Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam

Malaysia as a low-cost wooden furniture production hub has attracted substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last two decades. However, globalization of the worldwide furniture industry has increased the competitive pressure from newly emerging furniture-producing nations, especially...

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Main Authors: Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran, Ioras, Florin
Format: Article
Language:English
English
Published: 2009
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/2/Foreign%20direct%20investment.pdf
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author Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran
Ioras, Florin
author_facet Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran
Ioras, Florin
author_sort Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Malaysia as a low-cost wooden furniture production hub has attracted substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last two decades. However, globalization of the worldwide furniture industry has increased the competitive pressure from newly emerging furniture-producing nations, especially Vietnam, which has displaced Malaysia as the largest exporter of furniture in the South East Asian region. Based on this state of facts a study was undertaken to analyze the FDI trends in the Malaysian furniture industry from 1986 to 2005, using secondary published data and questionnaire based survey. The results were compared against the characteristics of FDI in Vietnam. The results of the study point out that although Malaysia offered greater political stability, better infrastructure, amenities, industrial-relation practices, a more stable exchange rate and greater adoption of environmental-friendly practices; the lower production cost and favorable investment policy appear to be the strengths of Vietnam in attracting foreign direct investments. Therefore, Malaysian policy-makers need to formulate policies based on creativity and innovation that would pave the way for the manufacture of higher added-value products that would ensure the continued attractiveness of Malaysia as a furniture FDI destination.
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spelling upm-71072015-11-03T00:02:39Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/ Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran Ioras, Florin Malaysia as a low-cost wooden furniture production hub has attracted substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last two decades. However, globalization of the worldwide furniture industry has increased the competitive pressure from newly emerging furniture-producing nations, especially Vietnam, which has displaced Malaysia as the largest exporter of furniture in the South East Asian region. Based on this state of facts a study was undertaken to analyze the FDI trends in the Malaysian furniture industry from 1986 to 2005, using secondary published data and questionnaire based survey. The results were compared against the characteristics of FDI in Vietnam. The results of the study point out that although Malaysia offered greater political stability, better infrastructure, amenities, industrial-relation practices, a more stable exchange rate and greater adoption of environmental-friendly practices; the lower production cost and favorable investment policy appear to be the strengths of Vietnam in attracting foreign direct investments. Therefore, Malaysian policy-makers need to formulate policies based on creativity and innovation that would pave the way for the manufacture of higher added-value products that would ensure the continued attractiveness of Malaysia as a furniture FDI destination. 2009 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/2/Foreign%20direct%20investment.pdf Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran and Ioras, Florin (2009) Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam. International Forestry Review, 11 (4). pp. 464-474. ISSN 1465-5489 http://dx.doi.org/10.1505/ifor.11.4.464 English
spellingShingle Ratnasingam, Jegatheswaran
Ioras, Florin
Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title_full Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title_fullStr Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title_full_unstemmed Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title_short Foreign direct investment (FDI), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of Malaysia and Vietnam
title_sort foreign direct investment (fdi), added value and environmental-friendly practices in furniture manufacturing: the case of malaysia and vietnam
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/7107/2/Foreign%20direct%20investment.pdf