Characteristics of Corporate R&D Investment in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Manufacturing Industry in China and South Korea

Jian Xu and Jae-Woo Sim
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Jian Xu: Department of Business Administration, Dankook University, Jukjeon-ro 152, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Korea
Jae-Woo Sim: International College, Dankook University, Jukjeon-ro 152, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Korea

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: The issue concerning the increasing research and development (R&D) investment in emerging markets is especially attractive for many researchers and practitioners. This paper measures and compares the characteristics of Chinese and South Korean R&D expenditures of manufacturing companies from 2012 to 2016. It also examines the impact of R&D investment on firm performance. The results show that debt maturity and cash reserves are positive determinants of R&D investment in China and South Korea. Firm size, internal financing, and debt ratio are restrictive factors of R&D intensity in Chinese manufacturing companies, while debt ratio is the only negative determinant of R&D investment in their South Korean counterparts. The results also show that R&D intensity exhibits a strong positive impact on the performance of manufacturing companies in both countries. Moreover, this impact is stronger in South Korea than in China. In addition, R&D investment has a positive time-lag effect only on the performance of Chinese manufacturing companies. Our study presents some new evidence for the relationship between R&D intensity and firm performance in emerging markets.

Keywords: R&D investment; firm performance; manufacturing industry; emerging markets; China; South Korea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3002-:d:165518

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