IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecosys/v45y2021i3s093936252100025x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is R&D spending influenced by disinvestment and local political corruption? The case of Indian central public sector enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Jain, Ritika

Abstract

The current study examines the effect of disinvestment (dilution of state ownership) and local political corruption on R&D spending in enterprises owned by the central government of India. Based on certain characteristic features of innovation as a strategy available to state-owned enterprises, I build two sets of hypotheses formalising the channels of how these variables may affect the possibility and amount of R&D. Data is drawn from multiple sources to compile a dataset that covers all manufacturing central government-owned enterprises in India over a period of ten years from 2007 to 2016. The study employs an instrumental variable technique to reduce the endogeneity between disinvestment and R&D decisions. We find that, while disinvestment and local political corruption have strong negative effects on whether a firm invests in R&D or not, it has no effect on the amount of R&D. In fact, the amount is driven by a host of firm-specific factors such as size, profit and proficiency of the share of skilled labor, managerial strength and non-unionisation of labor. We also find that the effects are strongly driven by the size of firms, special status awarded to firms and the ideology of the state where the enterprise operates.

Suggested Citation

  • Jain, Ritika, 2021. "Is R&D spending influenced by disinvestment and local political corruption? The case of Indian central public sector enterprises," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecosys:v:45:y:2021:i:3:s093936252100025x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecosys.2021.100877
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S093936252100025X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecosys.2021.100877?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ritika Jain, 2018. "Ownership effects on R%D spending in India: does external borrowing matter?," International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(2), pages 159-175.
    2. Marcelo Veracierto, 2008. "Corruption and innovation," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, vol. 32(Q I), pages 29-39.
    3. Kevin M. Murphy & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1991. "The Allocation of Talent: Implications for Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 503-530.
    4. Megginson, William L., 2005. "The economics of bank privatization," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(8-9), pages 1931-1980, August.
    5. Paroma Sanyal, 2007. "The effect of deregulation on environmental research by electric utilities," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 335-353, June.
    6. Nandini Gupta, 2005. "Partial Privatization and Firm Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(2), pages 987-1015, April.
    7. P. Duraisamy & Bruno Jérôme, 2017. "Who wins in the Indian parliament election: Criminals, wealthy and incumbents?," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 19(2), pages 245-262, October.
    8. Alexander W. Butler & Larry Fauver & Sandra Mortal, 2009. "Corruption, Political Connections, and Municipal Finance," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(7), pages 2673-2705, July.
    9. Jain, Ritika, 2017. "Public sector enterprise disinvestment in India: Efficiency gains in a political context," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 18-36.
    10. Ghosh, Saibal, 2008. "Does divestment matter for firm performance?: Evidence from the Indian experience," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 372-388, December.
    11. Boycko, Maxim & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1996. "A Theory of Privatisation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(435), pages 309-319, March.
    12. Sumit K. Majumdar, 2008. "Why Privatize? The Decline of Public Ownership in India and its Impact on Industrial Performance," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 9(2), pages 293-336, September.
    13. Kenji Fujiwara, 2007. "Partial Privatization in a Differentiated Mixed Oligopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 92(1), pages 51-65, September.
    14. Philippe Aghion & Olivier J. Blanchard, 1998. "On privatization methods in Eastern Europe and their implications1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 6(1), pages 87-99, May.
    15. Paroma Sanyal & Linda R. Cohen, 2009. "Powering Progress: Restructuring, Competition, and R&D in the U.S. Electric Utility Industry," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 41-80.
    16. Bharatee Dash & Angara Raja, 2014. "Do political determinants affect revenue collection? Evidence from the Indian states," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 61(3), pages 253-278, September.
    17. Liu, Xiaoding, 2016. "Corruption culture and corporate misconduct," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 307-327.
    18. Matsumura, Toshihiro, 1998. "Partial privatization in mixed duopoly," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 473-483, December.
    19. Clarke, George R.G. & Cull, Robert & Shirley, Mary M., 2005. "Bank privatization in developing countries: A summary of lessons and findings," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(8-9), pages 1905-1930, August.
    20. Houxue Xia & Qingmei Tan & Junhong Bai, 2018. "Corruption and Technological Innovation in Private Small-Medium Scale Companies: Does Female Top Management Play a Role?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, June.
    21. de Fraja, Giovanni & Delbono, Flavio, 1989. "Alternative Strategies of a Public Enterprise in Oligopoly," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 302-311, April.
    22. Prashanth Mahagaonkar, 2008. "Corruption and Innovation: A Grease or Sand relationship?," Jena Economics Research Papers 2008-017, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Jain, Ritika, 2017. "Public sector enterprise disinvestment in India: Efficiency gains in a political context," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 18-36.
    2. Dianshuang Wang & Xiaochun Li, 2020. "Privatization in Vertically Related Markets: Insights from a General Equilibrium Approach," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 234(3), pages 3-21, September.
    3. John Heywood & Guangliang Ye, 2010. "Optimal privatization in a mixed duopoly with consistent conjectures," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 231-246, November.
    4. Chen, Chien-Hsun & Mai, Chao-Cheng & Liu, Yu-Lin & Mai, Shin-Ying, 2009. "Privatization and optimal share release in the Chinese banking industry," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1161-1171, November.
    5. Chang, Winston W. & Ryu, Han Eol, 2016. "Export rivalry, vertically-related markets, and optimal public ownership policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 392-401.
    6. Pal, Rupayan & Saha, Bibhas, 2015. "Pollution tax, partial privatization and environment," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 19-35.
    7. Zheng Wang & John S. Heywood & Guangliang Ye, 2020. "Optimal mixed ownership: A contract view," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 45-68, January.
    8. Leonard Wang & Tien-Der Han, 2015. "Better governance matters optimal privatization policy," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(2), pages 189-206, December.
    9. Ritika Jain, 2022. "State Ownership and Dividend Decisions: Economic Versus Political Determinants," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 20(1), pages 23-42, March.
    10. Shih-Jye Wu & Yang-Ming Chang & Hung-Yi Chen, 2016. "Imported inputs and privatization in downstream mixed oligopoly with foreign ownership," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(3), pages 1179-1207, August.
    11. Haraguchi, Junichi & Matsumura, Toshihiro & Yoshida, Shohei, 2018. "Competitive pressure from neighboring markets and optimal privatization policy," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-8.
    12. Alessandra Chirco & Marcella Scrimitore, 2010. "Price Competition in International Mixed Oligopolies," Working Paper series 48_10, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    13. Wenhui Zhou & Weixiang Huang & Vernon N. Hsu & Pengfei Guo, 2023. "On the Benefit of Privatization in a Mixed Duopoly Service System," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(3), pages 1486-1499, March.
    14. Manipushpak Mitra & Rupayan Pal & Arindam Paul & P. M. Sharada, 2020. "Equilibrium Coexistence of Public and Private Firms and the Plausibility of Price Competition," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 176(2), pages 217-242.
    15. Leonard F. S. Wang & Ya‐Chin Wang & Lihong Zhao, 2009. "Privatization And Efficiency Gain In An International Mixed Oligopoly With Asymmetric Costs," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 60(4), pages 539-559, December.
    16. Kumar, Ashutosh & Saha, Bibhas, 2008. "Spatial competition in a mixed duopoly with one partially nationalized firm," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 326-341, June.
    17. Haraguchi, Junichi & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2020. "Common Ownership among Private Firms and Privatization Policies," MPRA Paper 102152, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Susumu Sato & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2019. "Dynamic Privatization Policy," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 87(1), pages 37-59, January.
    19. Hiroaki Ino & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2010. "What role should public enterprises play in free-entry markets?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 213-230, November.
    20. Juan Carlos Bárcena-Ruiz & María Begoña Garzón, 2020. "Partial privatization in an international mixed oligopoly under product differentiation," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 77-100, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Partial privatization; Corruption; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises

    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:eee:ecosys:v:45:y:2021:i:3:s093936252100025x. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/osteide.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.