英语本科生毕业论文—Unilever’s Investment in China

1、英语本科生毕业论文Unilevers Investment in ChinaYOUR LOGO原 创 文 档 请 勿 盗 版本科生毕业论文（设计）题 目：联合利华在华投资研究英文题目：“Unilevers Investment in China”学 院：英语学院专 业：商务英语年 级：2016班 级：160102Unilevers Investment in ChinaA Thesis Presented to theFaculty of the School of English StudiesTianjin Foreign Studies UniversityIn Partial Fulf

2、illmentof the Requirements for the DegreeBachelorByZhen YaxinMay 2020ContentsAbstract (in Chinese)IAbstract (in English)IIChapter . Introduction1A. General background1B. Need for the study2C. Purpose of the study3D. Methodology3E. Terms and definitions3F. Organization of the thesis3Chapter . Literat

3、ure review4A. Previous studies concerning the same issue4B. Remaining problems6C. Theoretical framework to be adopted6Chapter. Analyzing the issue8A. Methods to be used9B. Environmental factors9D. Localization14E. problems15F. Future investment trend17G. Solutions18H. Summarizing major points19Chapt

4、er . Conclusion19A. Summary of the study19B. Suggestions for further research20Acknowledgements (in Chinese)22Acknowledgements (in English)22Works Cited24摘要文章首先介绍了此次研究的意义和必要性，回顾了前人对跨国投资的研究，然后运用分工理论，环境理论，竞争优势理论和小规模技术理论，以联合利华为例，采用文献法，调查法和案例法相结合的方式分析了跨国公司在华投资考虑的环境因素，投资战略，面临的问题以及未来发展趋势。得出联合利华需要降低生产成本，调整

5、管理战略，重视产品安全，积极调整销售战略的结论。供其他企业借鉴参考。 关键词：跨国投资；联合利华；环境因素；发展趋势IIAbstractThis thesis introduces the significance and necessity of the study firstly. Then reviews the previous studies on transnational investment. Then takes Unilever as the research object, uses the theory of competitive advantage, analyze

6、s the environmental factors, investment strategies, problems facing and future development trend with the combination of literature research, survey method and case study. And finally concludes that Unilever should reduce the product cost, adjust managing strategies, pay attention to product safety

7、and actively adjust sales strategies. This thesis can be used for reference by other enterprises. Key words: transnational corporations; Unilever; environmental factors; development trendChapter . IntroductionA. General backgroundWith the reform and opening up and the rapid economic development of o

8、ur country, foreign investment is growing fast. There is enormous potential in the Chinese market. The rapidly developing economy has attracted more and more transnational corporations to invest in our country. These multinational corporations have confidence in the Chinese consumer market. Unilever

9、 is one of the most successful daily used chemical enterprises. Unilever invested in 1 billion dollars in China from 1986 to 2001. Unilever introduced more than 100 technologies, provided 14000 jobs and produced 20 brands of products. Unilever started to doing business in the 1930s, selling soap of

10、LUX. Till now, the sale of LUX s soap is still number one. In 1986, Unilever came back to China and set up the first joint venture. Since its formal operation in December 1987, Unilever Shanghai co.Ltd. has been expanding its scale, increasing its product varieties and increasing its economic benefi

11、ts. The company has developed into a national famous daily chemical products enterprise. From 1995 to 1996, Unilever was on the top 500 foreign-invested industrial enterprises in China list. In February 2000, Unilever established the sixth research and development centre in Shanghai. In 2002, China

12、entered the WTO. Unilever set up a global procurement centre in Shanghai to export raw materials. In 2003, Unilever established a personal care products manufacturing base of Hefei. This production base has become one of the largest production bases of Unilever in the world. This manufacturing base

13、in Hefei provides high-quality products of Unilever China. It has the potential to become a global production centre of Unilever. In 2004, Unilever decided to set up its headquarters office in Shanghai. In 2011, Unilever announced to invest in building the Tianjin airport economic zone, aiming to op

14、en a daily chemical production and food distribution centre in the northern region. The Construction started to establish in August. Production began to produce in 2012. B. Need for the study First, We need to search for information on previous studies. Think about the advantages and disadvantages o

15、f previous studies. Second, we have researched Unilever. We need to prepare a questionnaire, collect the data, analyze the data compare with theories and make conclusions finally. C. Purpose of the studyTo study about the investment environment sectors and investment strategies of Unilevers corporat

16、ions in China. To give suggestions for Unilever of solving current problems and give other corporations reference materials.D. MethodologyThis article took the results of the questionnaire survey of the employees in Unilever as a core to analyze Unilevers investment. Used official data and consulted

17、 some papers and journals. Used qualitative and quantitative analysis, interpreted data combined with theories to conclude. E. Terms and definitionsForeign direct investment is investment activities that capture long-term interests outside the home country of the investor. The investors goal is to h

18、ave sufficient control over the management of the enterprise. F. Organization of the thesisThis thesis consists of four parts: the first part mainly introduces the general background and significance of the study. Whats more, it explains the research methods, research contends and research ideas of

19、the study. The second part reviews previous studies on the development of foreign investment and foreign investment to China. It is concluded that foreign investment should consider many factors, such as environmental factors and behaviour factors. Transnational corporations ought to promote localiz

20、ation. Then the theoretical framework of this thesis is explained in detail. The third part takes Unilever as the research object, uses environmental factors to analyze its investment purposes, investment strategies, profitability and problems. The fourth part concludes the major points of the study

21、 and gives suggestions for further research. Chapter . Literature reviewA. Previous studies concerning the same issueZiyun Li analyzed the investment motivation of Unilevers investment in China, including the preferential investment policies of the host government, cheap labour and ample market spac

22、e. This article concludes that to reduce manufacturing costs, Unilever should actively change the management mode to the localization situation, improves market competitiveness, participates in every manufacturing and sales process. Tianliang Gao analyzed Unilever multinational business and its mult

23、inational business experience combining with examples. Through the research, he concluded two typical characteristics of Unilever. The thesis finds out the faults with the implementation of international operation strategy. Unilever's brand internationalization road is not straightforward, facin

24、g the complex and unfamiliar overseas market, this European multinational enterprise also has committed many faults.Yunshi Mao and Dunfu Jiang explained the divestment phenomenon of transnational corporations in China from theoretical and empirical aspects. This book emphatically discusses the Japan

25、ese transnational corporations and divestment cases, Europe and the United States multinational corporations in China. They studied the structure and characteristic of strategic motivations of divestment, environmental factors and behavioural factors and put up the calculation formula of the number

26、of divestment enterprises for the first time. Jiaying Bian uses value chain theory analyzes how transnational corporations localize in investment to China and the enlightenment to China. The author analyzed localization from purchasing, producing, brand, logistics, marketing, human resource, capital

27、 management and technological development aspects. One of the most effective ways to resolve cultural conflicts is to localize managers. We should provide an excellent financial environment to ensure the company to obtain financing support. We will reduce administrative interference, simplify examin

28、ation and approval procedures, and relax managerial autonomy.B. Remaining problemsDue to the companys internal data and confidentiality of relevant information, the lack of official statistics and data, there is no quantitative analysis and in-depth analysis. The previous studies on Unilever are out

29、 of date. These papers about transnational corporations investment in China were written many years ago. The conclusions have no timeliness. Chinese economy grows rapidly, and we need to study this question again. C. Theoretical framework to be adoptedMichael E. Porter Porter, a professor in Harvard

30、 business school put forward the theory of competitive advantage in his book The Competitive Advantage of Nations in 1990. In Porters view, if an enterprise wants to gain a lasting competitive advantage, low cost and differentiation strategies have to be adopted. Enterprises should be low-cost produ

31、cers in its industry so that the enterprise could achieve above-average revenue. Differentiation strategy requires enterprises to attach great importance of one feature that many customers value. Enterprises should try to do better on this feature of product and service. The premium income will be p

32、rofitable because other enterprises didnt notice this feature. Porter described the various function of transnational corporations by value chain. Porter thinks the advantages of low-cost competition from resources are easily imitated by others, while the advantages of a differentiation strategy are

33、 mainly from the ability of creativity in the aspect of equipment, technology, management and marketing. Theory of small-scale technology: Wells Wells, famous professor of transnational corporations study at Harvard University used the theory of small-scale technology to explain the resource foreign

34、 direct investment competitive advantage in developing countries. He thinks the competitive advantage of the transnational corporation in developing countries comes from low cost, and this low-cost strategy is closely related to its home country. Wells mainly analyzed the competitive advantages of t

35、he transnational corporation in developing countries from three aspects: First, have scale production technology for services. Second, there are advantages in national products and overseas production in developing countries. Third, Low-price product marketing strategy. The theory of small-scale tec

36、hnology shows that the competitive advantages of transnational corporations in developing countries are not absolute advantage. It mainly includes two aspects: One is that compared with transnational corporations in developed countries, transnational corporations in developing countries have product

37、ions that are more suited to local market conditions. On the other hand, compared with local enterprises in less developed countries, many transnational corporations in developing countries have advanced technologies. This theory distinguished different productions and different markets. This theory

38、 combined the competitive advantages of transnational corporations in developing countries with the market characteristics of these countries. As a result, it provides a theoretical basis of less developed countries invested abroad.Chapter. Analyzing the issueFor transnational corporations, Marketin

39、g network and product quality are the critical factors for household chemicals corporations to win. But establish effective marketing network must base on a good knowledge of the local market environment and adequate knowledge and understanding the purchasing power of consumers. Although transnation

40、al corporations surveyed relevant market environment and conditions of consumers purchasing power before they enter China, the new entry companies still need to spend most of the material and financial resources to perfect the corresponding marketing network system. As domestic enterprises are more

41、familiar with the local market environment, they can establish effective sales networks with relatively low costs. So the local enterprises are in a favourable position to compete with transnational corporations. A. Methods to be usedFirstly, this part uses the survey method. I designed a questionna

42、ire and sent it to the company employees to finish it. Secondly, the data is analyzed by the literature method. Thirdly, I studied the latest financial situation in Unilever China by using the case study method. B. Environmental factorsAs a transnational corporation, Unilever has to consider the env

43、ironmental factors before the real investment in China. The main factors that affect the investment environment are natural factors, economic factors, legal factors and political factors. Natural factors include geographic position, climate, natural resources, national area and population. Economic

44、factors include economic development level, infrastructure, economic policy and economic structure. Legal factors include the completeness of law, the justice of the law, stability of law and the legal consciousness of citizens. Political factors include political system, regime stability, the effic

45、iency of government and social and cultural factors. Unilever considered all of these factors before it invests in China. China is located in the eastern and central Asia, the Pacific West bank, is a back land facing the sea, land and sea both countries. The salient characteristics of the population

46、 are the large population base, rapid population growth, and a large number of ethnic groups. Rich in resources, but relatively few per capital resources. The appropriate geographic position provides a comfortable environment. The population base provides enough cheap labour.Chinas economy is develo

47、ping rapidly. From 1953 to 2010, China had completed eleven The Five-Year Plan. Since the institution of its reforms and Open Door policy in 1987, Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) has been growing at an average annual rate of more than 9%. This booming economy indicates that foreign investment in

48、 China can have a good prospect. At present, China is enjoying political stability, economic progress and social harmony. The Chinese government protected swathes of the economy from acquisitions but provided land, tax breaks and at least the appearance of a welcome to attract investment. The govern

49、ment policies encourage foreign investment in China.C. Investment reasonsWhen transnational corporations choose a target country for investment, they will consider a lot. There are three main reasons for Unilever to invest in China. Preferential policies, cheap labour cost and abundant labour force

50、in Chinas labour market. Just like the questionnaire in my survey, in the question “What is the main reasons that Unilever invested in China? ” The first three popular answers are Catering to the Chinese market(74.51%), Reduce production cost(58.86%), and local market demand(56.86%).In Porters view,

51、 if an enterprise wants to gain a lasting competitive advantage, low cost and differentiation strategies have to be adopted. Transnational corporations of developed countries invested in developing countries, to a great extent, is due to the preferential policies of the host country. Theres a limita

52、tion of developing countries economic development level so that developing countries usually are willing to attract foreign direct investment as an important means to promote the development of productivity. In the multiple-choice question “ Which preferential policies support had Unilever got befor

53、e?” 71.76% of the people chose subsidy for fixed or operating costs, 75% of the people chose low or no interest loans,55% of the people chose low price or free insurance. The results indicate that the Chinese market does have preferential policies for Unilever. The preferential policies of the host

54、country are very attractive for transnational corporations. Most of the transnational corporations invested in China are also based on the corresponding preferential measures. This could explain why Unilever invested in China.China is the most populous country in the world with a population of 1.4 b

55、illion. The huge population base of China provided a huge enough market for Unilever. There is a huge purchasing power in this market. In China, economy development depends on cheap labour, and this cheap labor generally is a low-level labor force. So there is a huge potential in the low-level labor

56、 workforce. This leads to the result that supply exceeds demand for cheap labor in China. In supply and demand, if the number of cheap labor far beyond the demand for the number of jobs supplied in labor market, the price of labor will be low. Unilever takes advantage of the cost competitiveness, wh

57、ich is created by the lower labor costs in China, and improves its profit income by lower labor costs, and finally created maximum profit for the enterprise. However, China is already the second-largest economy and closely interconnected with other economies. The average production cost is increasin

58、g steadily. According to the Theory of small-scale technology, the competitive advantage of the transnational corporation in developing countries comes from low cost. This low cost-strategy is closely related to its home country. As Wells says, the competitive advantage of transnational corporations are from three aspects: scale production technology for services, advantages in national products and overseas production in developing countries and Low-price product marketing strategy. Although the Theory