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Does technology-seeking OFDI improve the productivity of Chinese firms under the COVID-19 pandemic?

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  • Wong, Zoey
  • Chen, Afei
  • Peng, Dan
  • Kong, Qunxi

Abstract

This paper empirically investigates the impact of technology-seeking outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on firms' productivity under the influence of negative external shocks, taking as a sample the investment data of Chinese firms before and during COVID-19. The results show that technology-seeking OFDI improves productivity, but not under negative external shocks. The dampening effect of such shocks is more significant when the host country is a developed country and in firms with multiple branches. Technology-seeking OFDI particularly improves the productivity of research and development and processing firms, and (among the productivity measures tested) most prominently affects total factor productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Wong, Zoey & Chen, Afei & Peng, Dan & Kong, Qunxi, 2022. "Does technology-seeking OFDI improve the productivity of Chinese firms under the COVID-19 pandemic?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:51:y:2022:i:c:s1044028321000739
    DOI: 10.1016/j.gfj.2021.100675
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    Cited by:

    1. Kong, Qunxi & Li, Rongrong & Wang, Ziqi & Peng, Dan, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and firm investment decisions: Dilemma or opportunity?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Natália Barbosa, 2022. "Outward FDI, restructuring, performance upgrading and resilience: Firm-level evidence from Portugal," GEE Papers 0168, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Sep 2022.
    3. Zoey Wong & Afei Chen & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary & Rongrong Li & Qunxi Kong, 2023. "Financing Constraints and Firm’s Productivity Under the COVID-19 Epidemic Shock: Evidence of A-Shared Chinese Companies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(1), pages 167-195, February.
    4. Peng, Dan & Ji, Y. & Kong, Qunxi, 2023. "OFDI and firms' sustainable productive capacity: Evidence from Chinese industrial firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 641-652.
    5. Tong Sheng & Bingquan Fang & Xiaoqian Lu & Xingheng Shi & Chaohai Shen & Xiaolan Zhou, 2022. "The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, Global Investment, and Equity Incentives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-27, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technology-seeking OFDI; Productivity; COVID-19; External shock; Investment heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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