Role of investment promotion agency communication strategy on foreign direct investment attraction

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to explore the role of communication on websites of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) in the Iberian region. Therefore, this research aims understand how IPA agencies communicate through their websites and which themes are more or less frequently emphasized. The analysis of communication from the 43 IPAs was conducted through a combined content analysis with the Multiple Correspondence Analysis method. A more detailed analysis of InvestPorto was also performed to understand the most and least used themes in the website, and how they are interconnected. The results reveal that themes related to human capital (e.g., talent, demography, workforce), quality of life (e.g., social well-being, landscapes, heritage), geography (e.g., location, territory), and business climate (e.g., economy, investment) are being more frequently used by these agencies. In contrast, themes such as industry (e.g., textile, chemical, healthcare, metal) and investment policies (e.g., clusters, aftercare) are less used. Additionally, the analysis of InvestPorto shows that, although it follows the trends of the other Iberian agencies, it presents some differences in the communication on its website.

Date of Award	12 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Božidar Vlačić (Supervisor)