Motives and Barriers to the Location of MNEs and the Role of the Informal Economy: the Case of Greece

Abstract

Considering the significant decrease of investment and GDP in Greece, and the goal of achieving a V-shaped post-COVID-19 recovery, inward FDI could be regarded as a source of productive private investment. This study aims to indicate differences in the factors determining inward FDI in Greece before and after the great crisis and the role of the informal economy on Greece’s inward FDI. This study explores the perceptions of multinational enterprises’ upper management regarding motives of and barriers to locating their activities in Greece, the role of the informal economy and how these perceptions changed before and after the great economic crisis of late 2000s. The results indicate that the relation between inward FDI and the informal economy depends on types of entry and that tax evasion opportunities can impact positively on the motives of foreign investors.