Determinants of foreign direct investment in developing countries: a panel data study

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify key determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in developing countries by using unbalanced panel data set pertaining to the years 1990-2012. This study considers 20 developing countries from the whole of South, East and South-East Asia. Design/methodology/approach - Using seven explanatory variables (market size, trade openness, infrastructure, inflation, interest rate, research and development and human capital), the authors have tried to find the best fit model from the two models considered (fixed effect model and random effect model) with the help of Hausman test. Findings - Fixed effect estimation indicates that market size, trade openness, interest rate and human capital yield significant coefficients in relation to FDI inflow for the panel of developing countries under study. The findings reveal that market size is the most significant determinant of FDI inflow. Research limitations/implications - Like any other study, this work also has some limitations. Lack of data on key determinants such as labor cost, exchange rate, corruption, natural resources, effectiveness of rule of law and political risk may be considered one such limitation. Further, controlling for variables such as exchange rate, corruption, labor cost and political risk could make significant improvements to this study. Practical implications - This study has significant implications for policy makers, mangers and investors. Policy makers would be able to understand the importance of the major determinants of FDI mentioned in the paper, and take steps to formulate policies that encourage FDI. Such measures could include developing market size, making regulations more international trade friendly and investing in the nation’s human capital. Further, steps could be taken to keep interest rates and inflation rates under control as these factors have been found to influence FDI. Originality/value - The sample of 20 developing nations chosen for this study has not been considered by any study earlier. This is a unique contribution to existing body of research, and highlights the originality value of this paper.