Host Economy Research Articles

“Where to” micromultinationals? A tribute to Professor Pavlos Dimitratos

This reflection serves as a tribute to Professor Pavlos Dimitratos by providing a state-of-the-art understanding of micromultinationals (mMNEs), an important term initially coined by Pavlos and his colleagues (2003) in their European Management Journal article “Micromultinationals: New Types of Firms for the Global Competitive Landscape” to capture the rising phenomenon of international small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with advanced modes of entry. Whilst underexplored, such firms have critical research, managerial, and policymaking implications for their increasing population and significant value-added activities in home and host economies relative to exporting firms. Based on a short analysis of existing mMNE studies, we appeal for more scholarly attention to their evolution, behavioural characteristics, and consequences, particularly in the area of SME internationalisation. We suggest several promising future directions to investigate this intriguing type of entrepreneurial firms and, using a Scottish context, show how they are appealing to policymakers.

Revisiting British Investment in Latin America: The River Plate Trust Group, 1879–1963

The article analyses the performance and profitability of the firms controlled by the River Plate Trust Group in Argentina and Uruguay from 1879 to 1960 to challenges the notion that British investments in the Southern Cone involved greater default or insolvency risks because of nationalism, expropriations, and over-taxation. Also known as Morris or Morrison group, River Plate Trust became the most important British business group in the region during the First Global Period, as it controlled a number of public utilities, mortgage and financial firms. Our case shows that the decline of British investment in mortgage and financial activities did not mark the end of this business cycle after WWI; rather, it signalled a change in the direction of capital flows. Capital outflows from host economies to Great Britain—via dividends—continued over the interwar period, with only a brief interruption between 1931 and 1934. The business cycle of British firms entered a new phase, characterized by stagnant British investments and increasing capital returns from Argentina and Uruguay to Great Britain.Moreover, British public utility firms continued to invest in the River Plate until the 1940s, because profits from the region supported the distribution of high dividends to shareholders.

The economically rich refugees: A case study of the business operations of Istanbul‐based Syrian refugee businesspeople

AbstractIn sharp contrast to the orthodox understanding of refugees as resourceless and disadvantaged victims, this article examines the impact that business operations of Istanbul‐based Syrian refugee businesspeople have on their host economy, as well as determining which factors contribute to overcoming the social and legal challenges that prevent them from building their livelihoods. Since the impact of refugees on host countries is one of the main factors in a two‐way process of integration between hosts and migrants, the analysis also takes into account the Turkish businesspeople's perspectives on Syrians. I argue that a reinvestigation of the diverse socio‐economic make‐up of refugees is crucial for examining refugees’ impact on host countries and for the planning of refugee policies, since the strategies refugees apply for overcoming (or alleviating) the challenges they encounter in the host countries are closely related to their pre‐refuged capital and can be transferred to the host countries.

BITs, Colony Ties, and Offshore Centers: The Case of United Kingdom Outward FDI

This paper empirically investigates the impact of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) on foreign direct investment (FDI) using data on British multinational firms’ outward FDI in a panel of 140 countries across 2009-2017. We apply the Knowledge-Capital model to demonstrate that BITs act as a market access mechanism to parent country multinational enterprises. Our core result confirms the negative impact of BIT membership on horizontal FDI in the host economy. This result is robust to changes in partner sample composition, hypothetical stock levels, and inclusion of trade policies. Our findings imply that factor cost advantages are unable to compensate for the adverse effect of BIT entry, which raises concerns regarding the potency of BIT-centered development policies.

THE ROLE OF THE DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EGYPT

Many developing and developed countries alike are striving to attract foreign direct investment because of its impact on economic development, transferring expertise, and development of mechanisms for the business models of the host economy. This research drives at studying foreign investments by analyzing their inflows and their relative importance to Egypt; identifying as well, the reasons that prevent outmost and optimal benefit by drawing on the experiments of some countries. The research also aims to examine foreign direct investment in the field of clean energy in Egypt, to study the patterns of joint cooperation between foreign investments and the various ministries and agencies in the energy field; studying as well, the obstacles that prevent some of the memorandums of understanding signed with foreign companies from being implemented. The practical side of the study is explained through the applied study by analyzing the data issued by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development using descriptive statistical and inductive measures to test the relationship between the study variables. The results of the study showed through statistical analysis when testing the hypotheses that there is a positive significant effect between foreign direct investment and the real economic growth rate, and that it contributes to development but in a small amount due to the nature of these investments and their sectoral distribution. There is a positive non-significant impact between foreign direct investment and total exports and imports as a percentage of the gross domestic product. Its impact is negligible and poor, given that the majority of it flows into the petroleum sector. There is also a positive significant impact between foreign direct investment and total human capital as a percentage of the gross domestic product in a small percentage given that the majority of foreign investments do not require large labor. There is a negative significant effect between foreign direct investment of the inflation rate due to its sector distribution which is mostly focused in the petroleum sector and between tourism and real estate.

Dual embeddedness? Innovation capabilities, multinational subsidiaries, and solar power development in South Africa

One longstanding strand of research in the development studies literature has concerned itself with the development of innovation capabilities in developing-country firms. As most of this literature focuses on domestic firms, foreign-owned firms, such as subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNC), have received much less attention. In this paper, we address this knowledge gap by conducting an in-depth study exploring the learning and capability-building trajectory of a single MNC subsidiary operating in the market for solar power in South Africa. We employ a conceptual framework enabling us to explore capability building arising from the dual embeddedness of the subsidiary respectively in the corporate network of the parent company and the host economy in South Africa. We find that the subsidiary managed to achieve an advanced level of innovation capabilities in a short period. Initially, learning through interaction with the parent company and firm-internal learning in the subsidiary were found to have been essential in the early stage of the capability building process. Learning through collaboration with local research institutes became important only after a certain level of capabilities had already been acquired. Learning by hiring was important throughout, but it became gradually more important in parallel with the increasing specialisation of the local workforce in solar power projects. Our findings are particularly relevant for a new type of 'born global' MNCs that is becoming dominant in the global market for renewable energy. Finally, we point to the importance of regulatory conditions in shaping the degree of knowledge transfer and capability building of MNC subsidiaries.

Foreign subsidiaries as vehicles of industry 4.0: The case of foreign subsidiaries in a post-transition economy

We ask whether foreign subsidiaries may work as entities that neutralize the threat of marginalization of the post-transition economies in terms of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption. Building on a conceptual model of foreign subsidiaries as I4.0 vehicles, we conducted interviews with 440 foreign subsidiaries from the manufacturing sector established in Poland. The originality of the paper concerns three key issues. First, our study shows that the strategy adopted by the headquarters is critical, as it impacts the possibility of foreign subsidiaries to act as vehicles of I4.0 transformation in host economies. Second, embeddedness in local environment guarantees the transition of knowledge, whereas the innovation capacity of a foreign subsidiary does not seem to play any role. Third, we focus on foreign subsidiaries established in a post-transition economy. The results of our research enrich the literature on types of foreign subsidiaries in transmitting and diffusing the knowledge received from headquarters and expose the prominent role of links with host market entities.

Elderly Population and Labour Market Stabilization in Europe - The Case of Slovenia

Abstract The growing share of the retired population in Europe worsens the balance of the social costs as social consensus in most European countries rests on extensive social transfers for this population group. With its 25% share in GDP and 50% share in social transfers, the European (continental) model is indeed not sustainable when compared globally. The current prevailing model of “rejuvenation” of the labour market through immigration did not prove as a sustainable solution. The same is valid for the perspective of fast technological change. It is based on filling the labour market with low-paid jobs enabling host economies to leave aside the imperative permanent change in the labour market structure. This paper discusses the case of Slovenia and tries to search the reasons for the absence of elderly population in the labour market in this country. Based on the data comparison and disposable studies, authors try to identify the main issues when endeavouring to keep elderly population in the labour market.

FDI inflows in Europe: Does investment promotion work?

Can active investment promotion efforts attract FDI towards areas and sectors that would not otherwise be targeted? This paper leverages an ad hoc survey on national and sub-national Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) in Europe and applies state-of-the-art policy evaluation methods to estimate the impact of IPAs on FDI attraction. The results show that FDI responds to IPAs even in advanced economies. Sub-national IPAs, operating in closer proximity to investors' operations, attract FDI in particular towards less developed areas where market and institutional failures are stronger. IPAs influence FDI over and above other policies targeting the general economic improvement of the host economies. Impacts are concentrated in knowledge-intensive sectors where collaborative systemic conditions are more relevant. IPAs work best for less experienced companies - ‘occasional’ investors - more likely to suffer from institutional failures. Finally, IPAs are equally effective in attracting companies from both outside and inside the EU Single Market even if the latter are less likely to suffer from regulatory or information asymmetries. Overall, this evidence sheds new light on the role of sub-national IPAs as local ‘institutional plumbers’ in support of foreign investors and their operations.

Migration, diversity and regional risk sharing

ABSTRACT The economic consequences of migration have become the topic of many recent contributions in theoretical and applied economics. However, only a handful of papers have dealt with the implications of migration for risk sharing. We intend to fill in this gap in the literature by exploring the effects of migration and the ensuing cultural diversity on risk sharing in receiving economies, by using data on US states in the period 2000–2015. Our empirical results strongly suggest that migration enhances risk sharing in host economies, but non monotonically so. Moreover, cultural diversity is key in this risk sharing-enhancing effect of migration.

Entrepreneurial Systems of Syrian Refugees as Stimulators of Host Economy: Case of Ouzaii (Lebanon)

Abstract This article investigates the impact of the Syrian displacement on the economic and urban transformation in Ouzaii, a major informal settlement in the southern suburbs of Beirut that is characterised by a complex socio-political structure. It explores the potential of “entrepreneurial systems” that emerge when Syrian refugees become part of the host community and its economy. These systems include Syrian refugees as either part of the lower labour force, business owners, or entrepreneurs. The article locates these entrepreneurial systems within the spatial networks and investigates how Syrian refugees create opportunities for themselves and the host community given the specificity of the market that is subject to legal setups and mediated by the political party of Hezbollah. It uses the construct of “mixed embeddedness” by Kloosterman et al. and the notion of “quiet encroachment” by Asef Bayat to understand how the Syrian refugees were able to infiltrate into Ouzaii’s economy and become part of the “entrepreneurial systems” that stimulate the economic cycle and revitalise the urban space.

Foreign direct investment and youth educational outcomes in Mexican municipalities

• Inward FDI may affect youth's educational outcomes via foreign wage premia • Increasing foreign wage premium for unskilled jobs decreases educational outcomes • Foreign wage premium for skilled workers does not change educational outcomes • Foreign wage premium effects are largely consistent across services and manufacturing • Effects on educational outcomes are not only short-lived but long-lasting too Inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) has often been considered to play a prominent role in the development of human capital in the host economy by introducing a foreign wage premium into the labour market. However, extant evidence on IFDI labour market effects is inconclusive, especially in emerging economies. We investigate for the case of Mexico whether foreign wage premia have an effect on educational outcomes of young cohorts that were 15 years old at the time of IFDI arrival in their municipality of residence. Results suggest that increasing foreign wage premium for unskilled jobs, both in manufacturing and services, has negative effects on a cohort's subsequent educational outcomes. The effects of foreign wage premium for skilled workers, however, are not significant but may lead to positive educational outcomes. The long-term implications of losses accruing from low investment in human capital do not only affect individuals but regions as well.

How does South-South FDI affect host economies? Evidence from China-Africa in 2003–2018

Foreign direct investment (FDI) from emerging markets to developing countries has increased significantly for recent decades. Such the South-South FDI tends to behave differently from the North-South FDI. The rise of China's FDI (C-FDI) in Africa has generated considerable controversy. While the popular opinion in Africa about C-FDI is positive, the Western reaction often is highly negative. How does C-FDI affect Africa's economies? Do C-FDI and the North-FDI have different impacts on Africa? This paper studies the issues by using the cross-country panel data in 2003–2018. We find that benefits from C-FDI to African economies are greater than those from the North FDI, and that the promoting effects of C-FDI concentrate on host-country's exports and industrialization. Uniquely the large Chinese investment in Africa's infrastructure not only contributes overall economic growth, but also enhance host-country's absorptive capacity in attracting and utilizing foreign capital.

The pitfalls of multinational banking: The case of Italian banks in Egypt before WWII

The activity of Italian banks in Egypt represents an almost unexplored field of investigation in economic history. This article is the first to attempt to add to the Italian banking literature in this area. At the same time, it contributes to the multinational banking literature on the characteristics of banks belonging to multinational groups, which are subject to a ‘liability of foreignness’ due to differences between the home country and the host economy. The paper explains the short-lived success of Italian banks, which were able to occupy primary positions in the Egyptian banking sector thanks to an aggressive policy focussed on the cotton market. It then highlights the reasons for the subsequent problems these institutes faced, showing the difficulties of a latecomer and capital-poor country, such as Italy, in carrying out a catching-up process aimed at widening its influence over geographical areas considered strategic in terms of political and commercial penetration.

The nexus between foreign bank presence and credit to the private sector: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to explore the implications of global financial integration on host economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study tests the competing views on the impact of foreign bank penetration on private sector access to credit in developing host economies.Design/methodology/approachUsing data on a panel 25 SSA economies over a period of 22 years from 1995 to 2016, the study employs fixed effects and Prais-Winsten estimations as well as generalized methods of moments (GMM) to test the foreign bank impact.FindingsThe findings show support for the hypothesis that global financial integration has positive implications for participating economies. In other words, financial sector liberalization and deregulation leading to the influx of foreign banks has positive implications for access to credit by the private sector in SSA economies. The study also finds other standard determinants of access to credit like lending rate and broad money supply conforming to the existing literature in terms of impact.Originality/valueOverall, the findings hold relevant implications for banking sector policies and the financial sector in general regarding the priority that policy makers and advisors attach to reforming financial sector policies.

Immigration and crime: The role of self-selection and institutions

Contrary to popular perception, empirical evidence suggests that immigrants do not necessarily commit more crimes than natives, in spite of having lower legitimate earning opportunities. To make sense of this, we propose a novel theoretical framework based on a predator/prey model of crime, where endogenous migration decisions and career choices (between licit and illicit activities) are jointly determined. In this setting, we show that the involvement of migrants in crime crucially depends on self-selection into migration, as well as on productivity and institutional quality in the host economy. In particular, immigrants may display a lower crime rate than natives even if they are less productive on the honest labor market – and this result can still hold if career choices are revised after migration. We also find that stricter immigration policies could induce an adverse selection of migrants, and eventually attract more foreign-born criminals. Finally, a dynamic extension of our model can account for the higher crime rates of second-generation immigrants, and highlights the critical role of immigration and assimilation for the long-run evolution of crime and institutions in host countries.

Bank Foreign Direct Investment in Indian Economy: A Theoretical Review

The study's primary objective is to understand the evolution of foreign direct investment theories (FDI) and identify the application theories in bank FDI from the literature. Based on the pattern of investment, FDI can be classified as greenfield and brownfield investment. Both types of investments yield profits, so the study attempted to answer why greenfield FDI, i.e., foreign banks invest by opening their branches and offices in the host economy. The study reviewed literature focused on bank FDI determinants in host economies and discussed it in the Indian context. The study found that primary reasons for greenfield FDI are India's locational advantages, such as profit opportunity and already present home clients in India.

A STUDY OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT ON MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN SULTANATE OF OMAN

The objective of this research is to find impact of foreign direct investment on manufacturing industries in Oman. The study utilized a quantitative research method which applied primary and secondary data obtained from Oman's World Bank database (1984-2018). The primary data were collected from a research questionnaire administered to 410 respondents from nine industrial sectors, namely: Textile, Petroleum goods, Electronics, Automotive, Food & Beverages, Agriculture & Fishery, Publishing, Chemicals and Pharmaceutics. The results of this study also revealed that the spillover impacts on domestic companies, like novel technology, marketing strategies, organizational skills, money, jobs, export growth, diversifying of economy and greater competition, lead to enhanced domestic market efficiency and boosted productivity in skill-spreading host economies with the highest impact accompanied with Capital and Technology spillover.

Special Economic Zones and Sourcing Linkages with the Local Economy: Reality or Pipedream?

In this study we investigate in how far firms in special economic zones (SEZs) have the potential to generate indirect benefits and knowledge spill-overs in the local economy through the creation of backward linkages with local suppliers. For this purpose, we map the linkages between SEZ firms and suppliers in the host economy in seven SEZs around the world, namely in Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Vietnam, based on 103 interviews with SEZ firm managers. We furthermore analyse the challenges in the formation of these linkages. Overall, our findings suggest that, contrary to the objective of many of the zones, backward linkages between firms within SEZs as well as with firms outside the SEZs remain rather limited for the SEZs analysed. Firms primarily purchase services and minor inputs, such as packaging materials, from within or outside the SEZ. The sourcing of key inputs, however, is a major challenge due to a lack of local availability, high local prices and quality concerns. The majority of SEZ firms imports large parts of their inputs from abroad. This is true across a variety of sectors analysed, including garment, high-tech industries and services.

Offshoring of white-collar jobs: theory and evidence1

Abstract Foreign direct investment (FDI) in advanced business services (ABSs), referred to here as the offshoring of white-collar jobs, has become one of the major developments in the operations of multinational corporations (MNCs). However, a specific theoretical approach to this phenomenon has not been adequately defined. In this article, we have two objectives. The first objective is to outline the key elements of the theoretical framework and introduce a simple formal model for business services within MNCs. The second objective is to verify the assumptions of the model in the empirical part. We use the sample of the largest European companies having foreign affiliates. Special attention is paid to Visegrád economies (i.e. Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) as host economies. We applied here a multinomial logistic model, which indicates the probability of having an ABS subsidiary taking into consideration the characteristics of MNCs.