IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unm/unumer/2015009.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The location strategies of multinationals from emerging countries in the EU regions

Author

Listed:
  • Crescenzi R.
  • Pietrobelli C.
  • Rabellotti R.

    (UNU-MERIT)

Abstract

This paper contributes to the current debate in both Economic Geography and International Business on the nature and strategies of Multinational Enterprises MNEs from emerging countries EMNEs. The paper fills a very relevant gap in the existing literature by shedding new light on the location strategies of EMNEs at the national and regional level, looking at their investment drivers and systematically comparing them with those of multinationals from advanced countries AMNEs. The empirical analysis looks at the location choices of MNEs in the European Union EU-25 regions and unveils that EMNEs follow distinctive location strategies. Their attraction into large regional markets is similar to AMNEs as well as their irresponsiveness to efficiency seeking motives. Conversely, the most knowledge-intensive investments of EMNEs respond mainly to two attraction factors strategic assets in the form of local technological dynamism and the agglomeration of foreign investments in the same business functions. In addition, both the national and the regional levels are simultaneously relevant to EMNEs decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Crescenzi R. & Pietrobelli C. & Rabellotti R., 2015. "The location strategies of multinationals from emerging countries in the EU regions," MERIT Working Papers 2015-009, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2015009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2015/wp2015-009.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alfaro, Laura & Chen, Maggie Xiaoyang, 2014. "The global agglomeration of multinational firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 263-276.
    2. McFadden, Daniel L., 1984. "Econometric analysis of qualitative response models," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Z. Griliches† & M. D. Intriligator (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 24, pages 1395-1457, Elsevier.
    3. Ricardo G Flores & Ruth V Aguilera, 2007. "Globalization and location choice: an analysis of US multinational firms in 1980 and 2000," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(7), pages 1187-1210, December.
    4. Simona Iammarino & Philip McCann, 2013. "Multinationals and Economic Geography," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15181.
    5. Devereux, Michael P. & Griffith, Rachel & Simpson, Helen, 2007. "Firm location decisions, regional grants and agglomeration externalities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(3-4), pages 413-435, April.
    6. John Mathews, 2006. "Dragon multinationals: New players in 21 st century globalization," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 5-27, March.
    7. Castellani, Davide & Pieri, Fabio, 2013. "R&D offshoring and the productivity growth of European regions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 1581-1594.
    8. Spies, Julia, 2010. "Network and border effects: Where do foreign multinationals locate in Germany?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 20-32, January.
    9. David W Loree & Stephen E Guisinger, 1995. "Policy and Non-Policy Determinants of U.S. Equity Foreign Direct Investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(2), pages 281-299, June.
    10. Disdier, Anne-Celia & Mayer, Thierry, 2004. "How different is Eastern Europe? Structure and determinants of location choices by French firms in Eastern and Western Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 280-296, June.
    11. Emanuela Marrocu & Raffaele Paci, 2012. "Education or Creativity: What Matters Most for Economic Performance?," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 88(4), pages 369-401, October.
    12. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/10192 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Peter J Buckley & L Jeremy Clegg & Adam R Cross & Xin Liu & Hinrich Voss & Ping Zheng, 2007. "The determinants of Chinese outward foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(4), pages 499-518, July.
    14. John H Dunning, 2009. "Location and the multinational enterprise: A neglected factor?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(1), pages 5-19, January.
    15. Sergio Mariotti & Lucia Piscitello, 1995. "Information Costs and Location of FDIs within the Host Country: Empirical Evidence from Italy," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(4), pages 815-841, December.
    16. Defever, Fabrice, 2006. "Functional fragmentation and the location of multinational firms in the enlarged Europe," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 658-677, September.
    17. Shige Makino & Chung-Ming Lau & Rhy-Song Yeh, 2002. "Asset-Exploitation Versus Asset-Seeking: Implications for Location Choice of Foreign Direct Investment from Newly Industrialized Economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(3), pages 403-421, September.
    18. Keith Head & Thierry Mayer, 2004. "Market Potential and the Location of Japanese Investment in the European Union," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(4), pages 959-972, November.
    19. Basile, Roberto & Castellani, Davide & Zanfei, Antonello, 2008. "Location choices of multinational firms in Europe: The role of EU cohesion policy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 328-340, March.
    20. Geert Duysters & Jojo Jacob & Charmianne Lemmens & Yu Jintian, 2009. "Internationalization and technological catching up of emerging multinationals: a comparative case study of China's Haier group," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 18(2), pages 325-349, April.
    21. Guimaraes, Paulo & Figueiredo, Octavio & Woodward, Douglas, 2000. "Agglomeration and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment in Portugal," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 115-135, January.
    22. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/10192 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Head, C. Keith & Ries, John C. & Swenson, Deborah L., 1999. "Attracting foreign manufacturing: Investment promotion and agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 197-218, March.
    24. Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö & Petri Rouvinen & Timo Seppälä & Pekka Ylä-Anttila, 2011. "Who Captures Value in Global Supply Chains? Case Nokia N95 Smartphone," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 263-278, September.
    25. Ben Kedia & Nolan Gaffney & Jack Clampit, 2012. "EMNEs and Knowledge-seeking FDI," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 155-173, April.
    26. Fabio Bertoni & Stefano Elia & Larissa Rabbiosi, 2013. "Outward FDI from the BRICs: Trends and Patterns of Acquisitions in Advanced Countries," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Marin A. Marinov & Svetla T. Marinova (ed.), Emerging Economies and Firms in the Global Crisis, chapter 3, pages 47-82, Palgrave Macmillan.
    27. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2014. "Innovation drivers, value chains and the geography of multinational corporations in Europe," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 1053-1086.
    28. N. A. Phelps & Danny Mackinnon & Ian Stone & Paul Braidford, 2003. "Embedding the Multinationals? Institutions and the Development of Overseas Manufacturing Affiliates in Wales and North East England," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 27-40.
    29. Jan Fagerberg & Bart Verspagen & Marjolein Caniëls, 1997. "Technology, Growth and Unemployment across European Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5), pages 457-466.
    30. Keith Head & Thierry Mayer, 2004. "Market Potential and the Location of Japanese Firms in the European Union," Post-Print hal-00267438, HAL.
    31. Head, Keith & Ries, John & Swenson, Deborah, 1995. "Agglomeration benefits and location choice: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing investments in the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 223-247, May.
    32. Giuliani, Elisa & Gorgoni, Sara & Günther, Christina & Rabellotti, Roberta, 2014. "Emerging versus advanced country MNEs investing in Europe: A typology of subsidiary global–local connections," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 680-691.
    33. Loriane Py & Fabrice Hatem, 2009. "Internationalisation et localisation des services : une analyse sectorielle et fonctionnelle appliquée aux firmes multinationales en Europe," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 426(1), pages 67-95.
    34. Riccardo Crescenzi & Andrés Rodriguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2007. "The territorial dynamics of innovation: a Europe-United States comparative analysis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(6), pages 673-709, November.
    35. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin, 2002. "The Location of Japanese Investments in China: Agglomeration Effects, Keiretsu, and Firm Heterogeneity," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 194-211, June.
    36. Sergio Mariotti & Lucia Piscitello & Stefano Elia, 2010. "Spatial agglomeration of multinational enterprises: the role of information externalities and knowledge spillovers," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 519-538, July.
    37. Dimitratos, Pavlos & Liouka, Ioanna & Young, Stephen, 2009. "Regional location of multinational corporation subsidiaries and economic development contribution: Evidence from the UK," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 180-191, April.
    38. Sjoerd Beugelsdijk & Ram Mudambi, 2013. "MNEs as border-crossing multi-location enterprises: The role of discontinuities in geographic space," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 44(5), pages 413-426, June.
    39. Gustavo Crespi & Eduardo Fernández-Arias & Ernesto Stein (ed.), 2014. "Rethinking Productive Development," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-39399-9, October.
    40. Narula, Rajneesh, 2010. "Much ado about nothing, or sirens of a brave new world?: MNE activity from developing countries and its significance for development," MERIT Working Papers 2010-021, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    41. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    42. Amighini, Alessia A. & Rabellotti, Roberta & Sanfilippo, Marco, 2013. "Do Chinese state-owned and private enterprises differ in their internationalization strategies?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 312-325.
    43. John Dunning, 1998. "Globalization and the new geography of foreign direct investment," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 47-69.
    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. Enrico Alessandri, 2021. "Innovation and trade patterns in the Latin American mining sector," Working Papers 2103, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2021.
    2. Rubini, Lauretta & Pollio, Chiara & Spigarelli, Francesca & Lv, Ping, 2021. "Regional social context and FDI. An empirical investigation on Chinese acquisitions in Europe," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 402-415.
    3. Antonello Zanfei & Andrea Coveri & Mario Pianta, 2019. "FDI Patterns and Global Value Chains in the Digital Economy," Working Papers 1903, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2019.
    4. Fiorenza Belussi & Giulia Rudello & Maria Savarese, 2016. "The Internationalization Of Mnes From And To Brics Countries: The Case Of The Industrial Machinery Industry," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0205, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".

    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. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2016. "Regional strategic assets and the location strategies of emerging countries’ multinationals in Europe," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 645-667, April.
    2. Nielsen, Bo Bernhard & Asmussen, Christian Geisler & Weatherall, Cecilie Dohlmann, 2017. "The location choice of foreign direct investments: Empirical evidence and methodological challenges," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 62-82.
    3. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2014. "Innovation drivers, value chains and the geography of multinational corporations in Europe," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 1053-1086.
    4. Riccardo Crescenzi & Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2012. "Innovation Drivers, Value Chains and the Geography of Multinational Firms in European Regions," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 53, European Institute, LSE.
    5. Andrea Ascani & Riccardo Crescenzi & Simona Iammarino, 2015. "Economic Institutions and the Location Strategies of European Multinationals in their Geographical Neighbourhood," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 97, European Institute, LSE.
    6. Jonathan Jones, 2017. "Agglomeration economies and the location of foreign direct investment: A meta-analysis," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 731-757, November.
    7. Jonas Kleineick & Andrea Ascani & Martijn Smit, 2020. "Multinational investments across Europe: a multilevel analysis," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 40(1), pages 67-105, April.
    8. Filip De Beule & Dieter Somers & Haiyan Zhang, 2018. "Who Follows Whom? A Location Study of Chinese Private and State-Owned Companies in the European Union," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 43-84, February.
    9. Blanc-Brude, Frédéric & Cookson, Graham & Piesse, Jenifer & Strange, Roger, 2014. "The FDI location decision: Distance and the effects of spatial dependence," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 797-810.
    10. Jonathan Jones & Ilona Serwicka & Colin Wren, 2020. "Motives for foreign direct investment location in Europe and EU enlargement," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(8), pages 1681-1699, November.
    11. Marie-Line Duboz & Nathalie Kroichvili & Julie Le Gallo, 2016. "Do Foreign Investors’ Location Determinants in Service Functions Differ According to Sectors? An Empirical Analysis of EU for 1997 to 2011," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(4), pages 417-456, October.
    12. Andrea Ascani & Riccardo Crescenzi & Simona Iammarino, 2016. "Economic Institutions and the Location Strategies of European Multinationals in their Geographic Neighborhood," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 92(4), pages 401-429, October.
    13. Marie-Line Duboz & Nathalie Kroichvili & Julie Le Gallo, 2019. "What matters most for FDI attraction in services: country or region performance? An empirical analysis of EU for 1997–2012," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(3), pages 601-638, December.
    14. Davide Castellani & Giulio Giangaspero & Antonello Zanfei, 2013. "Heterogeneity and distance. Some propositions on how differences across regions, firms and functions affect the role of distance in FDI location decisions," Working Papers 1308, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2013.
    15. Jindra, Björn & Hassan, Sohaib S. & Cantner, Uwe, 2016. "What does location choice reveal about knowledge-seeking strategies of emerging market multinationals in the EU?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 204-220.
    16. Mayer, T. & Mejean, I. & Nefussi, B., 2010. "The location of domestic and foreign production affiliates by French multinational firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 115-128, September.
    17. Rubini, Lauretta & Pollio, Chiara & Spigarelli, Francesca & Lv, Ping, 2021. "Regional social context and FDI. An empirical investigation on Chinese acquisitions in Europe," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 402-415.
    18. Siedschlag, Iulia & Smith, Donal & Turcu, Camelia & Zhang, Xiaoheng, 2009. "What Determines the Attractiveness of the European Union to the Location R&D Multinational Firms?," Papers DYNREG46, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    19. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8mcgcdbi is not listed on IDEAS
    20. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8mcgcdbi is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Mayer, T. & Mejean, I. & Nefussi, B., 2010. "The location of domestic and foreign production affiliates by French multinational firms," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 115-128, September.
    22. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/c8dmi8nm4pdjkuc9g8mcgcdbi is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Yifei Wang & Andrea Ascani & Carolina Castaldi, 2023. "Location choices of Chinese greenfield investments across EU regions: the role of industry and country-of-origin agglomerations," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(9), pages 1714-1730, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    International Investment; Long-term Capital Movements; Multinational Firms; International Business; Technological Change; Diffusion Processes; Regional Economic Activity; Regional Development Planning and Policy;
    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
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:unm:unumer:2015009. 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: Ad Notten (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/meritnl.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.