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Do Multinationals Transplant Their Business Model?

Author

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  • Dalia Marin
  • Linda Rousova
  • Thierry Verdier

Abstract

What determines whether or not multinational firms transplant the mode of organisation to other countries? We embed the theory of knowledge hierarchies in an industry equilibrium model of monopolistic competition to examine how the economic environment may affect the decision of multinational firms about transplanting the mode of organization to other countries. We test the theory with original and matched parent and affiliate data on the level of decentralization of 660 Austrian and German multinational firms and 2200 of their affiliate firms in Eastern Europe. We find that three factors stand out in promoting the multinational firm’s decision to transplant the organisational form to the affiliate firm in the host country: a competitive host market, the human resource policy of the multinational firm, and when an innovative technology is transferred to the host country. These factors increase the respective probabilities of organizational transfer by 7, 21, and 24 percentage points.

Suggested Citation

  • Dalia Marin & Linda Rousova & Thierry Verdier, 2019. "Do Multinationals Transplant Their Business Model?," CESifo Working Paper Series 7911, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7911
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    Cited by:

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    2. Cagatay Bircan, 2013. "Foreign direct investment and wages: does the level of ownership matter?," Working Papers 157, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Office of the Chief Economist.
    3. Nguyen, Quyen T.K. & Almodóvar, Paloma & Wei, Ziyi, 2022. "Intra-firm and arm’s length export propensity and intensity of MNE foreign subsidiaries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 288-308.
    4. Marcus Biermann, 2022. "The role of management practices in acquisitions and the FDI location decision," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 137-165, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    organizational economics of multinational firms; trade and organisation; the theory of the firm; organizational transfer between countries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F61 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Microeconomic Impacts

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