Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on the concept of “strategic asset-seeking FDI”, which is frequently used in discussion of emerging economy multinational enterprises (MNEs), but it is challenged by some scholars. The author argues that he needs this category because an important type of foreign direct investment (FDI) is not captured by the other motives identified by John Dunning, namely, market-, efficiency- and natural-resource-seeking FDI. Design/methodology/approach – The author illustrates the phenomenon of strategic asset-seeking FDI with case examples that form the starting point for his theoretical arguments. Findings – Some FDI is undertaken explicitly with the aim to use assets acquired abroad to enhance the operations of the investor in other markets, including, notably, the investors’ home market. This contribution to capability-building processes of the MNE, indeed, constitutes an important and distinct type of investment motive. Originality/value – The author concluded that Dunning’s typology remains a powerful tool to analyze contemporary business strategies, but it suggests refining the definition of the categories.

Keyword

Capability-building ;  Foreign direct investment ;  Resource augmentation ;  Resource exploitation ;  Resource exploration ;  Strategic asset-seeking

Abstract

Since the development of the eclectic paradigm by Dunning (1977, 1988, 1993), many studies have investigated different forms of location advantages that attract foreign direct investment (FDI). In this study, we consider accounting standards as a component of the institutional infrastructure of a location and hypothesize that the convergence of domestic and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) promotes FDI as it reduces information processing costs for foreign investors.2 We also hypothesize that the effect of reduced information costs is stronger for partner countries whose accounting systems showed greater pre-convergence differences because they magnify the facilitating role of accounting standard convergence for FDI. Using bilateral FDI data from 30 OECD countries between 2000 and 2005, we find evidence generally consistent with these hypotheses.

Keyword

Accounting harmonization ;  Foreign direct investment ;  IFRS ;  Location ;  OECD

Abstract

What drives firms, particularly those from emerging economies, to engage in competitive catch-up with world leaders? We study the first step leading to catch-up, namely the managerial intent to acquire strategic assets that help closing the gap. Theoretically grounded in the awareness-motivation-capability (AMC) framework of competitive dynamics, we identify key factors contributing to firms' strategic intent to catch-up by acquiring strategic assets abroad. Using a sample of 154 Chinese firms, we find that firms' strategic assets seeking intent of foreign direct investment is influenced by their exposure to foreign competition, their governance structure, and relevant financial and managerial capabilities.

Keyword

Competitive catch-up ;  Competitive dynamics ;  Foreign direct investment ;  MNEs from emerging economies ;  Strategic asset seeking

Abstract

This study investigates how heterogeneous firms choose their lenders when they raise external finance for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and how the choice of financing structure affects FDI activities. We establish an asymmetric information model to analyze why certain firms use private bank loans while others use public bonds to finance foreign production. The hidden information is the productivity shock to FDI. Banks are willing to monitor the risk of FDI, while bondholders are not; hence, banks act as a costly middleman that enables firms to avoid excessive risk. We show that firms’ productivity levels, the riskiness of FDI, and the relative costs of bank finance and bond finance are three key determinants of the firm’s financing choice. Countries with higher productivity, higher bank costs, or investment in less risky destinations, use more bond finance than bank finance. These results are supported by evidence from OECD countries.

Keyword

Bank finance ;  Bond finance ;  Foreign direct investment ;  Productivity ;  Risk

Abstract

China's export structure has shown a rapid shift towards more sophisticated industries. While some believe that this trend is a result of processing trade and foreign direct investment, the evidence is mixed. This paper examines variations in level of export sophistication across China's manufacturing industries. We find that an industry's level of export sophistication is positively related to the share of wholly foreign owned enterprises from OECD countries and the share of processing exports of foreign-invested enterprises, and negatively related to the share of processing exports of indigenous Chinese enterprises. Evidence from the relative export prices of Chinese goods, which measure within-product export sophistication, shows a similar pattern.

Keyword

China ;  Foreign direct investment ;  Processing trade ;  Sophistication of exports

Abstract

This paper examines international trade and foreign direct investment as channels for technology diffusion among industrialized countries. We find strong empirical support for capital goods trade as a channel for international technology diffusion and some evidence that multinational enterprises (outward FDI) transmit foreign technology back to the home country. We find no evidence that inward FDI is a significant channel for international technology diffusion among industrialized countries. Our results also show that technology diffuses in disembodied forms, with countries that are farther from the world technology frontier benefiting more.

Keyword

Capital goods ;  Distributive trade ;  Foreign direct investments ;  Information technology ;  International trade ;  Multinational corporations ;  Productivity ;  Statistical estimation ;  Statistical significance ;  Technology transfer