Technology, foreign-owned firms and competitiveness in the middle-income countries

  1. Isabel Álvarez 1
  2. Georgina MALDONADO 1
  1. 1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Complutense de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR 02p0gd045

Revista:
Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015)

ISSN: 0379-7864 2068-8717

Año de publicación: 2009

Volumen: 56

Páginas: 397-419

Tipo: Artículo

Otras publicaciones en: Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015)

Resumen

Some economies inside the diverse group of middle-income countries (MIC) have shown an active behavior in exports of technology-intensive goods that is strictly better than the group average.Among the factors explaining such a behavior we find the national technological capabilities that affect the dynamism of their productive and trade structure generating competitiveness gains. Anotherelement is the potential impact that foreign direct investments (FDI) flows generate in those economies since foreign owned firms have contributed to the industrialization and modernization of theirproductive systems. In this paper we show a descriptive analysis of those competitive factors throughthe Global Competitiveness Index from the World Economic Forum and the Enterprise Surveys formthe World Bank, with the aim of highlighting the relative importance of them and the differencesacross middle-income economies.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Aharoni, Y, Hirsch, S. (1997) “Enhancing competitive advantages in technological intensive industries” in J.H. Dunning and K.A. Hamdani, The new globalism and developing countries, United Nations University Press, Tokio, NY, Paris.
  • Alonso, J.A. (2007) Cooperation with middle-income countries, Editorial Complutense, Madrid.
  • Álvarez, I., Magaña, G. (2007) “Technological capabilities in middle-income countries”, in Alonso, J.A. Cooperation with middle-income countries, Editorial Complutense, Madrid.
  • Álvarez, I., Marín, R., Fonfría, A. (2009) “The role of networking in the competitiveness of firms”, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 76.
  • Bozeman, B. (2000) “Technology transfer and public policy. A review of research and a theory”, Research Policy, 29.
  • Brouthers, L. E., O'Donnell, E., Hadjimarcou, J. (2005) “Generic Product Strategies for Emerging Market Exports into Triad Nation Markets: A Mimetic Isomorphism Approach”, Journal of Management Studies, 42.
  • Cantwell, J. (1989) Technological Innovation and Multinational Corporations, Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Cantwell, J. (1995) “The globalization of technology: What remains of the product cycle model?”, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 19, 1.
  • Cantwell, J. (2005) “Innovation and competitiveness”, in: J. Fagerberg, D. Mowery, R. Nelson (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Innovation, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Castellacci, F. (2008) “Technology clubs, technology gaps and growth trajectories”, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 19, 4.
  • Dunning, J.H. (1993) Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy, Addison Wesley, New York.
  • Dunning, J.H. (2006) “Towards a paradigm of development: implications for the determinants of international business activity”, Transnational Corporations, 15, 1.
  • Durlauf, S.N., Jonson, P.A. (1995) “Multiple regimes and cross-country growth behaviour”, Journal of Applied Econometrics, 10.
  • Fagerberg, J. (1996) “Technology and competitiveness”, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 12.
  • Fagerberg, J., Srholec, M. (2007) “National innovation systems, capabilities and economic development”, Research Policy, 37.
  • Fagerberg, J., Srholec, M (2008) “Technology and development: Unpacking the relationship(s)”, TIK Working Papers on Innovation Studies , no. 20080623, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo, Oslo.
  • Frost, T. (2001) “The geographic sources of Foreign Subsidiaries’ Innovations”, Strategic Management Journal, 22.
  • Gerschenkron, A. (1962) Economic Backwardness in Historical perspective, Berlknap Press, Cambridge Mass.
  • Hobday, M. (1995) Innovation in East Asia, Edward Elgar, Aldershot.
  • Katz, J. (1982) Technology Generation in Latin American Manufacturing Industries, Pergamon Press, Oxford.
  • Krugman, P. (1994) Competitiveness: a dangerous obsession, Foreign Affairs ,73. Lall, S. (1996) Learning from the Asian Tigers. Macmillan, London.
  • Lall, S. (1997) “Investment, technology and international competitiveness” in J.H. Dunning and K.A. Hamdani, The new globalism and developing countries, United Nations University Press, Tokio, NY, Paris.
  • Lall, S. (2000) “Technological Change and Industrialization in the Asian Newly Industrializing Economies: Achievements and Challenges”, in Kim and Nelson, Technology, Learning & Innovation Experiences of Newly Industrializing Economies, Cambridge.
  • Lall, S. (2001) “What Competitiveness is and why it is important”, in Lall, S. Competitiveness, technology and skills, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
  • Lall, S. (2002) “Implications of Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions by TNCs in Developing Countries: A Beginners’ Guide”, QEH Working Paper, no. 88.
  • Lundvall, B.A., Johnson, B., Andersen, E.S., Dalum, B. (2002) “National systems of production, innovation and competence building”, Research Policy, 31.
  • McCann, P., Mudambi, R. (2005) “Analytical differences in the economics of geography: the case of the multinational firm”, Environment and Planning A, 37.
  • Molero, J. and Buesa, M. (1999) “Innovación y cambio tecnológico” in García Delgado, J. L. (Coord.) Lecciones de Economía Española. Civitas. Madrid.
  • Mowery, D.C., Oxley, E. (1995) “Inward technology transfer and competitiveness: the role of national innovation systems”, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 19, 1.
  • Mudambi, R. (2008) “Location, control and innovation in knowledge-intensive industries”, Journal of Economic Geography, 8.
  • Narula, R., Dunning, J.H. (2000) “Industrial development, globalisation and multinational enterprises: new realities for developing countries”, Oxford Development Studies, 28, 2.
  • Narula, R. and Wakelin, K. (1995) “Technological competitiveness, trade and foreign direct investment”, Research Memorandum, 2/95 - 019, MERIT, Maastricht.
  • Nelson, R. (1993) National innovation systems: a comparative analysis, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Ozawa, T. (1992) “Foreign direct investment and economic development”, Transnational Corporation, 1, 1.
  • Piscitello, L. (2004) “Corporate diversification, coherence and economic performance”, Industrial and Corporate Change, 13, 5.
  • Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage, Free Press, New York.
  • Porter, M.E., Delgado, M., Ketels, C., Stern, S. (2008) “Moving to a new global competitiveness index”, in Porter, M. and Schwab, K., The global competitiveness report 2008-2009, 2008, at www.weforum.org.
  • Porter, M.E., Schwab, K., The global competitiveness report 2008-2009, 2008, at www.weforum.org .
  • Rasiah, R. (2003) ”Foreign ownership, technology and electronics exports from Malaysia and Thailand”, Journal of Asian Economics, 14.
  • Rodrik, D. (1996) “Coordination failures and government policy: a model with applications to East Asia and Eastern Europe”, Journal of International Economics, 40.
  • Rodrik, D. (1999) “The New Global Economy and developing countries: Making Openness Work”, Policy Essay, no. 24, Overseas Development Council, Washington.
  • Roessner, J.D., Porter, A.L., Newman, N., Cauffiel, D. (1996) “Anticipating the future high-tech competitiveness of nations: indicators for twenty-eight countries”, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 51.
  • Rugman, A.M., Doh, J.P. (2008) Multinationals and development, Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
  • Sala-i-Martin, X., Blanke, J., Drzeniek, M., Geiger, T., Mia, I., Paua, F. (2008) “The global competitiveness index: prioritizing the economic policy agenda”, in Porter, M. and Schwab, K., The global competitiveness report 2008-2009, 2008, at www.weforum.org .
  • Schwab, K. (2008) “Preface”, in Porter, M. and Schwab, K., The global competitiveness report 20082009, 2008, at www.weforum.org .
  • Singh, J. (2007) “Asymmetry of knowledge spillovers between MNCs and host country firms”, Journal of International Business Studies, 38.
  • Uchida, Y., Cook, P. (2005) “The Transformation of Competitive Advantage in East Asia: An Analysis of Technological and Trade Specialization”, World Development, 33, 5.
  • UNCTAD (2005) World Investment Report Transnational Corporations and the Internationalization of R&D, United Nations, New York and Geneva.
  • UNCTAD (2007) World Investment Report Transnational Corporations, Extractive Industries and development, United Nations, New York and Geneva. UNCTAD, FDI Statistics, 2008, at http://www.unctad.org/.
  • UNCTAD, Latin America and the Caribbean 2004, 2008a, at http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/iteiit20044_en.pdf .
  • UNCTAD, FDI Country profiles, 2008b, at http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=3198&lang=1 .
  • UNCTAD, United Nations conference on trade and development, 2008c, at http://www.unctad.org/sections/dite_fdistat/docs/wid_ib_cl_en.pdf .
  • WORLD BANK, Enterprise Surveys, 2008, at http://www.worldbank.org/ .
  • WORLD BANK, World Development Report, 2009, Washington: The World Bank.
  • WEF, Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009, 2008, at http://www.weforum.org/ .