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Chinese Investment in Africa: Avenues for Academic Scholarship

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The Changing Dynamics of International Business in Africa

Part of the book series: AIB Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Series ((AIBSSA))

Abstract

Although Chinese investment in Africa has long been a subject of policy debate (Alden, 2007 ; Brautigam, 2009; Michel and Beuret, 2009; Rotberg, 2008; US Senate, 2012),1 it has received relatively little attention from business scholars. We aim to correct this oversight, not least because Chinese investment in Africa represents new and important opportunities for scholars of international business (IB), particularly those interested in political strategy, organizational theory and behavior, and the social impact of business. Of course, no single paper could possibly do justice to the panoply of research possibilities opened by this enormous flow of financial and other resources; thus, we aspire to a more modest goal. In this paper, we outline the significance of this phenomenon for business scholars in terms of possible theoretical and methodological research avenues. We also provide a preliminary report on some data we have assembled to offer insights into the geographic and economic breadth of Chinese investment in Africa in recent decades.

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© 2015 Lite Nartey and Stephen Mezias

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Nartey, L., Mezias, S. (2015). Chinese Investment in Africa: Avenues for Academic Scholarship. In: Adeleye, I., Ibeh, K., Kinoti, A., White, L. (eds) The Changing Dynamics of International Business in Africa. AIB Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137516541_4

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