Explaining variability in the investment location choices of MNEs: An exploration of country,industry and firm effects

This paper examines the variation in foreign direct investment (FDI) location decisions of European multinational enterprises (MNEs.) An innovative empirical approach is applied to a new data set which contains over 15,000 individual FDI location decisions in 25 European countries over a 17-year period and combines country-, industry- and firm-level factors. The empirical results show that the responsiveness of FDI location choices to country-level factors is heterogeneous both across sectors and across firms of different characteristics as well as unobserved factors. For example, the results show that the importance of market size increases with investing firm’s size and skill intensity, while proximity between countries, as well as cultural and linguistic ties are more important for smaller firms.     

国内外市场潜力对FDI区位选择的影响研究

本文运用1996-2008年全国276个地级及以上城市和39个我国主要贸易伙伴的面板数据,通过估计固定效应模型,研究了我国城市面对的市场潜力对在华FDI区位选择的影响。为了估计各种市场潜力对FDI流量的不同影响,将市场潜力分为国内和国外市场潜力,并且将国内市场潜力分为省内和省外市场潜力。本文发现一个城市面对的国内市场潜力和国外市场潜力都对该城市吸收FDI具有显著的促进作用,而前者对FDI流量的影响更大。另外,一个城市面对的来自本省的市场潜力将正向影响该城市吸收外资,但来自外省的市场潜力却对该城市的FDI流入无显著影响,这反映了我国国内市场存在分割。     

How foreign firms achieve competitive advantage in the Chinese emerging economy: Managerial ties and market orientation

As China experience unprecedented changes in its social, legal, and economic institutions, on what should foreign firms focus more to overcome this challenge, managerial ties or market orientation? This study investigates how managerial ties and market orientation affect competitive advantage and, consequently, firm performance in China. On the basis of a survey of 179 foreign firms in China, we find that both managerial ties and market orientation can lead to firm success—but in different ways. Market orientation enhances firm performance by providing differentiation and cost advantages, whereas managerial ties improve performance through an institutional advantage (i.e., superiority in securing scarce resources and institutional support). Institutional advantage, in turn, leads to differentiation and cost advantages and consequently superior performance.     

Institutional,cultural and industry related determinants of ownership choices in emerging market FDI acquisitions

In this study, we tackle a relatively un-researched question: What explains partial FDI acquisitions? The choice between full, majority, and minority ownership is explained on the basis of three locational factors – the differences, or “distances,” between the countries of the acquirer and target firm – operationalized in terms of (i) institutions, (ii) culture, and (iii) sectoral relatedness. The sample comprises 1389 acquisitions in India and China by acquirers from 33 nations over an 11-year period. We find that the likelihood of minority acquisition over majority or full becomes higher when acquisitions involve low institutional distance or high uncertainty avoidance distance. However, the likelihood of minority acquisition over full or majority becomes lower when acquisitions involve industry relatedness. The results add to our understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of partial versus full FDI acquisitions in emerging markets. This study adds to the nascent literature that uses country or location “distance” metrics to show how the multinational firm, being “multiple embedded” (Meyer et al., 2011), can take advantage of the dual location of home and host countries.     

Foreign direct investment,black economic empowerment and labour productivity in South Africa

The impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestically owned firms in developing countries has been widely debated in the literature. It has been argued that FDI provides access to advanced technologies and other intangible assets, which may spill over to the host country and allow domestic firms to improve their performance. While there is a substantial literature on this issue, for obvious reasons, little is known about the effect of FDI on domestic firms in the African context. Noting this gap, this paper uses two-period (2003 and 2007) firm level panel data from South Africa to examine the impact of FDI on the labour productivity of domestic firms. A key policy change during this time period was the passage of the broad-based black economic empowerment act (BB-BEE) and we also examine the effect of the interaction between foreign firm ownership and BEE on labour productivity. Regardless of the empirical specification, we find no spillover effects and no evidence that a greater degree of BEE compliance by foreign firms influences labour productivity.     

SME internationalization and performance: Growth vs. profitability

Lu and Beamish (2001) examined the effect of two internationalization strategies, exporting and foreign direct investment (FDI), on SME performance (ROA). We extend this research by examining the differential effects of these strategies on two other dimensions of SME performance: growth and ROS. We develop and test four sets of hypotheses using a sample of 164 Japanese SMEs. We find that exporting activity has a positive impact on growth, but negative impact on profitability. FDI activity has a positive relationship with growth, but a U curve relationship with profitability. Exporting activity has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between an SME’s FDI activity and firm growth, a negative moderating effect on the relationship between an SME’s FDI activity and firm profitability. An SME’s age when it starts to make FDIs has a negative moderating impact on the relationship between FDI and firm growth and profitability.     

Environmental Policy,North-South Trade and FDI

We analyze trade between two countries, called the North and the South. There is one firm in each country and production costs are lower in the South. To serve foreign markets firms may export or engage in FDI. Both countries set tariffs on imported goods. We find that the implementation of an environmental policy by the South may affect the location decision of the Southern firm. When only the North sets an environmental tax, firms engage in FDI if the difference in costs between the two countries is low, otherwise the South exports and the Northern firm engages in FDI. If the South also sets an environmental tax, this does not restrict FDI by Northern firm, encourages FDI by the domestic firm, reduces its environmental damage and increases joint welfare. Finally, in equilibrium the South decides to implement an environmental policy and both firms engage in FDI.     

论知识经济条件下FDI的区位选择

随着经济的发展，越来越多的企业纷纷打破国界限制，进行对外直接投资。知识经济时代，以知识、技术资源为代表的生产要素日益重要，给砌的区位选择带来了影响，并通过跨国公司的投资决策表现出来。本文从分析何为知识经济出发，将国际直接投资的区位选择与社会经济形态的发展过程特点相结合，并对FDI区位选择做出策略性建议。     

Network Characteristics and Firm Performance: An Examination of the Relationships in the Context of a Cluster

The study examined the impact of spatial relationships on firm performance. It also assessed the impacts of network structural and relational characteristics on performance, as well as the moderating effects of these variables on the spatial relationship to performance linkages. The sample comprised 252 firms located in a mold industry cluster in the Zhejiang province of China. Both in‐cluster ties and extra‐cluster ties positively impacted performance. However, the effects of distant ties were more pronounced. Tie stability had a positive effect whereas tie quality had a negative effect on performance. Network centrality, tie strength, and tie stability strengthened the relationship between in‐cluster ties and performance. By contrast, all network tie characteristics weakened and changed the form of the relationship between extra‐cluster ties and performance. The findings suggest the need for cluster firms to consciously cultivate distant linkages in their network ties in order to neutralize the tendencies for lock‐in and to arrest entropic deterioration in their respective clusters.     

Technical Efficiency and Location Choice of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

We establish a theoretical model to explain the relationship between the regional technical efficiencies and production location choice. A higher regional technical efficiency level attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) and offsets the adverse effects of a high wage rate and setup cost. Data from Taiwan's SMEs during the period 1989–1996 are collected. Observations are classified into three exclusive and exhaustive groups: SMEs without FDI, SMEs with FDI in mainland China, and SMEs with FDI in other countries. We then apply the multi-logit model to test the relationship between the technical efficiency and FDI location choice. Taiwan's SMEs with higher technical efficiencies are less likely to invest in mainland China. Technical efficiencies do not significantly influence the location choice between Taiwan and other countries. The wage rate is a significant motive for SMEs to invest internationally, while the setup cost is not an important factor to affect firms' location choices.     

Bonding Ties,Bridging Ties,and Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Networks

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Building on the dynamic capabilities view and the configuration of network ties, this study investigates how dynamic capabilities moderate the relationships between bonding and bridging ties and firm performance, thus an area with potential to explain the divergent empirical results contained in the existing literature on the relationship between intra/extraorganizational ties and performance.

Methodology: This study employed a mail survey to senior executives. A total of 169 firms operating in an industrial district were collected. Regression analysis was employed to test the proposed model.

Findings: This study found that the combination of dynamic capabilities and bonding/bridging ties helps improve firm performance. Furthermore, this study found a positive relationship between bonding ties and firm performance, but no equivalent relationship for bridging ties.

Research Implications: Research results indicate that firm performance is significantly enhanced by bonding ties, which provide opportunities for sharing information and exchanging resources. Moreover, the empirical results reaffirm the proposition that dynamic capabilities are important transformational mechanisms for managing resources.

Practical Implications: The findings reveal that managers can improve firm performance by simultaneously building social ties and developing and implementing dynamic capabilities.

Originality/Value: This study demonstrates that the components of dynamic capabilities (i.e., sensemaking and reconfiguration) are transformational mechanisms and can moderate the positive relationship between bonding and bridging ties and firm performance, empirically supporting recent perspectives from the literature on dynamic capabilities and social networks.     

FDI,market signal and financing constraints of firms in China

On the basis of an augmented Euler equation, we use firm survey data provided by the World Bank to investigate the impact of FDI (foreign direct investment) on the financing constraints of firms in China. First we calculate the forward and backward linkages of FDI. Then through empirical estimation, we find that only private firms have financing constraints and that the incoming FDI alleviates this situation. Private firms with more foreign capital shares or having stronger vertical linkage with FDI can get financial resources easily. Furthermore, industries hosting a large amount of FDI are favorite clients of the financial institutions because they are usually much more competitive in the world. As a result, the private firms in these industries also have easier access to financial resources. In the financial market, FDI is a helping hand that reduces the information asymmetry between firms and financial institutions. Financial resources go where FDI goes, which to some extent improves the allocation efficiency.     

Digitalization,internationalization, and firm performance: A resource-orchestration perspective on new OLI advantages

Digital forces and digital global connection weaken traditional ownership, location and internalization (OLI) advantages and intensify new OLI advantages (open resources, linkages and integration). However, by building on the resource-orchestration theory, we raise the question of how digitalization (utilization and orchestration of digital resources) and internationalization (firm-level outward internationalization and country-level inward internationalization) affect firm performance. We introduce the degree of outward internationalization and home-country inward foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows as moderators in achieving firm performance as a result of digitalization. Using a panel dataset of 571 U.S. manufacturing firms, we find a curvilinear relationship between digitalization and performance. The top quartile of digitalization efforts is rewarded by significant profitability. Moreover, high levels of outward internationalization and high net-FDI inflows increase the performance gains attributable to high levels of digitalization. Overall, the resource-orchestration theory complements new OLI advantages in explaining firm performance in the digital world.     

Managerial political ties and firm performance during institutional transitions: An analysis of mediating mechanisms

This study examines the role of mediating mechanisms impacting the relationship between managers' political ties and firm performance, with a focus on institutional transitions in China. Relying on both resource dependence and institutional theories, the analysis posits that three factors: organizational regulatory legitimacy building, institutional support, and institutional entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, mediate the relationship between managerial political ties and firm performance. Using survey data collected from 195 Chinese firms, the study concludes that institutional support and institutional entrepreneurial opportunity recognition represent two significant mediating mechanisms by which managerial political ties can result in improved firm performance. But, though a reliance on political utilization enhances organizational regulatory legitimacy, the results show that regulatory legitimacy does not directly contribute to firm performance. This study also discusses theoretical contributions, implications for managers, study limitations, and suggestions for future research.     

集聚效应与农业外商直接投资的区位选择——基于1999-2009年中国省际面板数据分析

传统观点认为,农业因其产业链和分工较为简单等原因,相对来说并不易于形成空间集聚,因而,农业FDI的区位选择不存在集聚效应的影响。然而,本文通过统计分析和计量分析发现,农业FDI在中国的区位分布具有明显的空间集聚的特征,这种空间集聚产生的外部性利益,吸引了新进的农业FDI继续定位于这些地区。而且,随着时间的推移,由于因果循环的作用,农业FDI存量越大的地区,吸引的农业外资就会越多;而缺乏足够农业FDI存量的地区,就更加难以吸引农业外资的流入。集聚效应使得农业FDI地区分布的差距逐步扩大。     

Firm resource and first mover advantages: A case of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China

This paper examines the relationship between firm resources and first-mover advantages with regard to foreign direct investment (FDI) in China. While this study replicates some previous research on the issue, it also builds on the previous research by developing new theoretical arguments and adopting different research methods. Based on research on the resource-based view of the firm, we hypothesize that firm resources will moderate the relationship between the timing of entry and firm performance. Empirical analyses of data from a sample of MNEs competing in China show evidence supporting our hypotheses.     

Editorial Note

Using survey data from China, we demonstrate that the performance consequences of managerial turnover depend on firm characteristics and managerial ties outside of the firm. An insider CEO has better knowledge of the organization but may be bound by existing social ties within the firm. An outsider CEO may turn around the firm more efficiently and possess valuable business and political ties. The author finds outside CEOs are associated with higher efficiency gains in state-owned firms with a large labor force and dependent on government support. The finding is robust after controlling for the selection of CEOs.     

The role of corporate governance in FDI decisions: Evidence from Taiwan

There has been a considerable literature on the determinants of why firms undertake foreign direct investment (FDI), but very little on whether firms with different governance characteristics are more or less likely to venture overseas. For example, are family-controlled firms more predisposed to FDI than firms, with similar attributes, but different forms of ownership? Does the presence of institutional shareholders suggest a greater propensity to invest abroad? Does the composition of the Board of Directors have an impact? Most extant studies of corporate governance focus on the impact of governance factors on firm performance. However, these performance outcomes are a function of the strategic decisions made by the firms, which suggests it might be useful to consider the relationship between corporate governance factors and particular strategic decisions. One example is the decision to undertake foreign direct investment. The two main strands of IB literature on the determinants of FDI have little or nothing to say about how corporate governance factors might affect the FDI decision. Both internalisation theory and the resource-based view see FDI primarily as a means by which firms can appropriate rents in overseas markets from the exploitation of their idiosyncratic resources and capabilities. This paper extends this literature by investigating the effects of governance factors on the decision to undertake FDI. In particular, we want to assess the impact upon the FDI decision of (a) the extent of family control, (b) the presence of domestic and foreign institutional shareholders, and (c) the composition of the Board of Directors. We investigate these effects using a sample of 228 publicly listed firms in Taiwan, and our results clearly indicate that family control and share ownership by domestic financial institutions in Taiwanese firms are associated with the decision to undertake FDI. We also find that corporate governance impacts in different ways with regard to Taiwanese FDI in China in comparison to Taiwanese FDI in the rest of the world.     

融资效率、劳动力流动与FDI溢出

从宏观层面来看,FDI企业的技术水平总体高于国内企业,当劳动力由FDI企业转向国内企业或建立新企业从而引致技术溢出,而新企业的建立势必涉及到融资这一事实,本文认为融资效率高低在促进劳动力流动进而引起FDI溢出方面起着重要作用,融资效率的提高会提高劳动力由FDI企业流出建立自己的企业从而加速技术溢出的可能,意味着劳动力流动产生的技术溢出同时增加了FDI企业和国内企业的产出,即增加整个社会的边际产出。围绕这些问题,本文针对FDI溢出效应将放大金融市场对经济增长的影响的问题展开了一定层次的论证,结果显示：融资效率与FDI的联合作用并没有对经济增长产生显著影响,表明通过劳动力流动这一途径发生的FDI溢出从宏观层面上来看并不明显。     

Multilevel determinants of subsequent FDI in China

Among developing countries, China is the world's largest foreign direct investment (FDI) destination. A significant portion of the FDI in China comes from multinational corporations' (MNCs) subsequent investments of retained earnings or additional capital contribution. However, the characteristics of MNCs' subsequent investment have not been systematically studied. This study attempts to examine MNCs' subsequent investment in China both conceptually and empirically. Conceptually, the study approaches three levels of determinants: firm, location, and international, within an integrated model. Empirically, the study considers whether origin, experience, initial location, and other related factors significantly affect subsequent investment of MNCs after their initial entry into the Chinese market. Through empirical analyses, this study identifies some statistically significant factors around MNCs' subsequent investment decisions in China. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.