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Opportunism, corruption and the multinational firm's mode of entry

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  • Straub, Stephane

Abstract

The paper develops a theoretical approach to the boundaries of the multi-national firm in the context of institutional constraints in host countries, focusing especially on corruption. The model incorporates two types of corruption: petty bureaucratic corruption and high-level political corruption. The model predicts that-in the absence of corruption-multinational firms will prefer FDI (internal expansion with strong control rights) to debt (arm's length expansion with loose control rights), the weaker the host country's ability to commit. However, both types of corruption shift the trade-off marginally toward debt. Cross-country panel empirical evidence supports these conclusions. Corruption has a second order marginal effect and matters mostly through its interaction with political risk.

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  • Straub, Stephane, 2008. "Opportunism, corruption and the multinational firm's mode of entry," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 245-263, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:74:y:2008:i:2:p:245-263
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    2. Frank L. BARTELS & Markus EICHER & Christopher BACHTROG & Gorazd REZONJA, 2009. "Foreign Direct Investment In Sub‐Saharan Africa: Changing Location‐Specific Advantages As Signals Of Competitiveness," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 47(3), pages 244-278, September.
    3. Kayalvizhi, P.N. & Thenmozhi, M., 2018. "Does quality of innovation, culture and governance drive FDI?: Evidence from emerging markets," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 175-191.
    4. Emmanuelle Auriol & Stéphane Straub, 2011. "Privatization of Rent-Generating Industries and Corruption," Chapters, in: Susan Rose-Ackerman & Tina Søreide (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Corruption, Volume Two, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Graf Lambsdorff, Johann, 2005. "Consequences and causes of corruption: What do we know from a cross-section of countries?," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-34-05, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    6. Sanjo, Yasuo, 2012. "Country risk, country size, and tax competition for foreign direct investment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 292-301.
    7. Ramin Dadasov & Oliver Lorz, 2013. "Mode of International Investment and Endogenous Risk of Expropriation," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 974-983, November.
    8. Guasch, J. Luis & Laffont, Jean-Jacques & Straub, Stephane, 2005. "Infrastructure concessions in Latin America : government-led renegotiations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3749, The World Bank.
    9. Krifa-Schneider, Hadjila & Matei, Iuliana & Sattar, Abdul, 2022. "FDI, corruption and financial development around the world: A panel non-linear approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    10. Yerrabati, Sridevi & Hawkes, Denise Donna, 2016. "Institutions and Investment in the South and East Asia and Pacific Region: Evidence from Meta-Analysis," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 10, pages 1-48.

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    JEL classification:

    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance

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