The determinants of geographic configuration of value chain activities: Foreign multinational enterprises in Japanese manufacturing

This paper attempts to identify the determinants of the multinational enterprises decision to locate value chain activities, such as R&D, procurement, production, and distribution, among the source and the host countries. Using data of foreign firms in Japanese manufacturing, the statistical analysis found that the determinants of direct investment in one business activity are not necessarily the same as the determinants for another activity, while they are linked each other through complex mechanisms. For example, foreign subsidiaries in R&D intensive industries in Japan are more likely to import intermediate goods, use contractors for production, and distribute through fragmented distribution system. It appears that the traditional transaction-cost model is less consistent with the pattern of investments in R&D, productions, and distribution at least for the sample used in this paper.I would like to thank Werner Pascha and the editors, Paul Welfens and David Audretsch, for thoughtful comments and suggestions.