国际管理-德雷斯基1.ppt

Common law uses past court decisions as precedents. It is used in the US and 26 other countries of English origin or influence. Civil law represents a comprehensive set of laws organized into code. It is used in about 70 countries, including Japan and many in Europe. Islamic law is based on religious beliefs and combines common, civil, and indigenous laws to varying degrees. Islamic law is used in Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia. A contract is an agreement to establish the rules to govern a business transaction. Contract law plays a major role in international business transactions because of the complexities arising from different legal systems and because the host government in developing and communist countries often is a third party in the contract. * ? 2010 Pearson Prentice Hall Protectionist policies give preference to a country’s own products and industries. Japan is often criticized for its policies that limit imports of foreign goods. Foreign tax credits, holidays, exemptions, depreciation allowances, and taxation of corporate profits affect the relative level of profitability for a MNC in a given location. Canada provides a good example of government involvement in the economic and regulatory environment. The Canadian government has wholly and partly owned enterprises in many industries (e.g., transportation, petrochemicals, fishing, steel, textiles, building materials). The government’s role, therefore, is one of both control and competition. There is a high number of unionized workers in Canada (30%). In Quebec official bilingualism requires managers to be fluent in French and English. * ? 2010 Pearson Prentice Hall Appropriability of technology refers to the ability of the innovating firm to profit from its own technology by protecting it from competitors. Common methods of protection include patents, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, and trade secrets. In developing countries, firms generally face few restrictions on the creatio