Investments from the BRIC countries: Cause for concern for companies, employees and municipalities? [Investitionen aus den BRIC-Staaten: Grund zur Sorge für Unternehmen, Beschäftigte und Kommunen?]

Abstract

Investments from BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – are playing an increasingly important role in Germany. However, both the public and the potentially affected labour force often adopt sceptical, and sometimes even hostile attitudes towards investors from these countries. This article shows that apart from a few exceptions investors from the BRIC countries are generally better than their reputation precedes. An important conclusion drawn in this paper is that investors should not be received with stereotypes. Rather, it is necessary to perform deeper investigations into their strategies and the specific investment goals in each case. This is all the more necessary to ensure that investments from BRIC countries do not conflict with the domestic firms' interests or of their personnel. In fact, they can assist to increase the competitiveness of German firms, and as such not only prove beneficial for the workforce but also for Germany as a business destination. © 2017, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.