IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ris/adbiwp/0365.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Do Exporting Firms in the People’s Republic of China Innovate?

Author

Listed:
  • Wignaraja, Ganeshan

    (Asian Development Bank Institute)

Abstract

This paper assesses factors driving firm-level export performance in Asia’s super exporter—The People’s Republic of China (PRC). While early studies suggested that innovation was important, there has been little research on opening up the black box of technology at firm-level in the PRC, the author undertakes econometric analysis of innovation, learning, and exporting in automobiles and electronics firms in the PRC using a large-scale dataset to identify the most appropriate innovation proxy. Drawing on recent literature on innovation and learning in developing countries, it tests two alternative proxies: (i) a technology index (TI) to capture a variety of minor activities involved in using imported technologies efficiently; and (ii) the research and development (R&D)-to-sales ratio, which represents formal technological efforts to create new products and processes, often at world frontiers.

Suggested Citation

  • Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2012. "Do Exporting Firms in the People’s Republic of China Innovate?," ADBI Working Papers 365, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0365
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.adbi.org/files/2012.07.03.wp365.exporting.firm.prc.innovate.pdf
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 2002. "Firm Size, Technological Capabilities and Market-oriented Policies in Mauritius," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 87-104.
    2. Dijk, van M., 2001. "The Determinants of Export Performance in Developing Countries: The Case of Indonesian Manufacturing," Working Papers 02.01, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies.
    3. Sanjaya Lall & Giorgio Barba Navaretti & Simón Teitel & Ganeshan Wignaraja, 1994. "Technology and Enterprise Development," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-13925-5, December.
    4. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 1998. "Trade Liberalization in Sri Lanka," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-26267-0, December.
    5. Motohashi, Kazuyuki & Yuan, Yuan, 2010. "Productivity impact of technology spillover from multinationals to local firms: Comparing China's automobile and electronics industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 790-798, July.
    6. Sanjaya Lall, 1986. "Technological development and export performance in LDCs: Leading engineering and chemical firms in India," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 122(1), pages 80-92, March.
    7. Grossman, Gene M. & Helpman, Elhanan, 1995. "Technology and trade," Handbook of International Economics, in: G. M. Grossman & K. Rogoff (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 25, pages 1279-1337, Elsevier.
    8. Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2004. "Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 300-316, March.
    9. Jun Du & Sourafel Girma, 2007. "Finance and Firm Export in China," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 37-54, February.
    10. Lall, Sanjaya, 1992. "Technological capabilities and industrialization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 165-186, February.
    11. Hirsch, Seev & Adar, Zvi, 1974. "Firm size and export performance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(7), pages 41-46, July.
    12. Lin,Justin Yifu, 2009. "Economic Development and Transition," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521514521.
    13. Rasiah, Rajah, 2003. "Foreign ownership, technology and electronics exports from Malaysia and Thailand," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 785-811, October.
    14. Dani Rodrik, 2006. "What's So Special about China's Exports?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, September.
    15. Andrew B. Bernard & J. Bradford Jensen & Stephen J. Redding & Peter K. Schott, 2012. "The Empirics of Firm Heterogeneity and International Trade," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 4(1), pages 283-313, July.
    16. Correa, Paulo & Dayoub, Mariam & Francisco, Manuela, 2007. "Identifying supply-side constraints to export performance in Ecuador : an exercise with Investment Climate Survey data," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4179, The World Bank.
    17. Richard Nelson, 2008. "Economic Development from the Perspective of Evolutionary Economic Theory," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 9-21.
    18. Brown, Flor & Domínguez Villalobos, Lilia, 2004. "Measuring technological capabilities in Mexican industry," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    19. Motohashi, Kazuyuki & Yun, Xiao, 2007. "China's innovation system reform and growing industry and science linkages," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 1251-1260, October.
    20. Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2008. "Foreign ownership, technological capabilities and clothing exports in Sri Lanka," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 29-39, February.
    21. Saradindu Bhaduri & Amit Ray, 2004. "Exporting through technological capability: econometric evidence from India's pharmaceutical and electrical/electronics firms," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(1), pages 87-100.
    22. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    23. Herbert Glejser & Alexis Jacquemin & Jean Petit, 1980. "Exports in an Imperfect Competition Framework: An Analysis of 1,446 Exporters," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 94(3), pages 507-524.
    24. Sanjaya Lall, 1987. "Learning to Industrialize," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-18798-0, December.
    25. Metcalfe, J S, 1994. "Evolutionary Economics and Technology Policy," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(425), pages 931-944, July.
    26. Cheung Kui-yin & Lin, Ping, 2004. "Spillover effects of FDI on innovation in China: Evidence from the provincial data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 25-44.
    27. Iammarino, Simona & Padilla-Pérez, Ramon & von Tunzelmann, Nick, 2008. "Technological Capabilities and Global-Local Interactions: The Electronics Industry in Two Mexican Regions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 1980-2003, October.
    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. Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2012. "Innovation, learning, and exporting in China: Does R&D or a technology index matter?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 224-233.
    2. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 2013. "Understanding Innovation in Production Networks in East Asia," Trade Working Papers 23395, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    3. Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2008. "FDI and Innovation as Drivers of Export Behaviour: Firm-level Evidence from East Asia," MERIT Working Papers 2008-061, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2008. "Foreign ownership, technological capabilities and clothing exports in Sri Lanka," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 29-39, February.
    5. Ganeshan Wignaraja & Jens Krüger & Anna Mae Tuazon, 2013. "Production Networks, Profits, and Innovative Activity : Evidence from Malaysia and Thailand," Microeconomics Working Papers 23391, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    6. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 2012. "Engaging Small and Medium Enterprises in Production Networks : Firm-level Analysis of Five ASEAN Economies," Trade Working Papers 23316, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    7. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 2014. "Joining the supply chain: a firm-level perspective," Chapters, in: Richard Baldwin & Masahiro Kawai & Ganeshan Wignaraja (ed.), A World Trade Organization for the 21st Century, chapter 4, pages 71-109, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Keshari, Pradeep Kumar, 2012. "FDI and firm level export competitiveness in the Indian machinery industry," MPRA Paper 47069, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Molina-Domene, María A. & Pietrobelli, Carlo, 2012. "Drivers of technological capabilities in developing countries: An econometric analysis of Argentina, Brazil and Chile," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 504-515.
    10. Ganeshan Wignaraja, 2015. "Factors Affecting Entry into Supply Chain Trade: An Analysis of Firms in Southeast Asia," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 623-642, September.
    11. Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2006. "Foreign Ownership, Technological Capabilities and Exports: Evidence from 205 Clothing Firms in Sri Lanka," MERIT Working Papers 2006-032, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    12. Tarighi, Sina & Shavvalpour, Saeed, 2021. "Technological development of E&P companies in developing countries: An integrative approach to define and prioritize customized elements of technological capability in EOR," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Ozcelik, Emre & Taymaz, Erol, 2004. "Does innovativeness matter for international competitiveness in developing countries?: The case of Turkish manufacturing industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 409-424, April.
    14. Kawtar Dkhissi, 2014. "Impact des accords de libre échange sur la propension et l'intensité des exportations des entreprises au Maroc," Post-Print hal-01335587, HAL.
    15. repec:wsr:wpaper:y:2016:i:165 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Arudchelvan, Menaka & Wignaraja, Ganeshan, 2015. "SME Internationalization through Global Value Chains and Free Trade Agreements: Malaysian Evidence," ADBI Working Papers 515, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    17. Qun Bao & Jiuli Huang & Yanling Wang, 2015. "Productivity and Firms’ Sales Destination: Chinese Characteristics," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 620-637, August.
    18. Langenmayr, Dominika & Haufler, Andreas & Bauer, Christian J., 2015. "Should tax policy favor high- or low-productivity firms?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 18-34.
    19. Gao, Yue & Whalley, John & Ren, Yonglei, 2014. "Decomposing China's export growth into extensive margin, export quality and quantity effects," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 19-26.
    20. Schmerer, Hans-Jörg & Capuano, Stella & Egger, Hartmut & Koch, Michael, 2015. "Offshoring and Firm Overlap," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113147, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    21. Cassey Lee, . "The Exporting and Productivity Nexus: Does Firm Size Matter?," Chapters, in: Chin Hee Hahn & Dionisius A. Narjoko (ed.), Globalization and Performance of Small and Large Firms, chapter 8, pages VIII-1 - , Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    prc; innovation; automobiles; electronics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • L63 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Microelectronics; Computers; Communications Equipment
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O57 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Comparative Studies of Countries

    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:ris:adbiwp:0365. 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: ADB Institute (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/adbinjp.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.