IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v76y2025ics0275531925001163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic policy uncertainty and foreign direct investment inflow: The role of institutional quality in South Asia region

Author

Listed:
  • Tabash, Mosab I.

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and institutional quality (INQ) and how both factors affect FDI inflow into South Asia between 2000 and 2019. The relationship between the variables was analyzed using the FMOLS and DOLS models while the robustness of analysis was performed by employing GMM model. Demonstrated by the strong negative correlation between FDI inflows and EPU, the findings suggest that policy instability discourages investments essential for sustainable development. In contrast, INQ posits a direct relationship with FDI inflow. Notably, INQ also mitigates the negative effects of policy uncertainty on investment by moderating the relationship between EPU and FDI. These findings have significant policy implications, indicating that an investment climate conducive to sustainable FDI can be established by prioritizing institutional improvement, policy stability, and financial development. This study offers a way to integrate FDI policy with sustainable development goals by examining the moderating effect of INQ on the EPU-FDI nexus. It also contributes to the existing body of literature on environmental transition, opening new research avenues for further exploration.

Suggested Citation

  • Tabash, Mosab I., 2025. "Economic policy uncertainty and foreign direct investment inflow: The role of institutional quality in South Asia region," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102860
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531925001163
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102860?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    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. Ayesha Serfraz & Md. Qamruzzaman & Salma Karim, 2023. "Revisiting the Nexus between Economic Policy Uncertainty, Financial Development, and FDI Inflows in Pakistan during Covid-19: Does Clean Energy Matter?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 91-101, July.
    2. Galego Aurora & Caetano José Manuel, 2012. "Institutional and Economic Determinants of FDI: A Comparison between the European Union and the MENA Region," Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-23, August.
    3. He Chengying & Tianqi Wang & Salman Ali Shah & Yali Chang & Xiaoliang Zhou, 2023. "A study on the moderating role of national absorptive capacity between institutional quality and FDI inflow: evidence from developing countries," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 2177-2198, March.
    4. Ben Youssef, Adel & Boubaker, Sabri & Omri, Anis, 2018. "Entrepreneurship and sustainability: The need for innovative and institutional solutions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 232-241.
    5. Ben Youssef, Adel & Boubaker, Sabri & Dedaj, But & Carabregu-Vokshi, Mjellma, 2021. "Digitalization of the economy and entrepreneurship intention," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    6. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2021. "General diagnostic tests for cross-sectional dependence in panels," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 13-50, January.
    7. Huong, Tran Thi Lan & Ha, Le Thanh, 2023. "A comprehensive analysis of the correlation between foreign aid and energy security in emerging countries: Does institutional quality matter?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 952-968.
    8. Christian Daude & Ernesto Stein, 2007. "The Quality Of Institutions And Foreign Direct Investment," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 317-344, November.
    9. Xiaoqing An & William A. Barnett & Xue Wang & Qingyuan Wu, 2023. "Brexit spillovers: how economic policy uncertainty affects foreign direct investment and international trade," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(16), pages 1913-1932, November.
    10. Scott R. Baker & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis, 2016. "Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1593-1636.
    11. Shabir, Mohsin & Jiang, Ping & Bakhsh, Satar & Zhao, Zhongxiu, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty and bank stability: Threshold effect of institutional quality and competition," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    12. repec:hal:journl:halshs-03506140 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Awartani, Basel & Belkhir, Mohamed & Boubaker, Sabri & Maghyereh, Aktham, 2016. "Corporate debt maturity in the MENA region: Does institutional quality matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 309-325.
    14. Azmat Gani, 2007. "Governance and foreign direct investment links: evidence from panel data estimations," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(10), pages 753-756.
    15. Caroline Jardet & Cristina Jude & Menzie Chinn, 2023. "Foreign direct investment under uncertainty evidence from a large panel of countries," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 854-885, August.
    16. Martijn Boermans & Hein Roelfsema & Yi Zhang, 2011. "Regional determinants of FDI in China: a factor-based approach," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 23-42.
    17. Samina Sabir & Anum Rafique & Kamran Abbas, 2019. "Institutions and FDI: evidence from developed and developing countries," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 5(1), pages 1-20, December.
    18. Boubaker, Sabri & Liu, Pei-Zhi & Ren, Yi-Shuai & Ma, Chao-Qun, 2024. "Do anti-corruption campaigns affect corporate environmental responsibility? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Alam, Ahmed W. & Farjana, Ashupta & Houston, Reza, 2023. "State-level economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and firm financial stability: Is there any political insurance?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    20. Chen, Jieyi & Zhou, Zhao, 2023. "The effects of FDI on innovative entrepreneurship: A regional-level study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    21. Nguyen Phuc Canh & Nguyen Thanh Binh & Su Dinh Thanh & Christophe Schinckus, 2020. "Determinants of foreign direct investment inflows: The role of economic policy uncertainty," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 161, pages 159-172.
    22. M. Hashem Pesaran, 2007. "A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross-section dependence," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 265-312.
    23. Anil Mishra & Kevin Daly, 2007. "Effect of quality of institutions on outward foreign direct investment," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 231-244.
    24. Bengoa, Marta & Sanchez-Robles, Blanca, 2003. "Foreign direct investment, economic freedom and growth: new evidence from Latin America," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 529-545, September.
    25. Peter C. B. Phillips & Bruce E. Hansen, 1990. "Statistical Inference in Instrumental Variables Regression with I(1) Processes," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(1), pages 99-125.
    26. Ahmed Bossman & Mariya Gubareva & Tamara Teplova, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk, market sentiment, and regional stocks: asymmetric analyses of the EU sectors," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(3), pages 321-372, December.
    27. Komla Agudze & Oyakhilome Ibhagui, 2021. "Inflation and FDI in industrialized and developing economies," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(5), pages 749-764, September.
    28. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    29. Nghi Huu Phan & Van Do Bui & Loan Thi Quynh Nguyen, 2023. "How economic policy uncertainty affects foreign direct investment inflows: implications for the post-Covid-19 pandemic period," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 51(2), pages 282-296, July.
    30. Sethi, Deepak & Guisinger, Stephen & Ford, David L. & Phelan, Steven E., 2002. "Seeking greener pastures: a theoretical and empirical investigation into the changing trend of foreign direct investment flows in response to institutional and strategic factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(6), pages 685-705, December.
    31. T. S. Breusch & A. R. Pagan, 1980. "The Lagrange Multiplier Test and its Applications to Model Specification in Econometrics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 47(1), pages 239-253.
    32. J. Tobin, 1958. "Liquidity Preference as Behavior Towards Risk," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 25(2), pages 65-86.
    33. Mohamed Abdouli & Sami Hammami, 2020. "Economic Growth, Environment, FDI Inflows, and Financial Development in Middle East Countries: Fresh Evidence from Simultaneous Equation Models," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 479-511, June.
    34. Idris Abiodun Adenuga, 2023. "An Empirical Analysis Of Institutional Quality And Foreign Direct Investment Inflows In Nigeria," Oradea Journal of Business and Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 8-18, March.
    35. D. Tripati Rao & Narayan Sethi & Devi Prasad Dash & Padmaja Bhujabal, 2023. "Foreign Aid, FDI and Economic Growth in South-East Asia and South Asia," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 24(1), pages 31-47, February.
    36. Tim Büthe & Helen V. Milner, 2008. "The Politics of Foreign Direct Investment into Developing Countries: Increasing FDI through International Trade Agreements?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 741-762, October.
    37. Cheng, Chak Hung Jack, 2017. "Effects of foreign and domestic economic policy uncertainty shocks on South Korea," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-11.
    38. Bussy, Adrien & Zheng, Huanhuan, 2023. "Responses of FDI to geopolitical risks: The role of governance, information, and technology," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    39. Samuel Kwaku Agyei & Nathaniel Kwapong Obuobi & Mohammed Zangina Isshaq & Mac Junior Abeka & John Gartchie Gatsi & Ebenezer Boateng & Emmanuel Kwakye Amoah, 2022. "Country-Level corporate governance and Foreign Portfolio Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: The moderating role of institutional quality," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 2106636-210, December.
    40. Mihaela Peres & Waqar Ameer & Helian Xu, 2018. "The impact of institutional quality on foreign direct investment inflows: evidence for developed and developing countries," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 626-644, January.
    41. Nguyen, Canh Phuc & Lee, Gabriel S., 2021. "Uncertainty, financial development, and FDI inflows: Global evidence," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    42. Wheeler, David & Mody, Ashoka, 1992. "International investment location decisions : The case of U.S. firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 57-76, August.
    43. Mohammad Anamul Haque & Zhang Biqiong & Muhammad Usman Arshad, 2022. "Sources of Financial Development and Their Impact on FDI Inflow: A Panel Data Analysis of Middle-Income Economies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, July.
    44. Huseyin Gulen & Mihai Ion, 2016. "Editor's Choice Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Investment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(3), pages 523-564.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ishfaq Hamid & Md Shabbir Alam & Imran Ali Baig & Pabitra Kumar Jena, 2024. "Nexus Between Institutional Quality and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows: Panel Data Analysis of SAARC Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7993-8019, June.
    2. Yosra Saidi & Anis Ochi & Samir Maktouf, 2023. "FDI inflows, economic growth, and governance quality trilogy in developing countries: A panel VAR analysis," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(2), pages 426-449, April.
    3. Wael Hemrit, 2022. "Does insurance demand react to economic policy uncertainty and geopolitical risk? Evidence from Saudi Arabia," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 47(2), pages 460-492, April.
    4. Hayat Khan & Ying Dong & Robeena Bibi & Itbar Khan, 2024. "Institutional Quality and Foreign Direct Investment: Global Evidence," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 10547-10591, September.
    5. Mehmet Balcilar & Daberechi Chikezie Ekwueme & Hakki Ciftci, 2023. "Assessing the Effects of Natural Resource Extraction on Carbon Emissions and Energy Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa: A STIRPAT Model Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, June.
    6. Satar Bakhsh & Md Shabbir Alam & Wei Zhang, 2024. "Green finance and Sustainable Development Goals: is there a role for geopolitical uncertainty?," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1-30, August.
    7. Nguyen Phuc Canh & Nguyen Thanh Binh & Su Dinh Thanh & Christophe Schinckus, 2020. "Determinants of foreign direct investment inflows: The role of economic policy uncertainty," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 161, pages 159-172.
    8. Shreya Pal, 2024. "The International Capital Flows and Domestic Savings–domestic Investment Nexus: A Comparative Evidence Between Heterogeneous Developing Regions," South Asian Journal of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, , vol. 13(2), pages 169-212, December.
    9. Bersan Haliti & Safet Merovci, 2020. "The Impact of the Investment Environment on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the European Transition Economies," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 1, pages 138-147, March.
    10. Yu, Zhichao & Farooq, Umar & Shukurullaevich, Nizomjon Khajimuratov & Alam, Mohammad Mahtab & Dai, Jiapeng, 2024. "How does inflation rate influence the resource utilization policy? New empirical evidence from OPEC countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Oliver E. Ogbonna & Jonathan E. Ogbuabor & Charles O. Manasseh & Davidmac O. Ekeocha, 2022. "Global uncertainty, economic governance institutions and foreign direct investment inflow in Africa," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 2111-2136, November.
    12. Kundu, Srikanta & Paul, Amartya, 2022. "Effect of economic policy uncertainty on stock market return and volatility under heterogeneous market characteristics," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 597-612.
    13. Brahim Bergougui & Syed Mansoob Murshed, 2023. "A sectoral analysis of institutional quality and foreign direct investment in Mena countries: does sector type matter?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 159(4), pages 987-1012, November.
    14. Angeliki N. Menegaki, 2019. "The ARDL Method in the Energy-Growth Nexus Field; Best Implementation Strategies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-16, October.
    15. Muhammad Ibrahim Shah, 2021. "Investigating the Role of Regional Economic Integration on Growth: Fresh Insights from South Asia," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 13(1), pages 35-57, January.
    16. Lina Karabetyan & Gamze Sart, 2023. "The Impact of Entrepreneurship and Education on the Ecological Footprint: Insights from the G-20 States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    17. Yeboah Evans, 2024. "The relationship between foreign direct investment and trade openness: Evidence from six developed economies," Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne, Sciendo, vol. 17(2), pages 222-250.
    18. Dhahri, Sabrine & Omri, Anis, 2018. "Entrepreneurship contribution to the three pillars of sustainable development: What does the evidence really say?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 64-77.
    19. Suzana Balaban & Dejan Živkov, 2021. "Validity of Wagner’s Law in Transition Economies: A Multivariate Approach," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 236(1), pages 105-131, March.
    20. Yixing Yang & Md. Qamruzzaman & Mohd Ziaur Rehman & Salma Karim, 2021. "Do Tourism and Institutional Quality Asymmetrically Effects on FDI Sustainability in BIMSTEC Countries: An Application of ARDL, CS-ARDL, NARDL, and Asymmetric Causality Test," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-29, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic policy uncertainty; FDI inflow; Institutional quality; South Asia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001163. 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/locate/ribaf .

    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.