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International Outsourcing and R&D: Long‐Run Implications for Consumers

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  • Sugata Marjit
  • Arijit Mukherjee

Abstract

We show that international outsourcing and R&D by the outsourced firm may be either substitutes or complements. Outsourcing increases the R&D investment in small markets and in highly competitive product markets, whereas it decreases the R&D investment in large markets. If the outsourced firm can be technologically very efficient under exporting, outsourcing can make the consumers worse off by reducing the R&D investment. If there is skill differential in the production process and outsourcing occurs only in the unskilled activities, R&D‐reducing outsourcing occurs in a relatively low‐skilled industry. If outsourcing of the unskilled jobs reduces the effective cost of the skilled workers by increasing the productivities of the skilled workers, outsourcing provides further disincentive for R&D compared to the situation where outsourcing of the unskilled jobs does not affect the effective cost of the skilled workers.

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  • Sugata Marjit & Arijit Mukherjee, 2008. "International Outsourcing and R&D: Long‐Run Implications for Consumers," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(5), pages 1010-1022, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:reviec:v:16:y:2008:i:5:p:1010-1022
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9396.2008.00764.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Tarun Kabiraj & Uday Bhanu Sinha, 2017. "Outsourcing under incomplete information," Indian Growth and Development Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 3-15, April.
    2. Hiroaki Ino & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2010. "What role should public enterprises play in free-entry markets?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 213-230, November.
    3. Mukherjee, Arijit & Tsai, Yingyi, 2013. "Multi-sourcing as an entry deterrence strategy," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 108-112.
    4. Justin Yifu Lin & Arijit Mukherjee & Yingyi Tsai, 2008. "Why do Firms Engage in Multi-sourcing?," Discussion Papers 08/43, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    5. Dirk Bursian & Arne J. Nagengast, 2020. "Offshoring And The Polarization Of The Demand For Capital," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(1), pages 260-282, January.
    6. Sugata Marjit & Suryaprakash Misra & Dyuti S Banerjee, 2017. "Technology improvement and market structure alteration," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(2), pages 1106-1112.
    7. Cao, Jiyun & Mukherjee, Arijit & Sinha, Uday Bhanu, 2018. "Firm-asymmetry and strategic outsourcing," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 16-24.
    8. Tarun Kabiraj & Uday Bhanu Sinha, 2011. "Strategic Outsourcing with Technology Transfer," Working papers 203, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    9. Hamid Beladi & Sugata Marjit & Lei Yang, 2012. "Outsourcing: Volume and Composition of R&D," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 828-840, September.
    10. Chen, Qifei & Shen, Yanzhi, 2021. "The impacts of offshore and onshore outsourcing on China's upgrading in global value chains: Evidence from its manufacturing and service sectors," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 263-280.
    11. Arijit Mukherjee & Yingyi Tsai, 2010. "International Outsourcing And Welfare Reduction: An Entry‐Deterrence Story," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 78(6), pages 647-659, December.
    12. Chen Yutian & Sen Debapriya, 2012. "Outsourcing and Downstream R&D under Economies of Scale," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-33, September.

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