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How Much do Technological Gap, Firm Size, and Regional Characteristics Matter for the Absorptive Capacity of Italian Enterprises?

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  • C. Imbriani
  • R. Pittiglio
  • F. Reganati
  • E. Sica

Abstract

The absorptive capacity—the ability of enterprises to efficiently absorb and internalise knowledge from outside sources—represents the link between firms’ capabilities to implement new products and the external stock of technological opportunities, such as those gleamed from Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). This paper explores whether the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the productivity of Italian domestically-owned firms (DOFs) is dependent on their absorptive capacity. In particular, given the peculiar characteristics of the Italian productive system, our analysis focuses on three different dimensions of the absorptive capacity: the size of the technological gap between foreign-owned firms (FOFs) and DOFs, firm size, and the regional distribution of firms. Our findings suggest that technological gap and firm size matter considerably for the spillover effect. Moreover, spillovers exhibit a sub-national dimension present only in the northeastern region of the peninsula. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2014

Suggested Citation

  • C. Imbriani & R. Pittiglio & F. Reganati & E. Sica, 2014. "How Much do Technological Gap, Firm Size, and Regional Characteristics Matter for the Absorptive Capacity of Italian Enterprises?," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 20(1), pages 57-72, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:iaecre:v:20:y:2014:i:1:p:57-72:10.1007/s11294-013-9439-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11294-013-9439-7
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    3. Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati, 2015. "Multinational Enterprises, Technological Intensity and Firm Survival. Evidence from Italian Manufacturing and Services Firms," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(1), pages 87-106, March.
    4. Anzolin, Guendalina & Andreoni, Antonio & Zanfei, Antonello, 2022. "What is driving robotisation in the automotive value chain? Empirical evidence on the role of FDIs and domestic capabilities in technology adoption," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    5. Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati & Edgardo Sica, 2015. "Do Multinational Enterprises Push up the Wages of Domestic Firms in the Italian Manufacturing Sector?," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(3), pages 346-378, June.
    6. Ronald B. Davies & Arman Mazhikeyev, 2021. "The glass border: Gender and exporting in developing countries," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 879-903, April.
    7. Anna Ferragina & Fernanda Mazzotta, 2014. "FDI spillovers on firm survival in Italy: absorptive capacity matters!," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(6), pages 859-897, December.
    8. Jacob A Jordaan, 2017. "Producer firms, technology diffusion and spillovers to local suppliers: Examining the effects of Foreign Direct Investment and the technology gap," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(12), pages 2718-2738, December.
    9. Sarker, Bibhuti & Serieux, John, 2022. "Foreign-invested and domestic firm attributes and spillover effects: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    10. Yoshimichi Murakami & Keijiro Otsuka, 2017. "A Review of the Literature on Productivity Impacts of Global Value Chains and Foreign Direct Investment: Towards an Integrated Approach," Discussion Paper Series DP2017-19, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Aug 2019.
    11. Bibhuti Sarker, 2023. "Foreign firms in the industry frontier and productivity convergence: Importance of proximity and firm attributes," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 906-925, March.
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    15. Rosanna Pittiglio & Filippo Reganati, 2016. "Vertical Spillovers from Multinational Enterprises: Does Technological Gap Matter?," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 63(3), pages 313-323, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Absorptive capacity; MNEs; FDI spillovers; Technology gap; Firm size; F20; J30;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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