FDI and the Transformation from Industry to Service Society in Emerging

Globally, the period from the 1980s to 2006 wascharacterised by growth in FDIs. Except for 1991, FDIflows increased every year between 1986 and 2000. Theperiod was also characterized by high economic growthin the so-called emerging economies. These economiesbecame strongly involved in the global economy in thisperiod through an increase in inward FDIs. In someemerging economies, like China and the Baltic statesinward FDIs increased even after the general setback in2001. For example, while FDI inflows globally fell by 41percent in 2001, and another 21 percent in 2002, it increasedwith 18 percent in 2001 and another 64 percentin 2002 in Lithuania (UNCTAD, 2003). These tendenciesask for a closer examination of the role of FDIs in therecent development of emerging economies.The paper deals with the role of MNEs and FDI inemerging economies from about 1990 by especially focusingon Norwegian FDIs in Lithuania.1 This case isspecial because of two reasons. First, not only is Lithuaniaan exa...