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Culture and Global Sourcing

Author

Listed:
  • Yuriy Gorodnichenko
  • Bohdan Kukharskyy
  • Gerard Roland

Abstract

This paper develops a model of global sourcing with culturally dissimilar countries. Production of final goods requires the coordination of decisions between the headquarter of a multinational firm and managers of their component suppliers. Managers of both units are assumed to have strong beliefs about the right course of action and are reluctant to adjust their decisions. We characterize the optimal allocation of decision rights across firms when contracts are incomplete. Our theoretical model delivers two key predictions: the incentive of a firm to integrate (rather than outsource) its input supply is decreasing in the cultural distance between the home and the host country and decreasing in trade costs between the two countries. Combining data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Related Party Trade with various measures for cultural distance and trade cost, we find empirical evidence strongly supportive of these two predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Bohdan Kukharskyy & Gerard Roland, 2015. "Culture and Global Sourcing," NBER Working Papers 21198, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21198
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2016. "Relational contracts and global sourcing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 123-147.
    3. Oliver E. Ogbonna & Hyacinth E. Ichoku, 2022. "Oil Price, Exchange Rate and Asymmetric Adjustment of Nigeria's Bilateral Trade," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2022(2), pages 195-213.
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    5. Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2015. "Relational contracts and global sourcing," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 83, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • P14 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Property Rights
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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