IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v17y2008i4p423-441.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of R&D on value added for domestic and foreign firms in a newly industrialized economy

Author

Listed:
  • Tsang, Eric W.K.
  • Yip, Paul S.L.
  • Toh, Mun Heng

Abstract

This study compares the impact of R&D on value added between domestic and foreign firms in Singapore. The analysis is based on a comprehensive panel database from 1993 to 1999 provided by the Singapore Government. Our results found that R&D investments of foreign firms generated higher value added than those of domestic firms, and that the difference in value added contributed by R&D was moderated by the type of R&D and the technological level of industry. The study supports the argument that the ownership advantages possessed by foreign firms, relative to domestic firms, have positive effects on R&D performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsang, Eric W.K. & Yip, Paul S.L. & Toh, Mun Heng, 2008. "The impact of R&D on value added for domestic and foreign firms in a newly industrialized economy," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 423-441, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:17:y:2008:i:4:p:423-441
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593108000176
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Walter Kuemmerle, 1999. "The Drivers of Foreign Direct Investment into Research and Development: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 1-24, March.
    2. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Productivity, R&D, and Basic Research at the Firm Level in the 1970s," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 82-99, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jeffrey G. Covin & John E. Prescott & Dennis P. Slevin, 1990. "The Effects Of Technological Sophistication On Strategic Profiles, Structure And Firm Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 485-510, September.
    4. Dietmar Harhoff, 1998. "R&D and Productivity in German Manufacturing Firms," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 29-50.
    5. Bernard L Simonin, 2004. "An empirical investigation of the process of knowledge transfer in international strategic alliances," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(5), pages 407-427, September.
    6. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    7. Chan, Su Han & Martin, John D. & Kensinger, John W., 1990. "Corporate research and development expenditures and share value," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 255-276, August.
    8. Ivarsson, Inge & Jonsson, Thommy, 2003. "Local technological competence and asset-seeking FDI: an empirical study of manufacturing and wholesale affiliates in Sweden," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 369-386, June.
    9. Cassiman, Bruno & Perez-Castrillo, David & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2002. "Endogenizing know-how flows through the nature of R&D investments," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 775-799, June.
    10. Wakelin, Katharine, 2001. "Productivity growth and R&D expenditure in UK manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1079-1090, August.
    11. Rao, P. M., 2001. "The ICT revolution, internationalization of technological activity, and the emerging economies: implications for global marketing," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 571-596, October.
    12. Joseph L C Cheng & Douglas S Bolon, 1993. "The Management of Multinational R&D: A Neglected Topic in International Business Research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 24(1), pages 1-18, March.
    13. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
    14. Cantwell, John A. & Dunning, John H. & Janne, Odile E. M., 2004. "Towards a technology-seeking explanation of U.S. direct investment in the United Kingdom," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 5-20.
    15. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
    16. Davis, Lee N. & Meyer, Klaus E., 2004. "Subsidiary research and development, and the local environment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 359-382, June.
    17. Ernst, Holger, 1998. "Industrial research as a source of important patents," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 1-15, May.
    18. Patel, Pari & Vega, Modesto, 1999. "Patterns of internationalisation of corporate technology: location vs. home country advantages1," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 145-155, March.
    19. Archibugi, Daniele & Iammarino, Simona, 1999. "The policy implications of the globalisation of innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 317-336, March.
    20. Nathan ROSENBERG, 2009. "Why do firms do basic research (with their own money)?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Studies On Science And The Innovation Process Selected Works of Nathan Rosenberg, chapter 11, pages 225-234, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    21. Hu, Albert Guangzhou, 2004. "Multinational Corporations, Patenting, and Knowledge Flow: The Case of Singapore," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(4), pages 781-800, July.
    22. Fung, Ka-yiu Michael & Ishikawa, Jota, 1991. "Dynamic increasing returns, technology and economic growth in a small open economy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1-2), pages 63-87, November.
    23. Constance E. Helfat, 1994. "Firm-Specificity in Corporate Applied R&D," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 173-184, May.
    24. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    25. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Productivity and R&D at the Firm Level," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 100-133, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    26. Zvi Griliches, 1984. "R&D, Patents, and Productivity," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gril84-1, March.
    27. Gassmann, Oliver & von Zedtwitz, Maximilian, 1999. "New concepts and trends in international R&D organization," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 231-250, March.
    28. Kenneth Arrow, 1962. "Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors, pages 609-626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    29. Gustavsson, Patrik & Hansson, Par & Lundberg, Lars, 1999. "Technology, resource endowments and international competitiveness," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(8), pages 1501-1530, August.
    30. Zander, Ivo, 1998. "The evolution of technological capabilities in the multinational corporation--dispersion, duplication and potential advantages from multinationality," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 17-35, May.
    31. Arundel, Anthony, 2001. "The relative effectiveness of patents and secrecy for appropriation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 611-624, April.
    32. Tucker, Irvin B & Wilder, Ronald P, 1977. "Trends in Vertical Integration in the U.S. Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 81-94, September.
    33. Richard R. Nelson, 1959. "The Simple Economics of Basic Scientific Research," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 67, pages 297-297.
    34. von Zedtwitz, Maximilian & Gassmann, Oliver, 2002. "Market versus technology drive in R&D internationalization: four different patterns of managing research and development," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 569-588, May.
    35. John H Dunning, 1995. "Reappraising the Eclectic Paradigm in an Age of Alliance Capitalism," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(3), pages 461-491, September.
    36. Cohen, Wesley M. & Goto, Akira & Nagata, Akiya & Nelson, Richard R. & Walsh, John P., 2002. "R&D spillovers, patents and the incentives to innovate in Japan and the United States," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 1349-1367, December.
    37. Mario Kafouros, 2005. "R&D and productivity growth: Evidence from the UK," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(6), pages 479-497.
    38. Amsden, Alice H. & Tschang, F. Ted, 2003. "A new approach to assessing the technological complexity of different categories of R&D (with examples from Singapore)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 553-572, April.
    39. Mahmood, Ishtiaq P. & Singh, Jasjit, 2003. "Technological dynamism in Asia," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1031-1054, June.
    40. Kondo, Masayuki, 1999. "R&D dynamics of creating patents in the Japanese industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 587-600, August.
    41. Kenney, Martin & Florida, Richard, 1994. "The organization and geography of Japanese R&D: results from a survey of Japanese electronics and biotechnology firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 305-322, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Carla Mascarenhas & Carla Marques & João J. Ferreira, 2020. "One for All and All for One: Collaboration and Cooperation in Triple Helix Knowledge Cocreation," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 43(4), pages 316-343, July.
    2. Czarnitzki, Dirk & Thorwarth, Susanne, 2012. "Productivity effects of basic research in low-tech and high-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1555-1564.
    3. Buckley, Peter J. & Munjal, Surender & Enderwick, Peter & Forsans, Nicolas, 2016. "The role of experiential and non-experiential knowledge in cross-border acquisitions: The case of Indian multinational enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 675-685.
    4. Kyläheiko, Kalevi & Jantunen, Ari & Puumalainen, Kaisu & Saarenketo, Sami & Tuppura, Anni, 2011. "Innovation and internationalization as growth strategies: The role of technological capabilities and appropriability," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 508-520, October.
    5. Buckley, Peter J. & Munjal, Surender & Enderwick, Peter & Forsans, Nicolas, 2016. "Do foreign resources assist or impede internationalisation? Evidence from internationalisation of Indian multinational enterprises," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 130-140.
    6. Alam, Ashraful & Uddin, Moshfique & Yazdifar, Hassan, 2019. "Institutional determinants of R&D investment: Evidence from emerging markets," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 34-44.
    7. Surenderrao Komera & P. J. Jijo Lukose & Subash Sasidharan, 2018. "Does business group affiliation encourage R&D activities? Evidence from India," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 887-917, December.
    8. Añón Higón, Dolores & Manjón Antolín, Miguel, 2012. "Multinationality, foreignness and institutional distance in the relation between R&D and productivity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 592-601.
    9. Buckley, Peter J. & Munjal, Surender & Enderwick, Peter & Forsans, Nicolas, 2016. "Cross-border acquisitions by Indian multinationals: Asset exploitation or asset augmentation?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 986-996.
    10. Khallaf, Ashraf & Skantz, Terrance R., 2015. "R&D productivity following first-time CIO appointments," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 55-72.
    11. Haider, Mohammed Ziaul, 2010. "Raw Material Sourcing and Firm Performance: Evidence from Manufacturing Firms in South-West Bangladesh," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 33(4), pages 51-61, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Czarnitzki, Dirk & Thorwarth, Susanne, 2012. "Productivity effects of basic research in low-tech and high-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1555-1564.
    2. Marina Papanastassiou & Robert Pearce & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: A review of the literature," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 623-664, June.
    3. Lim, Kwanghui, 2004. "The relationship between research and innovation in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries (1981-1997)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 287-321, March.
    4. Cohen, Wesley M., 2010. "Fifty Years of Empirical Studies of Innovative Activity and Performance," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 129-213, Elsevier.
    5. Ugur, Mehmet & Trushin, Eshref & Solomon, Edna & Guidi, Francesco, 2016. "R&D and productivity in OECD firms and industries: A hierarchical meta-regression analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 2069-2086.
    6. Hottenrott, Hanna & Lopes-Bento, Cindy & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2014. "Direct and cross-scheme effects in a research and development subsidy program," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-107, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Kafouros, Mario I. & Buckley, Peter J., 2008. "Under what conditions do firms benefit from the research efforts of other organizations?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 225-239, March.
    8. Bettina Becker, 2013. "The Determinants of R&D Investment: A Survey of the Empirical Research," Discussion Paper Series 2013_09, Department of Economics, Loughborough University, revised Sep 2013.
    9. Kafouros, Mario I., 2008. "Economic returns to industrial research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(8), pages 868-876, August.
    10. Alex Coad & Agustí Segarra-Blasco & Mercedes Teruel, 2021. "A bit of basic, a bit of applied? R&D strategies and firm performance," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1758-1783, December.
    11. Choi, Jin-Uk & Lee, Chang-Yang, 2022. "The differential effects of basic research on firm R&D productivity: The conditioning role of technological diversification," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    12. Hottenrott, Hanna & Lopes-Bento, Cindy & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2017. "Direct and cross scheme effects in a research and development," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 1118-1132.
    13. Hall, Bronwyn H. & Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre, 2010. "Measuring the Returns to R&D," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1033-1082, Elsevier.
    14. Añón Higón, Dolores, 2016. "In-house versus external basic research and first-to-market innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 816-829.
    15. Levin, Mark (Левин, Марк) & Matrosova, K. (Матросова, К.), 2016. "Research, Modeling and Process Management Dissemination of Innovations in Socio-Economic Systems [Исследование, Моделирование И Управление Процессами Распространения Инноваций В Социально-Экономиче," Working Papers 1443, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    16. Jarle Møen & Helge Sandvig Thorsen, 2017. "Publication Bias in the Returns to R&D Literature," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(3), pages 987-1013, September.
    17. Peilei Fan, 2011. "Innovation capacity and economic development: China and India," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 49-73, April.
    18. Chen, Zhuo & Yang, Zhenbing & Yang, Lili, 2020. "How to optimize the allocation of research resources? An empirical study based on output and substitution elasticities of universities in Chinese provincial level," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    19. Wenxin Guo & Joseph A. Clougherty, 2022. "Cross-border acquisition activity by Chinese multinationals and domestic-productivity upgrading," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 659-695, June.
    20. Wang, Chengqi & Kafouros, Mario I., 2009. "What factors determine innovation performance in emerging economies? Evidence from China," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 606-616, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:17:y:2008:i:4:p:423-441. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.