IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/asiaec/v19y2005i3p273-289.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technological Capability and FDI in Asia: Firm‐level Relationships among Japanese Manufacturers

Author

Listed:
  • Eiichi Tomiura

Abstract

The present paper reexamines the relationship between technological capabilities and FDI decisions at the firm level. The data cover 118 300 Japanese firms in all manufacturing industries. The R&D of Japanese firms has a noticeably weaker relationship with FDI in Asia than with FDI in industrial countries. This finding is confirmed to be robust even when alternative estimation techniques are used and when R&D expenditure data are replaced by patent data. The estimation results also reveal non‐negligible fixed entry costs for FDI, a finding consistent with the observation that only approximately 2 percent of the firms invest abroad.

Suggested Citation

  • Eiichi Tomiura, 2005. "Technological Capability and FDI in Asia: Firm‐level Relationships among Japanese Manufacturers," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 19(3), pages 273-289, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:19:y:2005:i:3:p:273-289
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2005.00213.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2005.00213.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2005.00213.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Co, Catherine Y., 1997. "Japanese FDI into the U.S. automobile industry: An empirical investigation," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 93-108, March.
    2. James R. Markusen, 1995. "The Boundaries of Multinational Enterprises and the Theory of International Trade," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 169-189, Spring.
    3. Head, Keith & Ries, John, 2002. "Offshore production and skill upgrading by Japanese manufacturing firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 81-105, October.
    4. Grossman, Gene M. & Helpman, Elhanan, 2004. "Managerial incentives and the international organization of production," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 237-262, July.
    5. repec:fth:michin:282 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Pol Antràs, 2003. "Firms, Contracts, and Trade Structure," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(4), pages 1375-1418.
    7. Morck, Randall & Yeung, Bernard, 1991. "Why Investors Value Multinationality," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(2), pages 165-187, April.
    8. Kyoji Fukao & Toshiyasu Izawa & Morio Kuninori & Toru Nakakita, 1994. "R&D Investment and Overseas Production: An Empirical Analysis of Japan's Electric Machinery Industry Based on Corporate Data," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 12(2), pages 1-60, December.
    9. Kogut, Bruce & Chang, Sea Jin, 1991. "Technological Capabilities and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(3), pages 401-413, August.
    10. Belderbos, Rene & Sleuwaegen, Leo, 1996. "Japanese Firms and the Decision to Invest Abroad: Business Groups and Regional Core Networks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(2), pages 214-220, May.
    11. Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2004. "Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 300-316, March.
    12. Yeaple, Stephen Ross, 2003. "The complex integration strategies of multinationals and cross country dependencies in the structure of foreign direct investment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 293-314, August.
    13. Helpman, Elhanan, 1984. "A Simple Theory of International Trade with Multinational Corporations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 92(3), pages 451-471, June.
    14. Grubaugh, Stephen G, 1987. "Determinants of Direct Foreign Investment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 69(1), pages 149-152, February.
    15. James R. Markusen & Keith E. Maskus, 2002. "Discriminating Among Alternative Theories of the Multinational Enterprise," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(4), pages 694-707, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chan Sok GEE & Mohd Zaini Abd KARIM, 2011. "Fdi´S Country Of Origin And Output Growth: The Case Of Malaysia?S Manufacturing Sector, 1991-2006," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 11(1).
    2. Salim, Ali & Razavi, Mohammad Reza & Afshari-Mofrad, Masoud, 2017. "Foreign direct investment and technology spillover in Iran: The role of technological capabilities of subsidiaries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 207-214.
    3. Kun-Ming Chen & Shu-Fei Yang, 2013. "Impact of Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Domestic R&D Activity: Evidence from Taiwan's Multinational Enterprises in Low-wage Countries," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 27(1), pages 17-38, March.
    4. Barbieri, Paolo & Boffelli, Albachiara & Elia, Stefano & Fratocchi, Luciano & Kalchschmidt, Matteo, 2022. "How does Industry 4.0 affect international exposure? The interplay between firm innovation and home-country policies in post-offshoring relocation decisions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Naoto Jinji & Xingyuan Zhang & Shoji Haruna, 2022. "Deep Integration, Global Firms, and Technology Spillovers," Advances in Japanese Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-981-16-5210-3, June.
    2. Bruce Blonigen, 2005. "A Review of the Empirical Literature on FDI Determinants," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 33(4), pages 383-403, December.
    3. Amelia U. Santos-Paulino & Mariagrazia Squicciarini & Peilei Fan, 2008. "R&D (Re)location: A Bird's Eye (Re)view," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-100, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Fritz Breuss & Peter Egger & Michael Pfaffermayr, 2010. "Structural funds, EU enlargement, and the redistribution of FDI in Europe," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 146(3), pages 469-494, September.
    5. Volker Nocke & Stephen Yeaple, 2008. "An Assignment Theory of Foreign Direct Investment," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 75(2), pages 529-557.
    6. Elhanan Helpman, 2006. "Trade, FDI, and the Organization of Firms," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(3), pages 589-630, September.
    7. Okubo, Toshihiro & Watabe, Yuta, 2023. "Networked FDI and third-country intra-firm trade," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 591-606.
    8. Resmini, Laura & Siedschlag, Iulia, 2013. "Is foreign direct investment to China crowding out the foreign direct investment to other countries?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 1-16.
    9. Grossman, Gene M. & Helpman, Elhanan & Szeidl, Adam, 2006. "Optimal integration strategies for the multinational firm," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 216-238, September.
    10. Harach, Monika & Rodriguez-Crespo, Ernesto, 2014. "Foreign direct investment and trade: A bi-directional gravity approach," Kiel Advanced Studies Working Papers 467, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    11. Conconi, Paola & Sapir, André & Zanardi, Maurizio, 2016. "The internationalization process of firms: From exports to FDI," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 16-30.
    12. Tomiura, Eiichi, 2007. "Foreign outsourcing, exporting, and FDI: A productivity comparison at the firm level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 113-127, May.
    13. Wenjie Chen & Heiwai Tang, 2014. "The Dragon Is Flying West: Micro-level Evidence of Chinese Outward Direct Investment," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 31(2), pages 109-140, September.
    14. Helen Simpson, 2012. "How do Firms’ Outward FDI Strategies Relate to their Activity at Home? Empirical Evidence for the UK," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 243-272, March.
    15. Erdey, László, 2004. "A működőtőke-áramlás a telephelyválasztás elméletének tükrében [The flow of operating capital in the light of the theory of location choice]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 472-494.
    16. Helen Simpson, 2007. "Investment abroad and adjustment at home: evidence from UK multinational firms," IFS Working Papers W07/07, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    17. Alfonso Irarrazabal & Andreas Moxnes & Luca David Opromolla, 2013. "The Margins of Multinational Production and the Role of Intrafirm Trade," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 121(1), pages 74-126.
    18. Yongmin Chen & Ignatius J. Horstmann & James R. Markusen, 2012. "Physical capital, knowledge capital, and the choice between FDI and outsourcing," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(1), pages 1-15, February.
    19. Alfaro, Laura & Chen, Maggie Xiaoyang, 2014. "The global agglomeration of multinational firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 263-276.
    20. Mankan M. Koné & Carl Gaigné & Lota Tamini, 2017. "Supply Uncertainty and Foreign Direct Investments in Agri-food Industry," CIRANO Working Papers 2017s-22, CIRANO.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:19:y:2005:i:3:p:273-289. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaeaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.