East-West Joint Ventures in a Transitional Economy: The Case of Slovakia

Abstract

This article is a contribution to the discussion about the effects of FDI on the transitional economies. The paper is a result of the examination of a number of joint ventures in the Slovak Republic since 1993. The author shows the positive and the negative impacts of FDI on the Slovak economy in four joint venture case studies (Whirlpool, Volkswagen, BC Torsion, Samsung-Calex). In the conclusion she underlines many positive effects of the FDI on the individual firms, but at the same time she stresses the limited external effects on the Slovak economy.