posted on 2010-11-29, 09:45authored byKadom J.A. Shubber
The primary aim of this thesis-is to expound and elaborate the-concept
of "packaging" in international technology-transfer transactions, both
theoretically and empirically. Certain hypotheses concerning the determinants
of the packaging level in transfer transactions are put forward and subsequently
examined in the light of empirical findings.
The basic theoretical framework is elaborated within the first eight
chapters. Apart from expounding relevant concepts, these discuss the variety
of methods which may be utilized to transmit technology, drawing substantially
on published theories and field studies. The notion of "packaging" is
explored and five levels of packaging are put forward, whereby the different
transfer methods are categorized, accordingly.
Some of these chapters are concerned with matters closely allied to
decisions regarding the packaging level. These include the role played by
the country's technological infrastructure, financial aspects of technologytransmission,
and the causes and effects of State legislation, policy,
and regulation.
The last eight chapters are devoted to the two-fold task of analysing Iraq's
experience in technology-acquisition and the methodology and findings of
the empirical study. The role of the State in industrial development and
technology-transfer is elucidated, with primary emphasis on the decade of
the 1970's. Also, the parts played by the private and mixed sectors are
assessed, and the changes in the country's imports of technology products
analysed.
After initiating contact with a sample of British firms, a group was
finally chosen after ascertaining that they had exported manufacturing
equipment to Iraq. These companies were visited, resulting thereby in a
core sample of 32 transfer cases. In each case relevant information was
obtained from the visited firm. The data were subsequently analysed to
derive the general features of the transactions in question, and the various
hypotheses were subjected to statistical testing.
The results of these tests have proved negative in some cases and positive
in others. Accordingly certain quantitative relationships have been
established, which express the association of the level of packaging with
a few relevant variables.