Are multinationals better at creating technical linkages with local firms?

Claudio Cozza, Giulio Perani () and Antonello Zanfei ()
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Giulio Perani: ISTAT & Eurostat, Postal: Italy, Luxembourg
Antonello Zanfei: University of Urbino, Postal: Italy

No 2016/14, Papers in Innovation Studies from Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research

Abstract: Using data on R&D investors active in Italy and controlling for various indicators of absorptive capacity and for the regional distribution of research activities, we show that multinationality is associated with a higher propensity to technical linkage creation. We also find that domestic owned multinationals are more inclined to R&D contracting out, while foreign multinationals are better at developing R&D cooperation with external parties. However, foreign multinationals are less prone than domestic companies to set up linkages with local counterparts. This suggests that while foreign multinationals generally possess advantages in terms of absorptive capacity and economies of common governance, they might as well face relative disadvantages in terms of experience of local contexts, inhibiting their propensity to set up on-site technical linkages.

Keywords: Absorptive capacity; R&D; technical linkages; Multinationals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F10 F23 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2016-04-27
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ino, nep-int and nep-sbm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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