Interdependence in Multinational Production Networks

Chen, Maggie (2009): Interdependence in Multinational Production Networks.

Abstract

The majority of multinational firms today operate a multilateral production network. Most existing empirical analyses have, however, focused on firms' choice between producing at home and investing overseas and assumed that a firm's decision to invest in a foreign country is independent of its locations in third countries. This paper examines the effect of existing production network on multinationals' entry decision. Using detailed French multinational subsidiary level data, the paper finds strong evidence of horizontal and vertical interdependence across multinationals' foreign production locations. There is, however, little evidence of horizontal interdependence between home-country production and foreign investment when the third-country effects are taken into account, constituting a sharp contrast to the conventional emphasis. This result is robust to the various specifications and sensitivity analyses undertaken in the paper, and highlights the importance of investigating the causes and effects of foreign direct investment in the context of multinational production network.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: multinational firm, production network, interdependence, entry decision, trade cost, input-output linkage
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D2 - Production and Organizations > D21 - Firm Behavior: Theory; F - International Economics > F2 - International Factor Movements and International Business > F23 - Multinational Firms ; International Business

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