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When is FDI a capital flow?

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  • Marin, Dalia
  • Schnitzer, Monika

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the conditions under which a foreign direct investment (FDI) involves a net capital flow across countries. For this purpose, we investigate how multinational firms finance their foreign affiliates, globally or locally. We develop a contract theoretical model in which the financing structure is used to govern the incentives of managers. We find that the investment tends to be financed locally if managerial incentive problems are large. Thus, microeconomic governance problems may have macroeconomic implications for the net capital flow to host countries. Our results are consistent with survey data on German and Austrian investment flows of firms to Eastern Europe.

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  • Marin, Dalia & Schnitzer, Monika, 2011. "When is FDI a capital flow?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(6), pages 845-861, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:55:y:2011:i:6:p:845-861
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    2. Ausloos, Marcel & Eskandary, Ali & Kaur, Parmjit & Dhesi, Gurjeet, 2019. "Evidence for Gross Domestic Product growth time delay dependence over Foreign Direct Investment. A time-lag dependent correlation study," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 527(C).
    3. Koehler-Geib, Friederike Norma, 2008. "The Effect of Uncertainty on the Occurrence and Spread of Financial Crises," Munich Dissertations in Economics 8067, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    4. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Monika Schnitzer, 2013. "Financial Constraints And Innovation: Why Poor Countries Don'T Catch Up," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 11(5), pages 1115-1152, October.
    5. Hanousek, Jan & Kočenda, Evžen & Mašika, Michal, 2012. "Firm efficiency: Domestic owners, coalitions, and FDI," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 471-486.
    6. Asmund Rygh & Gabriel R. G. Benito, 2023. "Subsidiary Capital Structure in Multinational Enterprises: A New Internalization Theory Perspective," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 979-1019, December.
    7. Vo, Xuan Vinh & Nguyen, Dong Phong & Ho, Viet Tien & Nguyen, Trung Thong, 2017. "Where do the advanced countries invest? An investigation of capital flows from advanced countries to emerging economies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 142-154.
    8. Jan Hanousek & Evžen Kočenda & Michal Mašika, 2012. "Firemní efektivita: vliv vlastnických struktur a finančních ukazatelů [Corporate Efficiency: Effect of Ownership Structures and Financial Indicators]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2012(4), pages 459-483.
    9. ZHANG, Jiarui & HOU, Lei, 2014. "Financial structure, productivity, and risk of foreign direct investment," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 652-669.
    10. Kandilov, Ivan T. & Leblebicioğlu, Aslı & Petkova, Neviana, 2017. "Cross-border mergers and acquisitions: The importance of local credit and source country finance," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 288-318.
    11. Marin, Dalia & Doerr, Sebastian & Suverato, Davide & Verdier, Thierry, 2020. "Mis-allocation Within Firms: Internal Finance and International Trade," CEPR Discussion Papers 14478, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Elena Chirila-Donciu, 2013. "Globalization And Foreign Direct Investments," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 5(2), pages 177-186.
    13. Kandilov, Ivan T. & Leblebicioğlu, Asli & Petkova, Neviana, 2016. "The impact of banking deregulation on inbound foreign direct investment: Transaction-level evidence from the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 138-159.
    14. Lund, Diderik, 2009. "Marginal versus Average Beta of Equity under Corporate Taxation," Memorandum 12/2009, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    15. -, 2016. "Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2016," La Inversión Extranjera Directa en América Latina y el Caribe, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 40214 edited by Eclac, May.
    16. Klára KATONA, 2017. "Primary Sources Of Corporate Investment In Hungary," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 64(2), pages 215-232, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multinational firms Firm specific capital costs Internal capital markets;

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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