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Using newly collected survey data on direct supplier-multinational linkages in Chile, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Vietnam, this paper first evaluates whether foreign investors differ from domestic producers in terms of their potential to generate positive spillovers for local suppliers. It finds that foreign firms outperform domestic producers on several indicators, but have fewer linkages with the local economy and offer less supplier assistance, resulting in offsetting effects on the spillover potential. The paper also studies the relationship between foreign investor characteristics and linkages with the local economy as well as assistance extended to local suppliers. It finds that foreign investor characteristics matter for both. The paper also examines the role of suppliers' absorptive capacities in determining the intensity of their linkages with multinationals. The results indicate that several supplier characteristics matter, but these effects also depend on the length of the supplier relationship. Finally, the paper assesses whether assistance or requirements from a multinational influence spillovers on suppliers. The results confirm the existence of positive effects of assistance (including technical audits, joint product development, and technology licensing) on foreign direct investment spillovers, while the analysis finds no evidence of demand effects.

Absorptive capacity (Economics)

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Absorptive capacity. --- Appropriability. --- Innovation. --- Technology acquisition.

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Absorptive capacity (Economics) --- Economic assistance --- Case studies. --- Case studies.

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Technical assistance --- Absorptive capacity (Economics) --- Evaluation. --- United States. --- Management --- Evaluation.

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This paper evaluates the heterogeneous impact of spillovers from multinational corporations (MNCs) to domestic enterprises in the developing world. It empirically investigates two transmission channels of knowledge spillovers. First, direct contractual linkages between indigenous firms and MNCs. Second, indirect demonstration effects accrued by domestic firms by imitating foreign technologies either through observation or by hiring workers trained by MNCs. The paper focuses on the impact of spillovers on high-growth firms, which are enterprises with high job creation rates and, therefore, assumed to have high absorptive capacities. The paper also evaluates spillovers stemming from MNCs with different motivations to invest in developing countries. Employing a survey of around 71,000 firms across 50 sectors in 122 developing countries, the paper shows that high-growth firms internalize spillovers through both avenues and that contractual linkages are the most powerful transmission channel. FDI embedded in global value chains generates larger spillovers to high-growth domestic firms than investment that seeks to serve the host economy. There is no evidence that natural resource-seeking FDI generates spillovers. The results have important implications for policy design, as public funding in developing countries is often directed to support programs that seek to connect domestic suppliers with MNCs.

Absorptive Capacity --- FDI --- Firm Performance --- Foreign Direct Investment --- Global Value Chains --- Industry --- Science and Technology Development --- Spillovers --- Technology Industry --- Technology Innovation