IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/4339.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Developing economies and international investors : do investment promotion agencies bring them together ?

Author

Listed:
  • Harding, Torfinn
  • Javorcik, Beata Smarzynska

Abstract

Many countries spend significant resources on investment promotion agencies in the hope of attracting inflows of foreign direct investment. Despite the importance of this question for public policy choices, little is known about the effectiveness of investment promotion efforts. This study uses newly collected data on national investment promotion agencies in 109 countries to examine the effects of investment promotion on foreign direct investment inflows. The empirical analysis follows two approaches. First, it tests whether sectors explicitly targeted by investment promotion agencies receive more foreign direct investment in the post-targeting period relative to the pre-targeting period and non-targeted sectors. Second, it examines whether the existence of an investment promotion agency is correlated with higher foreign direct investment inflows. Results fromboth approaches point to the same conclusion. Investment promotion efforts appear to increase foreign direct investment inflows to developing countries. Moreover, agency characteristics, such as the agency's legal status and reporting structure, affect the effectiveness of investment promotion. There is also evidence of diversion of foreign direct investment due to investment incentives offered by other countries in the same geographic region.

Suggested Citation

  • Harding, Torfinn & Javorcik, Beata Smarzynska, 2007. "Developing economies and international investors : do investment promotion agencies bring them together ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4339, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4339
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/08/31/000158349_20070831103402/Rendered/PDF/wps4339.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holger Görg & Michael Henry & Eric Strobl, 2008. "Grant Support and Exporting Activity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 168-174, February.
    2. Holger Görg & David Greenaway, 2016. "Much Ado about Nothing? Do Domestic Firms Really Benefit from Foreign Direct Investment?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT Volume 53: World Scientific Studies in International Economics, chapter 9, pages 163-189, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Andrew Charlton, 2003. "Incentive Bidding for Mobile Investment: Economic Consequences and Potential Responses," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 203, OECD Publishing.
    4. Bruce A. Blonigen & Miao Wang, 2004. "Inappropriate Pooling of Wealthy and Poor Countries in Empirical FDI Studies," NBER Working Papers 10378, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Eichengreen, Barry & Tong, Hui, 2007. "Is China's FDI coming at the expense of other countries?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 153-172, June.
    6. Cletus C. Coughlin & Eran Segev, 2000. "Location Determinants of New Foreign‐Owned Manufacturing Plants," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 323-351, May.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. Smarzynska Javorcik, Beata, 2004. "The composition of foreign direct investment and protection of intellectual property rights: Evidence from transition economies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 39-62, February.
    10. Lederman, Daniel & Olarreaga, Marcelo & Payton, Lucy, 2006. "Export promotion agencies : what works and what doesn't," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4044, The World Bank.
    11. Bruce C. Greenwald & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1986. "Externalities in Economies with Imperfect Information and Incomplete Markets," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 101(2), pages 229-264.
    12. Robert E. Lipsey, 2007. "Defining and Measuring the Location of FDI Output," NBER Working Papers 12996, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Gustavo J. Bobonis & Howard J. Shatz, 2007. "Agglomeration, Adjustment, and State Policies in the Location of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 30-43, February.
    14. Gordon H. HANSON, 2001. "Should Countries Promote Foreign Direct Investment?," G-24 Discussion Papers 9, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    15. Jacques Morisset & Kelly Andrews-Johnson, 2004. "The Effectiveness of Promotion Agencies at Attracting Foreign Direct Investment," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15073, December.
    16. Wheeler, David & Mody, Ashoka, 1992. "International investment location decisions : The case of U.S. firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 57-76, August.
    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. Torfinn Harding, Torfinn; Javorcik, Beata S., 2010. "Roll out the Red Carpet and They Will Come: Investment Promotion and FDI Inflows," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 18, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    2. Havranek, Tomas & Irsova, Zuzana, 2011. "Estimating vertical spillovers from FDI: Why results vary and what the true effect is," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 234-244.
    3. Argentino Pessoa, 2008. "Multinational Corporations, Foreign Investment, and Royalties and License Fees: Effects on Host-Country Total Factor Productivity," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 28, pages 6-31, December.
    4. 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.
    5. Steven Poelhekke & Frederick Van der Ploeg, 2008. "Growth, Foreign Direct Investment and Urban Concentrations: Unbundling Spatial Lags," CESifo Working Paper Series 2474, CESifo.
    6. Torfinn Harding & Beata S. Javorcik, 2013. "Investment Promotion and FDI Inflows: Quality Matters," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 59(2), pages 337-359, June.
    7. Carluccio, Juan & Fally, Thibault, 2013. "Foreign entry and spillovers with technological incompatibilities in the supply chain," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 123-135.
    8. Maria Borga & Perla Ibarlucea Flores & Monika Sztajerowska, 2020. "Drivers of divestment decisions of multinational enterprises - A cross-country firm-level perspective," OECD Working Papers on International Investment 2019/03, OECD Publishing.
    9. Gustavo Canavire-Bacarreza & Luis Castro Peñarrieta, 2021. "Can licensing induce productivity? Exploring the IPR effect," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 549-586, August.
    10. Steven Poelhekke & Frederick Van der Ploeg, 2008. "Growth, Foreign Direct Investment and Urban Concentrations: Unbundling Spatial Lags," CESifo Working Paper Series 2474, CESifo.
    11. Gustavo Canavire-Bacarreza & Luis Castro Peñarrieta, 2017. "Can IPR Affect MNE’s Entry Modes? The Chilean Case," Documentos de Trabajo CIEF 15808, Universidad EAFIT.
    12. Smeets, Roger & de Vaal, Albert, 2016. "Intellectual Property Rights and the productivity effects of MNE affiliates on host-country firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 419-434.
    13. (ed.), 0. "Research Handbook on Economic Diplomacy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 16053.
    14. Sanjaya Malik, 2015. "Conditional technology spillovers from foreign direct investment: evidence from Indian manufacturing industries," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 183-198, April.
    15. Danai Christopoulou & Nikolaos Papageorgiadis & Chengang Wang & Georgios Magkonis, 2021. "IPR Law Protection and Enforcement and the Effect on Horizontal Productivity Spillovers from Inward FDI to Domestic Firms: A Meta-analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 235-266, April.
    16. Czesława Pilarska, 2018. "Efekty zewnętrzne bezpośrednich inwestycji zagranicznych z perspektywy kraju goszczącego," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 93-124.
    17. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/10184 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Beata S. Javorcik & Mariana Spatareanu, 2009. "Tough Love: Do Czech Suppliers Learn from their Relationships with Multinationals?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 111(4), pages 811-833, December.
    19. Thierry Mayer, 2006. "Policy Coherence for Development: A Background Paper on Foreign Direct Investment," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 253, OECD Publishing.
    20. Beata S. Javorcik & Mariana Spatareanu, 2008. "Liquidity Constraints and Linkages with Multinationals," LICOS Discussion Papers 22508, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    21. Ioannis Bournakis & Sotiris Papaioannou & Marina Papanastassiou, 2022. "Multinationals and domestic total factor productivity: Competition effects, knowledge spillovers and foreign ownership," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(12), pages 3715-3750, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Investment and Investment Climate; Foreign Direct Investment; Debt Markets; Emerging Markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

    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:wbk:wbrwps:4339. 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: Roula I. Yazigi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.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.