Big Fish in a Small Pond :: Essays Papers

Big Fish in a Small PondWhile living in rib Rica last summer I was introduced to a new culture and modality of life. The national slogan, Puravida, was the daily greeting while riding my bike level the dirt rode into town for Spanish class. The democracys belief in Puravida translated - pure life is one component that makes rib Rica distinct in this ever-globalizing world. In the small town I lived the people would work for a day, fishing or tour-guiding, and spend the next three days off, displaying an exceedingly different lifestyle than that of an American entrepreneur. Similarities surrounded by Costa Rica and the US, however, were visible. In about of the bigger cities of San Jose and Heredia I was surprised to expect the familiar signs of McDonalds, Burger King and Kentucky deep-fried Chicken mixed in with the local restaurants. In my trip to San Jose I was even more surprised to see a large Intel building. seeing the Intel building I questioned what they were doing i n Costa Rica. From my experience it was odd to see a high-tech American corporation in the middle of an ever- growing country. subsequently the initial shock I was more interested in what cause Intel has had in Costa Rica economically, socially and politically. In particular, did the move of Intel into Costa Rica take on positive or negative consequences on the small country? In this paper I allow examine the dynamics of the relationship between Intel and Costa Rica and will consider the implications of this interaction for large corporations relationships in developing countries. Using the case study of Intel in Costa Rica I will use a costs-benefit analysis to show why foreign figure investment has positive effects on the host economy. Costa Rica Costa Rica is located in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and North peace-loving Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. Costa Rica enjoys the political environment of a democratic republic. The country is ope n to economic consolidation of the greater region, being a component of the Central American Common Market(CACM), subscribing to a uniform external duty and to free-trade internally. Costa Rica also supports the Puebla-panama plan, initiated by Mexicos president Vincent Fox, which intends the Mesoamerican integration of Mexicos struggling southern states and all seven Central American countries. In addition, since 1948, Costa Rica has not had a military, and despite severe turbulences and civilised wars in Central America and border conflicts with Nicaragua and Panama, it has successfully maneuvered itself through these times.