IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/eab/microe/21890.html

Do Japanese Firms Fail to Catch up in Localization? An Empirical Analysis Based on Affiliate-level Data of Japanese Firms and a Case Study of Automobile Industry in China

Author

Listed:
  • Kyoji Fukao

    (Hitotsubashi University and JCER, Senshu University, JCER, Tokyo Gakugei University, JCER)

  • Keiko Ito
  • Shigesaburo Kabe
  • Deqiang Liu
  • Fumihide Takeuchi

Abstract

This paper analyzed the degree and the current status of localization of Japanese affiliates in China, dealing with the following three major issues- (1) comparison of localization (expatriates, local sales, local procurement, local management) of Japanese and US affiliates in China and in other major regions; (2) Analysis of the impact of localization on profitability of Japanese affiliates in China and in other major regions; and (3) Detailed investigation on inter-firm transaction relationships in China in the case of automobile manufacturers and the parts suppliers. Compared with the U.S. affiliates, Japanese affiliates tended to be less localized. The quantitative analysis based on the comprehensive affiliate-level panel data of Japanese multinational firms for the period from 1989 to 2002, confirmed that in China, Japanese affiliates with higher local procurement ratios, local CEOs, and local procurement managers, had higher profits. The analysis as of factors determining trading relationships between joint-venture assemblers and parts suppliers of different nationalities in China found that even when various variables, including the level of suppliers productivity and the distance between assemblers and suppliers are controlled for, Japanese suppliers transactional relationships are more limited than those of other suppliers. With respect to non-Japanese assemblers, high-productivity suppliers are engaged in significantly more transactional relationships. By contrast, the same was not found for Japanese assemblers. The results indicate that Japanese assemblers may well be choosing business partners which they expect to realize sustainable productivity increases in the future rather than focusing on present productivity levels. This finding provides evidence of business practices based on a long-term perspective characteristic of Japanese businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyoji Fukao & Keiko Ito & Shigesaburo Kabe & Deqiang Liu & Fumihide Takeuchi, 2006. "Do Japanese Firms Fail to Catch up in Localization? An Empirical Analysis Based on Affiliate-level Data of Japanese Firms and a Case Study of Automobile Industry in China," Microeconomics Working Papers 21890, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:eab:microe:21890
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.eaber.org/node/21890
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fukao, Kyoji & Ito, Keiko & Kwon, Hyeog Ug, 2005. "Do out-in M&As bring higher TFP to Japan? An empirical analysis based on micro-data on Japanese manufacturing firms," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 272-301, June.
    2. Kenneth A. Froot, 1991. "Japanese Foreign Direct Investment," NBER Working Papers 3737, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Shujiro Urata & Toshiyuki Matsuura & Yuhong Wei, 2006. "International Intrafirm Transfer of Management Technology by Japanese Multinational Corporations," Discussion papers 06006, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. Fukao, Kyoji, 1997. "Foreign Direct Investment and the Macroeconomics," Economic Review, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 48(3), pages 227-243, July.
    5. repec:wbk:wbpubs:13890 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. 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.
    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. Kyoji Fukao & Keiko Ito & Shigesaburo Kabe & Deqiang Liu & Fumihide Takeuchi, 2006. "Are Japanese Firms Failing to Catch up in Localization? An Empirical Analysis Based on Affiliate-level Data of Japanese Firms and a Case Study of the Automobile Industry in China," Hi-Stat Discussion Paper Series d06-191, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    2. Keiko Ito & Kyoji Fukao, 2010. "Determinants of the Profitability of Japanese Manufacturing Affiliates in China and Other Regions: Does Localisation of Procurement, Sales and Management Matter?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(12), pages 1639-1671, December.
    3. Belderbos, René & Wakasugi, Ryuhei & Zou, Jianglei, 2012. "Business groups, foreign direct investment, and capital goods trade: The import behavior of Japanese affiliates," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 187-200.
    4. Szalavetz, Andrea, 2002. "Az informatikai szektor és a felzárkózó gazdaságok [The informatics sector and the advancing economies]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(9), pages 794-804.
    5. Clegg, Jeremy & Lin, Hsin Mei & Voss, Hinrich & Yen, I-Fan & Shih, Yi Tien, 2016. "The OFDI patterns and firm performance of Chinese firms: The moderating effects of multinationality strategy and external factors," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 971-985.
    6. Jones, Jonathan & Wren, Colin, 2008. "Re-investment and the survival of foreign-owned plants," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 33138, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Adewuyi, Adeolu O. & Ademola Oyejide, T., 2012. "Determinants of backward linkages of oil and gas industry in the Nigerian economy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 452-460.
    8. Kenjiro Hirata & Ayako Suzuki & Katsuya Takii, 2016. "Does Managerial Experience in a Target Firm Matter for the Retention of Managers after M&As?," Working Papers e108, Tokyo Center for Economic Research.
    9. Kubo, Katsuyuki & Kiriu, Takuya & Uchigasaki, Shigeru & Seko, Susumu & Yamauchi, Hiroaki, 2025. "CEO skill and firm performance," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    10. Ju Hyun Pyun & Jong-in Sun, 2022. "Is Hiring Foreign Worth It? Spillover from Foreign Firms’ Human Capital and Local Firms’ Productivity," ADBI Working Papers 1324, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    11. Hansen, Michael W. & Pedersen, Torben & Petersen, Bent, 2009. "MNC strategies and linkage effects in developing countries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 121-130, April.
    12. Anusha Chari & Paige P. Ouimet & Linda L. Tesar, 2004. "Enhancing the Benefits for India and Other Developing Countries in the Doha Development Agenda Negotiations," Working Papers 511, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.
    13. Guillermo Arenas Díaz & Andrés Barge-Gil & Joost Heijs & Alberto Marzucchi, 2025. "The effect of external innovation on firm employment," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 44-69, January.
    14. 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.
    15. Kyoji Fukao & Keiko Ito & Hyeog Ug Kwon & Miho Takizawa, 2008. "Cross-Border Acquisitions and Target Firms' Performance: Evidence from Japanese Firm-Level Data," NBER Chapters, in: International Financial Issues in the Pacific Rim: Global Imbalances, Financial Liberalization, and Exchange Rate Policy, pages 347-389, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Isabel Alvarez & Raquel Marin & Francisco J. Santos-Arteaga, 2015. "Foreign Direct Investment Entry Modes, Development and Technological Spillovers," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(5), pages 568-603, September.
    17. Assaf Razin, 2002. "FDI Contribution to Capital Flows and Investment in Capacity," NBER Working Papers 9204, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Hyojung Kang & Jorge Martinez‐Vazquez, 2022. "When does foreign direct investment lead to inclusive growth?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 2394-2427, August.
    19. Wren, Colin & Jones, Jonathan, 2009. "Re-investment and the survival of foreign-owned plants," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 214-223, March.
    20. Andrea Szalavetz, 2001. "Western policy lessons in the second phase of regional transformation," IWE Working Papers 119, Institute for World Economics - Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.

    More about this item

    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:eab:microe:21890. 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: Shiro Armstrong (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaberau.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.