The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers

A vast set of empirical evidence has been amassed over the past decade on the existence and direction of foreign direct investment (FDI)-generated horizontal and vertical spillovers. Overall, the results are mixed, and suggest that the theoretical postulated spillover effects often do not automat...

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Main Authors: Thomas Farole, Deborah Winkler
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Warsaw 2015-04-01
Series:Journal of Banking and Financial Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://press.wz.uw.edu.pl/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=jbfe
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author Thomas Farole
Deborah Winkler
author_facet Thomas Farole
Deborah Winkler
author_sort Thomas Farole
collection DOAJ
description A vast set of empirical evidence has been amassed over the past decade on the existence and direction of foreign direct investment (FDI)-generated horizontal and vertical spillovers. Overall, the results are mixed, and suggest that the theoretical postulated spillover effects often do not automatically materialize just because a country is able to attract FDI in the first place. As a result, more and more research has been devoted to understanding the various conditions that may explain these mixed results. Using a cross-section of more than 25,000 domestic manufacturing firms in 78 low-and middle-income countries from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys Indicator Database we assess how mediating factors influence productivity spillovers to domestic firms from FDI. We differentiate between three types of mediating factors: (i) a foreign investor’s spillover potential, (ii) a domestic firm’s absorptive capacity, and (iii) a country’s institutional framework. We find that all three affect the extent and direction of FDI spillovers on domestic firm productivity. Moreover, we find that the impact of mediating factors depends on domestic firms’ productivity and the structure of foreign ownership.
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spelling doaj-art-c1b58b7a8e6c462589fe0e7c9300b0f22025-01-03T00:36:14ZengUniversity of WarsawJournal of Banking and Financial Economics2353-68452015-04-0120151(3)7711210.7172/2353-6845.jbfe.2015.1.4The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI SpilloversThomas Farole0Deborah Winkler1Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, The World BankTrade & Competitiveness Global Practice, The World BankA vast set of empirical evidence has been amassed over the past decade on the existence and direction of foreign direct investment (FDI)-generated horizontal and vertical spillovers. Overall, the results are mixed, and suggest that the theoretical postulated spillover effects often do not automatically materialize just because a country is able to attract FDI in the first place. As a result, more and more research has been devoted to understanding the various conditions that may explain these mixed results. Using a cross-section of more than 25,000 domestic manufacturing firms in 78 low-and middle-income countries from the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys Indicator Database we assess how mediating factors influence productivity spillovers to domestic firms from FDI. We differentiate between three types of mediating factors: (i) a foreign investor’s spillover potential, (ii) a domestic firm’s absorptive capacity, and (iii) a country’s institutional framework. We find that all three affect the extent and direction of FDI spillovers on domestic firm productivity. Moreover, we find that the impact of mediating factors depends on domestic firms’ productivity and the structure of foreign ownership.https://press.wz.uw.edu.pl/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=jbfeforeign direct investmentspilloversproductivityfirm characteristicsabsorptive capacityinstitutions
spellingShingle Thomas Farole
Deborah Winkler
The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
Journal of Banking and Financial Economics
foreign direct investment
spillovers
productivity
firm characteristics
absorptive capacity
institutions
title The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
title_full The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
title_fullStr The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
title_short The Role of Foreign Firm Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and the Institutional Framework for FDI Spillovers
title_sort role of foreign firm characteristics absorptive capacity and the institutional framework for fdi spillovers
topic foreign direct investment
spillovers
productivity
firm characteristics
absorptive capacity
institutions
url https://press.wz.uw.edu.pl/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=jbfe
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