scholarly journals Climbing the Rungs of the Quality Ladder: FDI and Domestic Exporters in Romania

2020 ◽  
Vol 130 (628) ◽  
pp. 937-955
Author(s):  
Matej Bajgar ◽  
Beata Javorcik

Abstract This article argues that inflows of foreign direct investment can facilitate export upgrading in host countries. Using customs data merged with firm-level information for 2005–11, it shows a positive relationship between the quality of products exported by Romanian firms and the presence of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the upstream (input-supplying) industries. Export quality is also positively related to MNE presence in the downstream (input-sourcing) industries and the same industry, but these relationships are less robust. These conclusions hold both when the product quality is proxied with unit values and when it is estimated following the approach of Khandelwal et al. (2013).

2000 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W Edgington ◽  
Roger Hayter

This paper is a critical examination of the ‘flying geese’ and ‘billiard ball’ models of foreign direct investment (FDI) and their ability to explain the spatial expansion of Japanese electronics multinationals (MNCs) in Asia-Pacific countries from 1985 to 1996. Data on Japanese FDI are analyzed in this region at the aggregate, sectoral, and firm level. The paper commences with a review of the flying geese model, especially that version which interprets Japanese FDI as a catalyst for Asian development, and the billiard ball metaphor which suggests a mechanism for host countries to ‘catch up’ with Japan. The authors then turn to an analysis of Japanese FDI in Asia-Pacific together with employment data for fourteen major firms. This allows an evaluation of the two models in terms of recent geographical patterns of investment and employment growth by electronics MNCs. A special case study of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd (MEI) helps flesh out the evolving geography of Japanese electronics firms in Asia-Pacific. Although the results support the overall patterns suggested by the two models, the authors argue that metaphors and analogies such as flying geese and billiard balls should not be used casually and as a substitute for analysis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitri Ghosh ◽  
Saikat Sinha Roy

Using firm-level data, this paper investigates whether foreign direct investment and the presence of multinational enterprises explains India's improved export performance during the postreform period. The recent literature stresses that firm heterogeneity gives some firms an edge over others to self-select into export markets. Apart from ownership, this paper considers firm heterogeneity and other firm-specific factors of export performance. Estimation results show that the impact of foreign ownership on export performance does not significantly differ from that of domestic firms across sectors in Indian manufacturing. Rather, firms build their international competitiveness by importing raw materials and foreign technical know-how, and by investing in research and development. Further, firm heterogeneity, measured in terms of sunk costs, significantly impacts firm-level export intensity. The study also reveals that there are ownership-specific factors that determine firm-level exports.


Author(s):  
Renfei Gao

AbstractInward foreign direct investment (IFDI) carries critical implications for emerging market multinational enterprises’ (EMNEs’) outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). While extant research provides evidence for the positive linkage between IFDI and EMNEs’ OFDI, less is known about the directionality of such OFDI—where to go. This study aims to extend the IFDI-OFDI linkage by differentiating EMNEs’ upward and downward OFDI (i.e., OFDI projects in more and less advanced host countries than their home markets). Using panel data on 1334 Chinese multinationals, I find that IFDI promotes EMNEs’ upward OFDI, but this effect is weakened by state ownership and industry competition. Moreover, my findings show that although IFDI is not related to EMNEs’ downward OFDI in general, their linkage becomes positive in the conditions of higher state ownership or weaker industry competition. This study advances our understanding of the directionality (i.e., where to go) of EMNEs’ OFDI in the face of IFDI spillovers.


2020 ◽  
pp. 937-959
Author(s):  
Suranjan Bhattacheryay

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the dispersal and optimisation of resource packages like human, financial, knowledge, physical and reputational resources. The motivational factors such as natural resources, market resources, strategic resources, efficiency resources, locational advantages, etc., influenced Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) to perform various activities in the host countries. MNEs internationalise business mainly to acquire intangible assets and for balancing resources which they do not possess. India is in receipt of continuous capital flow due to favourable policy management and a strong business environment. Globally, Indian corporations continually display significantly better equity earnings over other countries both developed and emerging. The Government of India is very keen in simplifying FDI rules with an ultimate aim to attract more investors with zero hazards.


2006 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nunnenkamp

AbstractThe rise in foreign direct investment flowing to developing countries has created high expectations that, by drawing on this source of external financing, developing countries could initiate or accelerate processes of economic catching-up to advanced industrialized countries. By contrast, the public in advanced countries such as Germany is increasingly concerned that the relocation of production and the outsourcing of inputs by multinational enterprises add significantly to domestic labor market problems. A critical review of the literature and own empirical analyses suggest, however, that both views have to be qualified in major respects. As concerns developing host countries, it appears to be more difficult to derive macroeconomic benefits from foreign direct investment than to attract it. The labor market repercussions in advanced home countries are fairly complex. While relocation and outsourcing are important means to support the international competitiveness of domestic enterprises, the employment prospects and the relative wages of less qualified workers are likely to deteriorate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (141) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Sadiq

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has helped accelerate the digitization of public services. The lockdown initiated by most governments to curb the spread of the coronavirus forced most public agencies to switch to online platforms to continue providing information and services to the public. It is widely recognized that information diffusion and communication technology play a large role in improving the quality of public services in terms of time, cost, and interface with the public, business, and other agencies. Potentially, e-government could enhance a country’s locational advantages and attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows. This hypothesis is tested empirically using an unbalanced panel data analysis for 178 host countries over the period 2003-2018. The results suggest that e-government stimulates the inflow of FDI.


Author(s):  
Suranjan Bhattacheryay

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the dispersal and optimisation of resource packages like human, financial, knowledge, physical and reputational resources. The motivational factors such as natural resources, market resources, strategic resources, efficiency resources, locational advantages, etc., influenced Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) to perform various activities in the host countries. MNEs internationalise business mainly to acquire intangible assets and for balancing resources which they do not possess. India is in receipt of continuous capital flow due to favourable policy management and a strong business environment. Globally, Indian corporations continually display significantly better equity earnings over other countries both developed and emerging. The Government of India is very keen in simplifying FDI rules with an ultimate aim to attract more investors with zero hazards.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1200-1217
Author(s):  
Munmi Saikia

The study investigates a simultaneous act of country-level determinants and firm-level heterogeneity on location distribution of the new wave of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from India. Indian firms are nested within host countries. Therefore, the current study employs mixed multilevel linear regression model to analyse multilevel and longitudinal data. Using firm-to-destination data, the study finds that location distribution of Indian multinationals is simultaneously driven by firm-level heterogeneity and country-level determinants. The study shows that location determinants of the recent wave of OFDI of Indian firms are significantly different from the past wave.


2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 2096-2119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Alfaro ◽  
Andrew Charlton

We use a new firm-level dataset that establishes the location, ownership, and activity of 650,000 multinational subsidiaries. Using a combination of four-digit-level information and input-output tables, we find the share of vertical FDI (subsidiaries that provide inputs to their parent firms) to be larger than commonly thought, even within developed countries. Most subsidiaries are not readily explained by the comparative advantage considerations whereby multinationals locate activities abroad to take advantage of factor cost differences. Instead, multinationals tend to own the stages of production proximate to their final production, giving rise to a class of high-skill, intra-industry vertical FDI. (JEL G11, J32)


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