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The growth of multinational firms in the Great Recession

Author

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  • Javier Cravino

    (University of Michigan)

Abstract

We investigate how multinational firms performed during the latest global recession, using a unique firm-level dataset covering 8 million firms in 34 countries over the period 2004-2012. We document that the foreign affiliates of multinational firms grew faster than local firms both before and after the crisis, but that this faster growth was interrupted during the crisis. We explore the mechanisms for this decline in multinational activity and show that multinational firms from certain source countries did systematically worse during the crisis. Building on these results, we use a quantitative model to assess the role of foreign multinational firms in propagating the global recession across countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Javier Cravino, 2016. "The growth of multinational firms in the Great Recession," 2016 Meeting Papers 512, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed016:512
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    Cited by:

    1. Sarah Clifford & Jakob Miethe, 2025. "The Multinational Capital Advantage," CESifo Working Paper Series 12244, CESifo.
    2. Exadaktylos, Dimitrios & Riccaboni, Massimo & Rungi, Armando, 2024. "Talents from abroad. Foreign managers and productivity in the United Kingdom," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Jacob A. Jordaan, 2023. "Firm‐level characteristics and the impact of COVID‐19: Examining the effects of foreign ownership and international trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(7), pages 1967-1998, July.
    4. Phan, Dinh Hoang Bach & Tran, Vuong Thao & Nguyen, Dat Thanh & Le, Anh, 2020. "The importance of managerial ability on crude oil price uncertainty-firm performance relationship," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Julian di Giovanni & Andrei A. Levchenko & Isabelle Mejean, 2024. "Foreign Shocks as Granular Fluctuations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(2), pages 391-433.
    6. Apoorva Gupta, 2019. "R&D and firm resilience during bad times," Discussion Papers 2019-12, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    7. Armando Rungi & Loredana Fattorini & Kenan Huremović, 2023. "Measuring the input rank in global supply networks," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(10), pages 3081-3115, October.
    8. Gagliardi, Nicola & Grinza, Elena & Rycx, François, 2024. "The Productivity Impact of Global Warming: Firm-Level Evidence for Europe," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1485, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Thi van Hoang & Călin Gurău & Amine Lahiani & Thuy-Luu Seran, 2017. "Do crises impact capital structure? A study of French micro-enterprises," Post-Print hal-03608784, HAL.
    10. Thi Hong Hoang & Călin Gurău & Amine Lahiani & Thuy-Luu Seran, 2018. "Do crises impact capital structure? A study of French micro-enterprises," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 181-199, January.
    11. Latorre, María C. & Yonezawa, Hidemichi, 2018. "Stopped TTIP? Its potential impact on the world and the role of neglected FDI," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 99-120.
    12. Marcus Biermann & Kilian Huber, 2024. "Tracing the International Transmission of a Crisis through Multinational Firms," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 79(3), pages 1789-1829, June.
    13. Damioli, Giacomo & Gregori, Wildmer Daniel, 2023. "Diplomatic relations and cross-border investments in the European Union," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    14. Mina, Andrea & Santoleri, Pietro, 2021. "The effect of the Great Recession on the employment growth of young vs. small firms in the Eurozone," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 184-194.
    15. Davide Del Prete & Armando Rungi, 2020. "Backward and Forward Integration Along Global Value Chains," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(2), pages 263-283, September.
    16. Gupta, Apoorva, 2020. "R&D and firm resilience during bad times," DICE Discussion Papers 352, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    17. Basco, Sergi & Felice, Giulia & Merlevede, Bruno & Mestieri, Martí, 2024. "Financial crises and the global supply network: Evidence from multinational enterprises," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    18. Ruud Mooij & Li Liu, 2020. "At a Cost: The Real Effects of Transfer Pricing Regulations," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 68(1), pages 268-306, March.
    19. Del Prete, Davide & Rungi, Armando, 2017. "Organizing the global value chain: A firm-level test," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 16-30.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F44 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Business Cycles

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