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Firm-Specific Characteristics and the Timing of Foreign Direct Investment Projects

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  • Horst Raff
  • Michael J. Ryan

Abstract

This paper uses a proportional hazard model to study foreign direct investment by Japanese manufacturers in Europe between 1970 and 1994. We divide each firm’s investment total into a sequence of individual investment decisions and analyze how firm-specific characteristics affect each decision. We find that total factor productivity is a significant determinant of a firm’s initial and subsequent investments. Parent-firm size does not have a significant influence on the initial decision to invest. Large firms simply have more investments than smaller firms. Other firm-specific characteristics, such as the R&D intensity, export share and keiretsu membership, also play a role in the investment process.
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  • Horst Raff & Michael J. Ryan, 2008. "Firm-Specific Characteristics and the Timing of Foreign Direct Investment Projects," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 144(1), pages 1-31, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:144:y:2008:i:1:p:1-31
    DOI: 10.1007/s10290-008-0135-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Peiming Wang & Joseph Alba & Donghyun Park, 2013. "Determinants of Different Modes of FDI: Firm-Level Evidence from Japanese FDI into the US," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 425-446, July.
    2. 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.
    3. Henning Mühlen & Peter Nunnenkamp, 2011. "FDI by early movers, followers and latecomers: timing of entry by German firms during transition in the Czech Republic," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(18), pages 1729-1734, December.
    4. Kuang-Chung Hsu & Yungho Weng, 2018. "Detecting which firm-specific characteristics impact market-oriented R&D," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 1695-1715, December.
    5. Michael Moritz & Veronika Hecht & Patricia Noska & Johannes Schaffler, 2020. "Types of FDI and Determinants of Affiliate Size: the Classification Makes the Difference," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 70(4), pages 312-331, October.
    6. Erdal Yalcin & Davide Sala, 2014. "Uncertain Productivity Growth and the Choice between FDI and Export," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 189-208, February.
    7. Elisa Galeotti & Eva Ryšavá, 2008. "The endogeneity problem and fdi in transition: evidence from the privatized glass sector in the Czech Republic," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2008(4), pages 319-339.
    8. Raff, Horst & Ryan, Michael & Stähler, Frank, 2009. "Whole vs. shared ownership of foreign affiliates," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 572-581, September.
    9. Stähler, Frank & Ryan, Michael & Raff, Horst, 2007. "Whole versus Shared Ownership of Foreign Affiliates," Economics Working Papers 2007-18, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foreign direct investment; productivity; hazard model; Japan; keiretsu;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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