IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/asieco/v92y2024ics1049007824000125.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Business environment and the choice of entry mode of OFDI: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xie, Qing
  • Yin, Hua

Abstract

The business environment is the foundation for the survival and development of market entities, and the choice of entry mode of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is an important strategic decision for the OFDI behavior of market entities. Studying the relationship between the business environment and the OFDI entry mode of enterprises is one of the essential contents to stimulate the vitality of market entities and promote economic circulation. Based on the data from the World Bank’s Doing Business Database and China’s OFDI events from 2010 to 2019, this paper examines the impact of the business environment on enterprises’ OFDI entry mode choices from varying perspectives, such as enterprises’ different life cycles, heterogeneous investment motivations, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The result shows that the business environment is an essential factor affecting the choice of OFDI mode. The better the business environment in the host country, the more favorable it will be for Chinese enterprises to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Different investment motivations and the BRI have a moderating effect on enterprises’ OFDI entry mode choice. An improved business environment makes it easier for companies to boost cross-border M&A in developing countries than in developed ones. “Starting a business” and “trading across borders” will have a positive impact on cross-border M&A, and “getting credit” will encourage enterprises to choose the OFDI mode of greenfield investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Xie, Qing & Yin, Hua, 2024. "Business environment and the choice of entry mode of OFDI: Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:asieco:v:92:y:2024:i:c:s1049007824000125
    DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2024.101717
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049007824000125
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.asieco.2024.101717?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Demirbag, Mehmet & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Glaister, Keith W., 2009. "Equity-based entry modes of emerging country multinationals: Lessons from Turkey," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 445-462, October.
    2. Erin Anderson & Hubert Gatignon, 1986. "Modes of Foreign Entry: A Transaction Cost Analysis and Propositions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 17(3), pages 1-26, September.
    3. Liao, Hongwei & Yang, Liangping & Dai, Shuanping & Van Assche, Ari, 2021. "Outward FDI, industrial structure upgrading and domestic employment: empirical evidence from the Chinese economy and the belt and road initiative," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Charles W. L. Hill & Peter Hwang & W. Chan Kim, 1990. "An eclectic theory of the choice of international entry mode," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 117-128, February.
    5. Yin‐Wong Cheung & Xingwang Qian, 2009. "Empirics Of China'S Outward Direct Investment," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(3), pages 312-341, August.
    6. Narjess Boubakri & Sattar A Mansi & Walid Saffar, 2013. "Political institutions, connectedness, and corporate risk-taking," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(3), pages 195-215, April.
    7. 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.
    8. Hua Yin & Qing Xie & Dinggen Zhou, 2022. "Does a Stronger Business Environment Increase Export Variety?," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(12), pages 3395-3415, September.
    9. Dr. Nihal Bayraktar, 2015. "Importance of Investment Climates for Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 5(1), pages 24-50, June.
    10. Adrian Corcoran & Robert Gillanders, 2015. "Foreign direct investment and the ease of doing business," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 151(1), pages 103-126, February.
    11. Keith D. Brouthers & Lance Eliot Brouthers & Steve Werner, 2008. "Real Options, International Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 936-960, July.
    12. Daniel J. Blake & Caterina Moschieri, 2017. "Policy risk, strategic decisions and contagion effects: Firm‐specific considerations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 732-750, March.
    13. Nocke, Volker & Yeaple, Stephen, 2007. "Cross-border mergers and acquisitions vs. greenfield foreign direct investment: The role of firm heterogeneity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 336-365, July.
    14. Christine M Chan & Shige Makino, 2007. "Legitimacy and multi-level institutional environments: implications for foreign subsidiary ownership structure," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 621-638, July.
    15. Bruce Kogut & Harbir Singh, 1988. "The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 19(3), pages 411-432, September.
    16. Daphne Yiu & Shige Makino, 2002. "The Choice Between Joint Venture and Wholly Owned Subsidiary: An Institutional Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 667-683, December.
    17. Klaus Uhlenbruck & Peter Rodriguez & Jonathan Doh & Lorraine Eden, 2006. "The Impact of Corruption on Entry Strategy: Evidence from Telecommunication Projects in Emerging Economies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(3), pages 402-414, June.
    18. David Greenaway & Richard Kneller, 2007. "Firm heterogeneity, exporting and foreign direct investment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(517), pages 134-161, February.
    19. Branimir Jovanovic & Biljana Jovanovic, 2018. "Ease of doing business and FDI in the ex-socialist countries," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 587-627, July.
    20. Jean-François Hennart & Jorma Larimo, 1998. "The Impact of Culture on the Strategy of Multinational Enterprises: Does National Origin Affect Ownership Decisions?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 29(3), pages 515-538, September.
    21. Jane Wenzhen Lu & Wen Li & Aiqi Wu & Xueli Huang, 2018. "Political hazards and entry modes of Chinese investments in Africa," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 39-61, March.
    22. Drogendijk, Rian & Slangen, Arjen, 2006. "Hofstede, Schwartz, or managerial perceptions? The effects of different cultural distance measures on establishment mode choices by multinational enterprises," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 361-380, August.
    23. Sudha Mani & Kersi D. Antia & Aric Rindfleisch, 2007. "Entry mode and equity level: A multilevel examination of foreign direct investment ownership structure," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(8), pages 857-866, August.
    24. George Nakos & Keith D. Brouthers, 2002. "Entry Mode Choice of SMEs in Central and Eastern Europe," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(1), pages 47-63, January.
    25. Miao Wang & Hong Zhuang, 2019. "How Do Firms in the Private Sector Perceive Constraints to Doing Business in China?," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 113-143, April.
    26. Nihal Bayraktar, 2013. "Foreign Direct investment and Investment Climate," EcoMod2013 5294, EcoMod.
    27. Desislava Dikova & Arjen van Witteloostuijn, 2007. "Foreign direct investment mode choice: entry and establishment modes in transition economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(6), pages 1013-1033, November.
    28. Krishna Chaitanya Vadlamannati, 2012. "Impact of Political Risk on FDI Revisited—An Aggregate Firm-Level Analysis," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(1), pages 111-139, January.
    29. Keith D Brouthers, 2002. "Institutional, Cultural and Transaction Cost Influences on Entry Mode Choice and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(2), pages 203-221, June.
    30. Zhou, Kexuan & Kumar, Sanjay & Yu, Linhui & Jiang, Xinlin, 2021. "The economic policy uncertainty and the choice of entry mode of outward foreign direct investment: Cross-border M&A or Greenfield Investment," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    31. Larimo, Jorma, 2003. "Form of investment by Nordic firms in world markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(10), pages 791-803, October.
    32. Khoury, Theodore A. & Peng, Mike W., 2011. "Does institutional reform of intellectual property rights lead to more inbound FDI? Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 337-345, July.
    33. Sea‐Jin Chang & Philip M. Rosenzweig, 2001. "The choice of entry mode in sequential foreign direct investment," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 747-776, August.
    34. Mutinelli, Marco & Piscitello, Lucia, 1998. "The entry mode choice of MNEs: an evolutionary approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 491-506, September.
    35. Cui, Lin & Jiang, Fuming, 2009. "FDI entry mode choice of Chinese firms: A strategic behavior perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 434-444, October.
    36. Andrew Delios & Paul W. Beamish, 1999. "Ownership strategy of Japanese firms: transactional, institutional, and experience influences," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(10), pages 915-933, October.
    37. Klaus E. Meyer & Saul Estrin & Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Mike W. Peng, 2009. "Institutions, resources, and entry strategies in emerging economies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 61-80, January.
    38. Kuo, Anthony & Kao, Ming-Sung & Chang, Yi-Chieh & Chiu, Chih-Fang, 2012. "The influence of international experience on entry mode choice: Difference between family and non-family firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 248-263.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Qing Xie & Hua Yin, 2023. "Institutional Differences and the Choice of Outward Foreign Direct Investment Mode under the “Belt and Road” Initiative: Experience Analysis Based on China’s Manufacturing Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-26, April.
    2. Chenxi Wan & Carlos M. P. Sousa & Jorge Lengler & Qun Tan, 2023. "Entry Mode Choice: A Meta-Analysis of Antecedents and Outcomes," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 193-246, April.
    3. Larimo, Jorma & Arslan, Ahmad, 2013. "Determinants of foreign direct investment ownership mode choice: Evidence from Nordic investments in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.
    4. Zdolsek, Daniel & Kolar, Iztok, 2013. "Management disclosure practices for disaggregated (financial) information in Slovenian unlisted companies," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(2), pages 232-263.
    5. Anil, Ibrahim & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Ozkasap, Gaye, 2014. "Ownership and market entry mode choices of emerging country multinationals in a transition country: evidence from Turkish multinationals in Romania," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 19(4), pages 413-452.
    6. Chen, Ming-Yuan & Chang, Jing-Yun, 2011. "The choice of foreign market entry mode: An analysis of the dynamic probit model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 439-450.
    7. Chen, Ming-Yuan & Chang, Jing-Yun, 2011. "The choice of foreign market entry mode: An analysis of the dynamic probit model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1-2), pages 439-450, January.
    8. Arslan, Ahmad & Tarba, Shlomo Y. & Larimo, Jorma, 2015. "FDI entry strategies and the impacts of economic freedom distance: Evidence from Nordic FDIs in transitional periphery of CIS and SEE," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 997-1008.
    9. Canabal, Anne & White III, George O., 2008. "Entry mode research: Past and future," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 267-284, June.
    10. Mehmet Demirbag & Martina McGuinness & Hüseyin Altay, 2010. "Perceptions of Institutional Environment and Entry Mode," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 207-240, April.
    11. Morschett, Dirk & Schramm-Klein, Hanna & Swoboda, Bernhard, 2010. "Decades of research on market entry modes: What do we really know about external antecedents of entry mode choice?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 60-77, March.
    12. Mehmet Demirbag & Ekrem Tatoglu & Keith W. Glaister, 2010. "Institutional and Transaction Cost Influences on Partnership Structure of Foreign Affiliates," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 709-745, December.
    13. Hernández, Virginia & Nieto, María Jesús, 2015. "The effect of the magnitude and direction of institutional distance on the choice of international entry modes," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 122-132.
    14. Jonas Puck & Markus K. Hödl & Igor Filatotchev & Hans-Georg Wolff & Benjamin Bader, 2016. "Ownership mode, cultural distance, and the extent of parent firms’ strategic control over subsidiaries in the PRC," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 1075-1105, December.
    15. Tang, Ryan W. & Buckley, Peter J., 2020. "Host country risk and foreign ownership strategy: Meta-analysis and theory on the moderating role of home country institutions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    16. Liedong, Tahiru Azaaviele & Peprah, Augustine Awuah & Amartey, Abednego Okoe & Rajwani, Tazeeb, 2020. "Institutional voids and firms' resource commitment in emerging markets: A review and future research agenda," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(3).
    17. Slangen, Arjen H.L. & van Tulder, Rob J.M., 2009. "Cultural distance, political risk, or governance quality? Towards a more accurate conceptualization and measurement of external uncertainty in foreign entry mode research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 276-291, June.
    18. Chan, Christine M. & Du, Jialin, 2022. "Formal institution deficiencies and informal institution substitution: MNC foreign ownership choice in emerging economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 744-761.
    19. Trąpczyński, Piotr & Halaszovich, Tilo F. & Piaskowska, Dorota, 2020. "The role of perceived institutional distance in foreign ownership level decisions of new MNEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 435-449.
    20. Antonio Majocchi & Ulrike Mayrhofer & Joaquin Camps, 2010. "The choice between joint ventures and non equity-alliances: evidence from Italian firms," Post-Print halshs-00690216, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business environment; OFDI; Entry Mode; BRI; Investment motivations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

    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:eee:asieco:v:92:y:2024:i:c:s1049007824000125. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/asieco .

    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.