F60 - Economic Impacts of Globalization: GeneralReturn

The overall objective of the present research is to examine the influence of information technology components on the export-to-GDP ratio, especially focused on the changes caused by the events of the 20th century for Southeast European countries (SEC). The motivation for selecting these countries is to evaluate whether they have achieved a sufficient level to adapt digital developments. To overcome these challenges, the study uses a hybrid technique, employing random-effects (RE) and fixed-effects (FE) regression and Arellano-Bond estimations on panel data gathered from 13 countries from 2006 to 2021. The results confirm that fixed broadband subscriptions (FBS), gross formation capital (GFC) and official exchange rate (ORE), have a strong positive effect on the export-to-GDP ratio. Additionally, fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS), foreign direct investments (FDI) and inflation (INF) have a significant negative impact on the export-to-GDP ratio. The Arellano-Bond technique reveals that FBS, INF and ORE have a positive effect on exports, whereas FTS, GFC and FDI have a negative effect. The novelty of this research is that it uses data comparisons that are not related to a single determinant in the economy but are conditioned to advancement, especially concerning global markets and the exploitation of gaps created by changes in supply chains.
Implications for Central European audience: Depending on the research results, it is anticipated that the policy-making structures and other regulatory authorities will create a clear overview of the importance of digitization and its dynamics in the realization of exports and the mitigation of the trade deficit. These discoveries will encourage the highly empowered actors to redesign the policies that will affect the expansion and increase of the quality of the infrastructure of broadband and telephone subscriptions. By expanding and increasing the quality of the economic structure of the respective countries, they will be able to maximize the progress of the export value, which is one of the main goals of almost every country included in the analysis.

In 2014, the Czech automotive industry had a record-breaking year with 1 278 000 motor vehicles manufactured. This was a result of the investment of three major carmakers, who entered into the Czech Republic, because they believed in the industrial capacity of the country and its strategic location in Central Europe. The goal of this article is to analyze the different entry strategies into the Czech market and to compare the results of different strategic approaches for both foreign private investors and the recipient country. The main research method used in this article is a case study. In our case studies, we will analyze the cases of the Volkswagen group and its acquisition of the manufacturer Škoda, the greenfield investment of Hyundai, and the strategic alliance of the French car producer PSA with Japanese Toyota who had founded the TPCA joint venture in the Czech Republic. All three case studies show examples of good practices and prove that foreign direct investment (FDI) has the potential to generate employment, raise productivity, transfer skills and technology, enhance exports and contribute to the long-term economic development of the country.