IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ays/ispwps/paper2104.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

When Does Foreign Direct Investment Lead to Inclusive Growth?

Author

Listed:
  • Hyojung Kang

    (Economics Department and International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University)

  • Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

    (International Center for Public Policy, Georgia State University, USA)

Abstract

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is widely considered among the most effective instruments for the promotion of economic development. However, not all FDI leads to inclusive economic growth, lifting the welfare of the poorest groups in developing countries. This paper examines the conditions under which FDI can effectively lead to inclusive growth. By using a fixed effects regression with annual data for 68 countries from 1990 to 2015, we find that FDI has the most positive effect on inclusive growth when there is a sufficiently large manufacturing sector and a developed enough infrastructure base in the host country. These not very optimistic results emphasize the critical importance of the host country’s absorptive capacity. A smaller technological or knowledge gap with the foreign firms is required for FDI to lead to more linkages and spillovers, and ultimately job creation for the poor. The results cast doubt on development strategies that rely on FDI as a sufficient policy for inclusive growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyojung Kang & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2021. "When Does Foreign Direct Investment Lead to Inclusive Growth?," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper2104, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper2104
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://icepp.gsu.edu/files/2021/06/21-04-FDI-and-Inclusive-Growth.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal Policy, Inequality and the Poor in the Developing World - Working Paper 441," Working Papers 441, Center for Global Development.
    2. Ron A. Boschma & Jan G. Lambooy, 1999. "Evolutionary economics and economic geography," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 9(4), pages 411-429.
    3. Roland Benabou, 2000. "Unequal Societies: Income Distribution and the Social Contract," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(1), pages 96-129, March.
    4. Peter Nunnenkamp, 2004. "To What Extent Can Foreign Direct Investment Help Achieve International Development Goals?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 657-677, May.
    5. Luiz de Mello, 1997. "Foreign direct investment in developing countries and growth: A selective survey," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 1-34.
    6. Dasgupta, Kunal, 2012. "Learning and knowledge diffusion in a global economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 323-336.
    7. Sergio Mariotti & Marco Mutinelli & Marcella Nicolini & Lucia Piscitello, 2015. "Productivity Spillovers from Foreign Multinational Enterprises to Domestic Manufacturing Firms: To What Extent Does Spatial Proximity Matter?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(10), pages 1639-1653, October.
    8. Frances Stewart & Albert Berry, 2000. "Globalization, Liberalization, and Inequality: Real Causes," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 44-92, January.
    9. Easterly, William & Rebelo, Sergio, 1993. "Fiscal policy and economic growth: An empirical investigation," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 417-458, December.
    10. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal policy, inequality, and the poor in the developing world," WIDER Working Paper Series 164b (Revised version May, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal Policy, Inequality and the Poor in the Developing World," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 23, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    12. Markusen, James R. & Venables, Anthony J., 1999. "Foreign direct investment as a catalyst for industrial development," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 335-356, February.
    13. Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1996. "R&D Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation and Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 630-640, June.
    14. Dollar, David & Kraay, Aart, 2002. "Growth Is Good for the Poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 195-225, September.
    15. Alfaro, Laura & Chanda, Areendam & Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem & Sayek, Selin, 2004. "FDI and economic growth: the role of local financial markets," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 89-112, October.
    16. Buchanan, Bonnie G. & Le, Quan V. & Rishi, Meenakshi, 2012. "Foreign direct investment and institutional quality: Some empirical evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 81-89.
    17. Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Svejnar, Jan & Terrell, Katherine, 2014. "When does FDI have positive spillovers? Evidence from 17 transition market economies," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 954-969.
    18. Dollar, David & Kleineberg, Tatjana & Kraay, Aart, 2016. "Growth still is good for the poor," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 68-85.
    19. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal policy, inequality and the poor in the developing world," Working Papers 418, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    20. Luiz R. de Mello Jr., 1997. "Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries: A Selective Survey," Studies in Economics 9701, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    21. Taofeek Olusola Ayinde & Olumuyiwa Ganiyu Yinusa, 2016. "Financial Development and Inclusive Growth in Nigeria: A Threshold Analysis," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 12(5), pages 166-189, OCTOBER.
    22. Jonathan E. Haskel & Sonia C. Pereira & Matthew J. Slaughter, 2007. "Does Inward Foreign Direct Investment Boost the Productivity of Domestic Firms?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(3), pages 482-496, August.
    23. Sourafel Girma, 2005. "Absorptive Capacity and Productivity Spillovers from FDI: A Threshold Regression Analysis," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 67(3), pages 281-306, June.
    24. Saul Estrin, 2017. "Foreign direct investment and employment in transition economies," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 330-330, January.
    25. Javorcik, Beata Smarzynska & Spatareanu, Mariana, 2008. "To share or not to share: Does local participation matter for spillovers from foreign direct investment?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(1-2), pages 194-217, February.
    26. Ronald Findlay, 1978. "Relative Backwardness, Direct Foreign Investment, and the Transfer of Technology: A Simple Dynamic Model," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 92(1), pages 1-16.
    27. Javorcik, Beata S. & Spatareanu, Mariana, 2011. "Does it matter where you come from? Vertical spillovers from foreign direct investment and the origin of investors," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 126-138, September.
    28. Ganesh Rauniyar & Ravi Kanbur, 2010. "Inclusive growth and inclusive development: a review and synthesis of Asian Development Bank literature," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4), pages 455-469.
    29. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    30. Peri, Giovanni & Urban, Dieter, 2006. "Catching-up to foreign technology? Evidence on the "Veblen-Gerschenkron" effect of foreign investments," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 72-98, January.
    31. Wang, Jian-Ye & Blomstrom, Magnus, 1992. "Foreign investment and technology transfer : A simple model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 137-155, January.
    32. Taofeek Olusola Ayinde & Olumuyiwa Ganiyu Yinusa, 2016. "Financial Development and Inclusive Growth in Nigeria: A Threshold Analysis," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 12(4), pages 326-346, October.
    33. Davide Castellani & Antonello Zanfei, 2003. "Technology gaps, absorptive capacity and the impact of inward investments on productivity of European firms ," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(6), pages 555-576.
    34. Jacob A Jordaan, 2008. "Regional Foreign Participation and Externalities: New Empirical Evidence from Mexican Regions," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(12), pages 2948-2969, December.
    35. Saint-Paul, Gilles & Verdier, Thierry, 1993. "Education, democracy and growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 399-407, December.
    36. Griffith, Rachel & Redding, Stephen & Simpson, Helen, 2002. "Productivity Convergence and Foreign Ownership at the Establishment Level," CEPR Discussion Papers 3765, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    37. Ram, Rati & Zhang, Kevin Honglin, 2002. "Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Cross-Country Data for the 1990s," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 51(1), pages 205-215, October.
    38. Antonio Estache & Marianne Fay, 2009. "Current Debates on Infrastructure Policy," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 27762, December.
    39. Antonello Zanfei, 2012. "Effects, Not Externalities," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 24(1), pages 8-14, February.
    40. Vujanović, Nina & Stojčić, Nebojša & Hashi, Iraj, 2021. "FDI spillovers and firm productivity during crisis: Empirical evidence from transition economies," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(2).
    41. Crescenzi, Riccardo & Gagliardi, Luisa & Iammarino, Simona, 2015. "Foreign multinationals and domestic innovation: Intra-industry effects and firm heterogeneity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 596-609.
    42. Sourafel Girma & Holger Görg, 2007. "The Role of the Efficiency Gap for Spillovers from FDI: Evidence from the UK Electronics and Engineering Sectors," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 215-232, April.
    43. Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg & Rebecca Henderson, 1993. "Geographic Localization of Knowledge Spillovers as Evidenced by Patent Citations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 108(3), pages 577-598.
    44. Blalock, Garrick & Gertler, Paul J., 2008. "Welfare gains from Foreign Direct Investment through technology transfer to local suppliers," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 402-421, March.
    45. Lin, Ping & Saggi, Kamal, 2007. "Multinational firms, exclusivity, and backward linkages," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 206-220, March.
    46. Aoyagi, Chie & Ganelli, Giovanni, 2015. "Asia's quest for inclusive growth revisited," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 29-46.
    47. Klaus E Meyer & Evis Sinani, 2009. "When and where does foreign direct investment generate positive spillovers? A meta-analysis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(7), pages 1075-1094, September.
    48. Greenaway, David & Sousa, Nuno & Wakelin, Katharine, 2004. "Do domestic firms learn to export from multinationals?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 1027-1043, November.
    49. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal Policy, Inequality and the Poor in the Developing World," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1323, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    50. Nebojša Stojčić & Edvard Orlić, 2020. "Spatial dependence, foreign investment and productivity spillovers in new EU member states," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(8), pages 1057-1068, July.
    51. Tella, Sherriffdeen A. & Alimi, Olorunfemi Y., 2016. "Determinants of Inclusive Growth in Africa: Role of Health and Demographic Changes," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 4(2), July.
    52. Newman, Carol & Rand, John & Talbot, Theodore & Tarp, Finn, 2015. "Technology transfers, foreign investment and productivity spillovers," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 168-187.
    53. Manuel Agosin & Roberto Machado, 2005. "Foreign Investment in Developing Countries: Does it Crowd in Domestic Investment?," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 149-162.
    54. Cristiano Antonelli, 2000. "Collective Knowledge Communication and Innovation: The Evidence of Technological Districts," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(6), pages 535-547.
    55. Niels Hermes & Robert Lensink, 2003. "Foreign direct investment, financial development and economic growth," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 142-163.
    56. Belderbos, Rene & Capannelli, Giovanni & Fukao, Kyoji, 2001. "Backward Vertical Linkages of Foreign Manufacturing Affiliates: Evidence from Japanese Multinationals," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 189-208, January.
    57. Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan & Mr. Chad Steinberg & Mr. Murtaza H Syed, 2013. "The Elusive Quest for Inclusive Growth: Growth, Poverty, and Inequality in Asia," IMF Working Papers 2013/152, International Monetary Fund.
    58. Orlic, Edvard & Hashi, Iraj & Hisarciklilar, Mehtap, 2018. "Cross sectoral FDI spillovers and their impact on manufacturing productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 777-796.
    59. Beata Smarzynska Javorcik, 2004. "Does Foreign Direct Investment Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms? In Search of Spillovers Through Backward Linkages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 605-627, June.
    60. Klaus E Meyer, 2004. "Perspectives on multinational enterprises in emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(4), pages 259-276, July.
    61. Nora Lustig, 2016. "Fiscal policy, inequality, and the poor in the developing world," WIDER Working Paper Series 164a, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    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. Ofori, Isaac K. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "Repackaging FDI for Inclusive Growth: Nullifying Effects and Policy Relevant Thresholds of Governance," MPRA Paper 111359, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Emeka NKORO, Aham & Kelvin UKO, 2023. "Foreign Direct Investment And Inclusive Growth: The Role Of The Financial Sector Development In Nigeria, 1981-2020," Applied Econometrics and International Development, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 23(1), pages 77-100.
    3. Khady DIAW & Ndiack FALL, 2022. "Effets de l’inclusion financière sur la croissance inclusive dans les pays de l’Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 13(2), pages 56-76, December.
    4. Emeka Nkoro & Aham Kelvin Uko, 2022. "Foreign Direct Investment and Inclusive Growth: The Role of the Financial Sector Development," International Journal of Economic Sciences, European Research Center, vol. 11(2), pages 144-162, November.
    5. Dwumfour, Richard Adjei & Pan, Lei & Harris, Mark N., 2023. "FDI and development redux: Is R&D a substitute for FDIs?," MPRA Paper 116117, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    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. Vujanović, Nina & Radošević, Slavo & Stojčić, Nebojša & Hisarciklilar, Mehtap & Hashi, Iraj, 2022. "FDI spillover effects on innovation activities of knowledge using and knowledge creating firms: Evidence from an emerging economy," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    2. Vujanović, Nina & Stojčić, Nebojša & Hashi, Iraj, 2021. "FDI spillovers and firm productivity during crisis: Empirical evidence from transition economies," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(2).
    3. Crespo, Nuno & Fontoura, Maria Paula, 2007. "Determinant Factors of FDI Spillovers - What Do We Really Know?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 410-425, March.
    4. Santos, Eleonora, 2017. "Externalities from FDI on domestic firms’ Productivity: A Literature Review for Developed Countries," MPRA Paper 88958, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Shawn W. Tan & Dea Tusha, 2023. "Foreign firm characteristics, labour market restrictions and FDI spillovers: Evidence from Moldova," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 85-119, January.
    6. Neil Foster-McGregor, 2012. "Innovation and Technology Transfer across Countries," wiiw Research Reports 380, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    7. Santos, Eleonora & Khan, Shahed, 2018. "Determinant Factors of Pecuniary Externalities," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 6(8), pages 180-198.
    8. Deborah Winkler, 2018. "Potential and Actual FDI Spillovers in Global Value Chains The Role of Foreign Investor Characteristics, Absorptive Capacity and Transmission Channels," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(10), pages 5-44, December.
    9. Orlic, Edvard & Hashi, Iraj & Hisarciklilar, Mehtap, 2018. "Cross sectoral FDI spillovers and their impact on manufacturing productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 777-796.
    10. Segundo Camino-Mogro & Natalia Bermúdez-Barrezueta & Mary Armijos, 2023. "Is FDI a potential tool for boosting firm’s performance? Firm level evidence from Ecuador," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 341-391, April.
    11. Cristina Jude, 2016. "Technology Spillovers from FDI. Evidence on the Intensity of Different Spillover Channels," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(12), pages 1947-1973, December.
    12. Eapen, Alex & Yeo, Jihye & Sasidharan, Subash, 2019. "Finance constraints and technology spillovers from foreign to domestic firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 50-62.
    13. Yoshimichi Murakami & Keijiro Otsuka, 2017. "A Review of the Literature on Productivity Impacts of Global Value Chains and Foreign Direct Investment: Towards an Integrated Approach," Discussion Paper Series DP2017-19, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Aug 2019.
    14. Yoshimichi Murakami & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Governance, Information Spillovers, and Productivity of Local Firms: Toward an Integrated Approach to Foreign Direct Investment and Global Value Chains," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 58(2), pages 134-174, June.
    15. Razzaq, Asif & An, Hui & Delpachitra, Sarath, 2021. "Does technology gap increase FDI spillovers on productivity growth? Evidence from Chinese outward FDI in Belt and Road host countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    16. Jitao Tang & Rosanne Altshuler, 2015. "The spillover effects of outward foreign direct investment on home countries: evidence from the United States," Working Papers 1503, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    17. Bournakis, Ioannis & Papanastassiou, Marina & Papaioannou, Sotiris, 2020. "Multinationals and Domestic TFP: Market Shares, Agglomerations Gains and Foreign Ownership," MPRA Paper 106626, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Yi Zhang, 2019. "Institutions, Firm Characteristics, and FDI Spillovers," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(5), pages 1109-1136, April.
    19. Fernando Ubeda & Francisco Pérez-Hernández, 2017. "Absorptive Capacity and Geographical Distance Two Mediating Factors of FDI Spillovers: a Threshold Regression Analysis for Spanish Firms," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 1-28, March.
    20. Busse, Matthias & Groizard, José Luis, 2005. "FDI, Regulations and Growth," Conference papers 331335, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ays:ispwps:paper2104. 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: Paul Benson (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ispgsus.html .

    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.