National and multinational companies coexist in many sectors of all developed countries. However, economic models fail to reproduce this fact because of the assumption of symmetry between companies. To show that the symmetry assumption is the reason for this failure, a two-country general equilibrium model is set up where multinational enterprises emerge endogenously in reaction to exogenously induced market integration. In a model version with symmetric companies, stable mixed equilibria with national and multinational companies do not exist, because all companies decide to internationalize production at the same conditions. In contrast, if companies are allowed to differ, there exist a wide range of economic conditions where national and multinational companies coexist.
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Paper provided by Kiel Institute for the World Economy in its series Kiel Working Papers with number
1181.
Find related papers by JEL classification: F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
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Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2003.
"Export versus FDI,"
NBER Working Papers
9439, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)
Helpman, Elhanan & Melitz, Marc J & Yeaple, Stephen R, 2003.
"Export versus FDI,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
3741, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)