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International trade, foreign direct investment, and transaction costs in languages

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Oh, Chang Hoon
  • Travis Selmier, W.
  • Lien, Donald

Abstract

We examine the roles of major trade languages in international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. Empirical results confirm that speaking a common language increases trade and FDI flows, yet the effect of major languages is more substantial in FDI than in international trade. In addition, we find evidence of a hierarchy in transaction costs of major languages in both trade and FDI.

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File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053535711000916
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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics).

Volume (Year): 40 (2011)
Issue (Month): 6 ()
Pages: 732-735

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Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:40:y:2011:i:6:p:732-735
DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2011.08.003
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620175

Keywords: Language; Gravity equation; International trade; Foreign direct investment; Transaction costs;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
  • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General

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  1. Michael A. Shields & Stephen Wheatley Price, 2002. "The English language fluency and occupational success of ethnic minority immigrant men living in English metropolitan areas," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 15(1), pages 137-160.
  2. Ginsburgh, Victor & Ortuño-Ortín, Ignacio & Weber, Shlomo, 2007. "Learning foreign languages: Theoretical and empirical implications of the Selten and Pool model," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 64(3-4), pages 337-347.
  3. Hausman, Jerry A & Taylor, William E, 1981. "Panel Data and Unobservable Individual Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1377-1398, November.
  4. Chiswick, Barry R & Miller, Paul W, 1995. "The Endogeneity between Language and Earnings: International Analyses," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(2), pages 246-288, April.
  5. Agnès Bénassy-Quéré & Maylis Coupet & Thierry Mayer, 2007. "Institutional Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 764-782, 05.
  6. Petroulas, Pavlos, 2007. "The effect of the euro on foreign direct investment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 1468-1491, August.
  7. Subramanian, Arvind & Wei, Shang-Jin, 2007. "The WTO promotes trade, strongly but unevenly," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 151-175, May.
  8. Edward P. Lazear, 1999. "Culture and Language," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(S6), pages 95-126, December.
  9. Lien, Donald & Oh, Chang Hoon & Selmier, W. Travis, 2012. "Confucius institute effects on China's trade and FDI: Isn't it delightful when folks afar study Hanyu?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 147-155.
  10. Casale, Daniela & Posel, Dorrit, 2011. "English language proficiency and earnings in a developing country: The case of South Africa," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 385-393, August.
  11. Melitz, Jacques, 2008. "Language and foreign trade," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 667-699, May.
  12. Baldwin, Richard, 2007. "Trade Effects of the Euro: a Comparison of Estimators," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 22, pages 780-818.
  13. Oh, Chang Hoon & Selmier II, W. Travis, 2008. "Expanding international trade beyond the RTA border: The case of ASEAN's economic diplomacy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 385-387, September.
  14. Carrere, Celine, 2006. "Revisiting the effects of regional trade agreements on trade flows with proper specification of the gravity model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 223-247, February.
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Cited by:

  1. Antonio Di Paolo & Aysit Tansel, 2015. "Returns to Foreign Language Skills in a Developing Country: The Case of Turkey," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(4), pages 407-421, April.
  2. Mariya Neycheva, 2016. "Secondary versus higher education for growth: the case of three countries with different human capital’s structure and quality," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 2367-2393, November.
  3. Mariya Neycheva, 2015. "Impact of Secondary and Tertiary Education on Economic Growth: a Co-integration Model for Bulgaria," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 4, pages 82-106.
  4. Lien, Donald & Oh, Chang Hoon, 2014. "Determinants of the Confucius Institute establishment," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 437-441.
  5. Chensheng Xu & Feng Yao & Fan Zhang, 2015. "An Investigation of Confucius Institute’s Effects on China’s OFDI via Cultural Difference and Institutional Quality," Working Papers 15-45, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
  6. Santos, Maria & Brochado, Ana & Esperança, José, 2016. "Foreign direct investment patterns of global hotel chains," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5235-5240.

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