Vertical Integration and Joint Ventures in the Aluminum Industry

Vertical Integration and Joint Ventures in the Aluminum Industry
Author: John Alan Stuckey
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 362
Release: 1983
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780674934900

A consultant with McKinsey & Company surveys the international aluminum industry and asks why its various activities are divided among firms in the way that they are. These components include the minding of bauxite, its refining into alumina, aluminum smelting, fabrication, and manufacture of the final product. What is it about this industry that encourages joint ventures in some cases, long-term contracts in others, and vertical integration and merger in still others? The author identifies and analyzes the factors which motivate firms to adopt one or another of these patterns of doing business. He draws on and extends recent developments in theory relating to the operation of markets and organizations, and tests the power of theories to explain what is observed in the industry. He has assembled a great deal of empirical evidence, focusing on the United States, Japan, and Australia. The book should become the standard study of the aluminum industry.

Joint Venture Agreements in the Qatari Gas Industry

Joint Venture Agreements in the Qatari Gas Industry
Author: Talal Abdulla Al-Emadi
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2019-03-29
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3030126234

This book addresses a question of importance for both theory and practice: Why are joint venture agreements preferred over other types of agreements such as concession agreements, service contracts, and production sharing agreements in the Qatari gas industry? On a theoretical level, the author analyses this decision-making process by developing an approach that integrates a micro-level analysis, more specifically within international oil companies, with a macro-level analysis that spring from the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. At the micro level, the author proposes John Dunning’s eclectic paradigm (as one set of theoretical ideas) to explaining one element of the decision-making process leading to the preference for joint venture agreements, that is, that of international oil companies. At the macro-level, the author proposes Antony Giddens’ structuration theory (as another set of theoretical ideas) to explaining another part of this decision-making process, that is, how it is being shaped by the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. On an empirical level, the proposed book applies a combination of a micro-economic approach such as Dunning’s eclectic paradigm with a macro-sociological approach such as Giddens’ structuration theory by empirical investigation. Grounded on a qualitative strategy that focuses on the meaning-making which brings together different perspectives of this decision-making process including those of international oil companies and the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry, the proposed book utilises a case study design, named the case of the Qatari gas industry. The author employs a triangulation of data collection techniques to access empirical data: analysing official documents and semi-structured interviews (a sample of the interview questions are included in an appendix to the proposed books). In line with the qualitative nature of this proposed book, a thematic Analysis is adopted to interpret data based on Dunning’s eclectic paradigm at the micro level and Giddens’ structuration theory at the macro level. In doing so, this book connects theory with practice by investigating the preference for joint venture agreements in the case of the Qatari industry by the combined application of one of the most effective frameworks for explaining foreign direct investment, named Dunning’s eclectic paradigm along with the most complex sociological framework that offers a rich definition of organisational culture, named Giddens’ structuration theory. Audience could include academics, professionals, and graduate and senior undergraduate students.

The Aluminium Industry

The Aluminium Industry
Author: James R. King
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2001-02-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1855738767

Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust but, because aluminium was isolated experimentally only in 1827 and produced in commercial quantities only after 1886, its production and use is many times less than that of iron. However over twice as much aluminium is produced as copper and the annual percentage growth in its consumption between 1985 and 1998 at 2.8% is significantly greater than that of iron and steel.The aluminium industry provides an in-depth overview of the international aluminium trade at the turn of the millennium. Its clearly presented information, analysis and statistics bring the industry into sharp focus – from extraction and refining to applications, markets, prices and future trends.The aluminium industry is essential reading for: Professionals whose businesses participate in, supply or buy from any part of the aluminium industry The finance community with investment interests in the metals or raw materials industries Engineers needing an overview of the structure and commercial operation of the aluminium industry Government policy makers and all those needing an introduction to the industry or a training resource for new entrants Read this guide and find out about: How the aluminium industry has developed from its earliest beginnings How the key raw materials, bauxite and alumina are processed Why technical trends are changing the production of aluminium How primary aluminium is priced The role of recycled aluminium metal How demand is changing and the main applications for aluminium products today and in the future The organisation of international trade, industry corporate structures and the key issues that will determine the industry's future