throughout the writing of this thesis. His most committed and very motivational guidance during the writing of this paper could not be overstated. We would also like to reserve our most profound gratitude to our parents and siblings for their unconditional support and trust during the writing of this thesis. Nadezhda Anastasova MSc in Finance and International Business Martin Nenovski MSc in International Business Aarhus School of Business 24 August, 2011 iii Master Thesis: Foreign Investments in The Chinese Automobile Industry: 2011 Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends Table of Contents 1 Introduction Chapter ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Problem statement and research objectives ............................................................................. 1 1.2 Scope and Limitation of the research ...................................................................................... 2 1.3 Structure of the thesis .............................................................................................................. 3 2 Literature Review Chapter ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction and Definitions.................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Overview of The Main FDI Theories ...................................................................................... 5 2.3 FDI Motives and Determinants ............................................................................................... 9 2.3.1 Motives (Types of FDI) ................................................................................................... 9 2.3.2 Determinants ................................................................................................................. 10 2.4 Distance Determinants .......................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 20 3 Methodology Chapter ............................................................................................................ 22 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Purpose of the research .......................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Research Methodology .......................................................................................................... 22 3.4 Research Paradigm ................................................................................................................ 23 3.5 Research Approach ................................................................................................................ 24 3.6 Research Strategy .................................................................................................................. 25 3.7 Cases Selection ...................................................................................................................... 26 3.8 Data Collection Methods ....................................................................................................... 27 3.9 Summary of Methodology ..................................................................................................... 28 4 The Investment Environment of the Chinese Automobile Industry ...................................... 29 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Brief Review of The Chinese Automobile Industry: Important Statistics and Facts from The Past and Today .................................................................................................................................. 29 4.3 Analysis of The Macro Environment of The Chinese Automobile Industry ......................... 32 4.3.1 Political Environment .................................................................................................... 32 4.3.2 Economic Environment ................................................................................................. 33 4.3.3 Social/Cultural Environment ......................................................................................... 35 4.3.4 Technological Environment .......................................................................................... 36 iv Master Thesis: Foreign Investments in The Chinese Automobile Industry: 2011 Analysis of Drivers, Distance Determinants and Sustainable Trends 4.3.5 Environmental Factors .................................................................................................. 38 4.3.6 Legal Environment ........................................................................................................ 38 4.4 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of The Chinese Automobile Industry .................................... 38 4.4.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers and Main Drivers for It ................................................... 39 4.4.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Main Drivers for It ............................................... 41 4.4.3 Threat of New Entrants ................................................................................................. 42 4.4.4 Threat of Substitutes ...................................................................................................... 44 4.4.5 Market competitors ........................................................................................................ 44 4.4.6 Summary of Porter’s Five Forces .................................................................................. 46 5 Case Study Analyses Chapter ................................................................................................ 47 5.1 General Motors (GM) Case Study ......................................................................................... 47 5.1.1 Brief overview of GM Company ................................................................................... 47 5.1.2 Introduction of General Motors (GM) China ................................................................ 47 5.1.3 Investment structure of GM China ................................................................................ 48 5.1.4 Performance of GM China in the last couple of years .................................................. 49 5.1.5 The future goals of GM China ....................................................................................... 50 5.1.6 General Motors : Analysis based on the OLI paradigm ................................................ 50 5.1.7 General Motors and its Chinese partners: Analysis based on the CAGE framework ... 54 5.2 Volkswagen