Japanese multinationals in Asia: Capabilities and motivations

Abstract

Using a specially designed survey, the authors identify the characteristics of Japanese firms likely to invest world wide and in key Asian countries and country characteristics associated with Japanese investment in Asia. Investment abroad is related negatively to research and development (R&D) undertaken but positively to export propensity, indicating that the intangible assets conducive to foreign investment derive not from research but from marketing networks and production skills. Among the foreign investors, those investing in Asia are less prone to R&D. They are also less export-oriented, suggesting that Asian Investment is not driven by trade barriers, unlike investment in the United States and Europe. Firms investing in Asia look to the human capital of the host, though interest in low wages expands the greater and more diverse the investment. The behavior of competitors is a strong guide to the direction of investment. Whether earnings can be repatriated is the factor most conducive to foreign investment, although its importance declines as a firm gains experience in a country.