Browsing Working Papers (INT) by Title
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Abstract: This paper discusses the changing relationship between the EU and Vietnam, and asks whether there is a shift from a “parental” to a “competitive” relationship. The focus of the paper is on the shift from aid to trade as the main interface between the EU and Vietnam. Aid relationships are often understood as hierarchical, linking a benevolent donor to a needy recipient, whereas commercial relationships are typically expected to involve a more competitive relationship. However, we argue that the bilateral relationship was never a “parental” one, even at the time when Vietnam’s relation to the EU was limited to aid. The reason is largely Vietnam’s historical experiences from the aid relationship with the Soviet Union, which created dependence and eventually an economic crisis when aid flows dried up in the late 1980s. Instead, there has been substantial tension between the donor community and Vietnam during most of the period since the early 1990s, when aid flows from the EU started growing. Regarding trade relations, we note that the EU’s increasing use of antidumping tariffs against Vietnamese exporters during the past years could be an indication of a less friendly and more competitive attitude towards Vietnam. However, it is likely that the antidumping measures used by the EU are not primarily directed at Vietnam, but rather at China. This means that Vietnam is affected by the re-polarization of the world economy through its proximity to and links with China, but that the relation is perhaps not as bad as the increasingly frequent trade conflicts may suggest. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8369 Files in this item: 1
Kokko_November_2011_CIBEM_WP.pdf (151.5Kb) -
A Corporate Governance ApproachKnudsen, Jette Steen (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This article examines why Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in 2001 turned down a proposal for an EU take-over directive? The first explanation focuses on party ideology. However, MEPs overwhelmingly voted according to national rather than party lines. Two additional explanations emphasise national characteristics: labour market legislation (national schemes to protect employees against dismissals) and corporate governance issues. Labour market legislation can explain the UK and German MEP votes but not the Swedish and French MEPs votes. These votes can be explained by emphasising measures against take-overs such as a high level of market capitalisation and unequal voting rights. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6617 Files in this item: 1
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National and local politics in branding the pastLai, Shevren; Ooi, Can-Seng (Frederiksberg, 2015)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper critically examines the relationship between federal and local‐state level governments in interpreting and presenting the World Heritage brand at two Malaysian World Heritage sites, George Town and Melaka. The World Heritage status is internationally recognised. Although the World Heritage brand offers many advantages in tourism development and destination marketing, what and how the local heritage is conserved, interpreted and appreciated remains open. This article shows that the mechanisms of interpreting and presenting the WH status vary according to the agendas and needs of authorities. This working paper also shows that material heritage and heritage stories are highly politicized, and the World Heritage recognition has inevitably become a tool for further ideological intentions. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/9122 Files in this item: 1
WP Lai and Ooi 2015.pdf (466.7Kb) -
Budeanu, Adriana (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The development of sustainable products or services is defined by Maxwell as the process of making products or services in a more sustainable way (production) throughout their entire life cycle, from conception to the end-of-life (Maxwell & van der Vorst, 2003). Essentially, sustainable products or services are alternatives to existing ones, but of a superior quality, providing the same function to the customer, being more cost-effective, while also generating less harm on the surrounding environments or societies. The emphasis is on securing the efficiency of inputs and outputs is all actions along the life cycle of the product or service, from raw materials to discharged waste, so that unnecessary consumption of resources and generation of wastes are avoided. More advanced concepts such as product-service systems and needs-oriented-service systems aim to reduce impacts from the production and the use phase, or even at the end-of-life phase of a product (Mont, 2002; Roy, 2000). New and under development, the area of product-service systems is increasingly gaining acceptance from companies (Manzini & Jégou, 2003). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8544 Files in this item: 1
Budeanu_WP3_2012.pdf (1.108Mb) -
an empirical analysis of change in the organization of foreign distributionBenito, Gabriel R.G.; Pedersen, Torben; Petersen, Bent (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
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The importance of sunk costs and spilloversSinani, Evis; Hobdari, Bersant (København, 2007)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper investigates the importance of sunk costs, firm characteristics and spillovers from nearby exporters on a firm’s export participation decision. The empirical analysis involves the estimation of a non-structural, discrete choice, dynamic model with firm heterogeneity. The results suggest that both sunk costs and observable firm characteristics are important determinants of export market participation. In addition, previous history matters, in that, if a firm has been exporting the last period or the period before that it significantly increases the likelihood of the firm exporting in the current period. This conclusion is robust across all specifications. Also, larger firms with high capital intensity and foreign owned are more likely be exporters. Finally, while there is no clear evidence on export spillovers, if a firm operates in an export-oriented industry increases the likelihood of exporting. Dynamic Panel, sunk costs, export decision. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6544 Files in this item: 1
exportmarketparticipation-1.pdf (440.4Kb) -
Non-linearity and Absorptive CapacityChen, Taotao; Kokko, Ari; Tingvall, Patrik Gustavsson (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Using a fixed effect variance decomposition model, we estimate SUR models to analyze FDI spillovers from contagion and spillovers from competition on local firms in China. While the former type of spillover mainly depends on the degree of foreign presence in the local industry, the latter kind is related to how foreign and local firms interact. The main conclusion is that FDI has been beneficial for the Chinese economy, but that spillovers are not evenly distributed across firms and industries. Spillovers from contagion tend to exhibit an inverse U-shaped pattern with respect to the degree of foreign presence at the industry level, whereas spillovers from competition are more linear with respect to the level of technological sophistication of foreign firms. Industries with high absorptive capacity and/or high efficiency are the ones best equipped to take advantage of spillovers from foreign-owned firms. Moreover, there are signs of substantial competition between foreign-owned firms. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8033 Files in this item: 1
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evidence from ArgentinaNarula, Rajneesh; Marin, Anabel (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: It is nowadays generally accepted that inward foreign direct investment (FDI) is crucial as a source of technological spillovers. One of the objectives of this paper is to review the evidence on the quantity and quality of human capital employed by domestic and foreign firms. We examine whether spillovers accrue from MNE activity, and provide a preliminary understanding of why MNE spillovers remain somewhat ambiguous, particularly in developing countries, paying particular attention to human capital development. Our analysis is supported by data from the Innovation Survey in Argentina. On the whole, MNE subsidiaries hired more professionals than domestic firms of the same size, possessed a more skilled labour force overall, and spent more on training than similar domestic firms. Subsidiaries in Argentina effectively have a higher labour productivity and pay higher wages. Yet, in terms of knowledge creation and utilisation, there was little to differentiate affiliates from domestic firms. While there is little evidence of widespread FDI spillovers, where spillovers did occur, it was where domestic firms demonstrated high investment in absorptive capacities. Our analysis also suggests that much of MNE activity - particularly after liberalisation - has been of the kind that by definition has limited opportunities for linkages and spillovers. These are activities in which MNEs may simply be able to generate economic rent from their superior knowledge of markets, and their ability to efficiently utilise their multinational network of affiliates. These assets are not generally easily spilled over to domestic firms. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6593 Files in this item: 1
narula marin 2003-016.pdf (382.4Kb) -
Håkanson, Lars (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Based on a social-constructivist conceptualization of knowledge as residing in groups of practitioners, epistemic communities, this paper proposes a new perspective on the knowledge based view of the firm and sketches the outline of a new research agenda. It argues that the cost of governing knowledge processes depends as much on the cognitive background of the exchange partners as on the tacitness of the knowledge. Firms exist because they may form epistemic communities in their own right with enabling and motivational properties superior to those of markets in the governance of knowledge processes across epistemic boundaries. Establishing a firm as an epistemic community requires transaction specific investments that are difficult to realize under market forms of governance. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6534 Files in this item: 1
wp4-2008.pdf (121.6Kb) -
International Competition and Industrial Districts in the Italian Fottwear IndustryLorentzen, Jochen (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: ABSTRACT The paper analyses the effect on manufacturers in Italy’s footwear districts of international competition, and investigates the underresearched nature of the link between international competition and the internal cohesion of districts. It addresses if and how global competition provokes the (partial) geographic fragmentation of local supply chains, dislocating select local parts manufacturers in its wake. The findings suggest that when international competition threatens the viability of local production, firms with the requisite organisational capabilities delocalise parts of the value chain. This helps them to retain competitive advantages but it also reduces agglomeration. This insight should inform regional development policy. Keywords: Industrial districts, footwear industry, international competition, delocalisation URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6552 Files in this item: 1
jl-wp7-2003.pdf (1.046Mb) -
Engwall, Lars; Marquardt, Rolf; Pedersen, Torben; Tschoegl, Adrian E. (København, 1999)[More information][Less information]
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a study of post-reform Indian industryPatibandla, Murali; Sanyal, Amal (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
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Petersen, Bent; Welch, Lawrence S. (København, 1999)[More information][Less information]
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product differentiation in Indian durable consumer goods industrySanyal, Amal; Patibandla, Murali (København, 1999)[More information][Less information]
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Burger, Anže; Jindra, Björn; Kostevc, Črt; Marek, Philipp; Rojec, Matija (Warsaw, 2015)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: With economic transformation and European integration Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) have been inserted into European and global production networks. The literature on global value chains (GVCs) suggests that firms’ performance in terms of value creation and capture crucially depends upon their ability to ‘upgrade’. Apart from product and process upgrading this refers to ‘functional upgrading’ i.e. the changing portfolio and nature of business functions executed by firms within the GVC. In principal this should hold also for multinational affiliates. They participate in GVCs through vertically integrated and specialized forms of organization. Their ability to upgrade is closely linked with their position, mandate and power asymmetries within the multinational network. Recent case study evidence documents functional upgrading in multinational subsidiaries located in CEECs. Yet, their ability to increase value capture through these processes has been contested. This paper tests the relationship between functional upgrading and productivity growth of multinational subsidiaries. We exploit a unique firm level dataset that matches state-of-the-art survey-based business function indicators with times-series accounting data for a representative sample of multinational subsidiaries in selected CEECs. The estimation results indicate that functional upgrading has a positive effect on foreign subsidiaries’ average productivity growth. The effect is higher for subsidiaries with more recent entries of foreign investors. This finding is robust to different measures for functional upgrading. The positive effect of functional upgrading seems to be mainly confined to foreign subsidiaries in manufacturing industries. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/9228 Files in this item: 1
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A Third-Generation Prediction MarketHallin, Carina Antonia; Juul Andersen, Torben; Tveterås, Sigbjørn (Frederiksberg, 2013)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This article theorizes a new way to predict firm performance based on aggregation of sensing among frontline employees about changes in operational capabilities to update strategic action plans. We frame the approach in the context of first- and second-generation prediction markets and outline its unique features as a third-generation prediction market. It is argued that frontline employees gain deep insights when they execute operational activities on an ongoing basis in the organization. The experiential learning from close interaction with internal and external stakeholders provides unique insights not otherwise available to senior management. We outline a methodology to agglomerate these insights in a performance barometer as an important source for problem finding and innovation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8815 Files in this item: 1
Hallin_Juul Andersen_Tveteraas.pdf (258.0Kb) -
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Abstract: Over the past decade, European businesses have accelerated internationalization, expanding within and beyond Europe. I argue that a major driving force behind this push towards global presence is the restructuring of corporate diversification strategies, which in turn is a result of gradual changes in industry structure and the institutional environment in home markets as well as global markets. The strategic change converts diversified conglomerates to global specialists in narrower niche markets. It brings them in direct confrontation with a small number of key competitors operating worldwide. On this stage, key competitive advantages are gained by making best use of resources across the world, and by effective global integration of operations. Hence de-diversification and internationalization are opposite sides of the same coin: globalfocusing. The argument is developed based on inductive case research of the restructuring in two Danish manufacturing enterprises, and a review of overall trends in Danish businesses. On this basis, I analyze the economic and institutional forces driving this process, and suggest propositions for empirical testing. The paper points to consequences of liberalization, and is thus of high relevance for managers and policy makers in countries that are not yet as open as Denmark. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6536 Files in this item: 1
ceeswp5-2003.pdf (830.2Kb) -
Narula, Rajneesh (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract: The growth of collaborative activity is greatly influenced by the process of globalisation. This paper focuses on the narrow area of collaborative R&D activity, and takes a ‘macro’ view of the effects of these developments. Globalisation has affected the need of firms to collaborate, in that firms now seek opportunities to cooperate, rather than identify situations where they can achieve majority control. The use of collaboration is particularly acute in capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive sectors. These are also the sectors where firms have expanded internationally fastest, as they need to compete in various markets simultaneously, but also to exploit and acquire assets and technology that may be specific to particular locations. The increasing similarity of technologies across countries and cross-fertilisation of technology between sectors, coupled with the increasing costs and risks associated with innovation has led firms to consider R&D alliances as a first-best option in many instances. This has important welfare implications and impinges directly on the industrial competitiveness of locations. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6573 Files in this item: 1
rn-wp1-2003.pdf (357.0Kb) -
The Role of Multinational EnterprisesNarula, Rajneesh; Zanfei, Antonello (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper undertakes a brief evaluation of the trends in the internationalization of innovative activities. We provide a taxonomy of R&D internationalization strategies, and discuss the main relevant theoretical and empirical issues, before discussing the centripetal and centrifugal forces underlying the nature and evolution of cross border innovation. We address the issue of international technology partnering as a key strategy that is complementary to the internationalisation of innovative activities through internal means, before raising important policy dimensions and directions for future research that derive from these debates. Key words: R&D internationalization, globalisation, multinationals, alliances, technology policy JEL Codes: F23, O32 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6628 Files in this item: 1
03-15.pdf (361.2Kb) -
Håkanson, Lars (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: All knowledge is context dependent. The relevant context is the social community where it resides, i.e. the ‘epistemic community’ formed as groups of people define and legitimize the knowledge they possess. In the mutual engagement in a common enterprise, epistemic communities develop, maintain and nurture the codes, tools and theories that provide the basis of their practice. Commonalities of code, tools and theory facilitate both voluntary transfer and involuntary imitation of knowledge within communities, also ones spanning organizational boundaries. Conversely, knowledge transfer between different epistemic communities, whether desired or unintended, is often cumbersome and fraught with difficulties. In order to achieve effective integration and cooperation between its various professional communities and subcultures, firms must therefore undertake investments in boundary-spanning mechanisms. Since these investments are specific to the context in which they take place and to the transactions that they enable, they cannot easily be organized through arm’s length contracts. Firms exist because they have a relative advantage over markets in the integration of diverse knowledge. However, the associated capabilities need not translate into a relative advantage also in the transfer of knowledge, i.e. knowledge exchanged between members of the same epistemic community. Within communities, knowledge disseminates with relative ease both intentionally and through emulation. Knowledge thus acquired can generally be applied also outside the context of the exchange and the effort or investment expended in its acquisition is not transaction specific. The governance mode applied in such exchanges is therefore determined by strategic and contextual factors, including those of traditional transaction cost logic. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6594 Files in this item: 1
governance and knowledge exchange 2.pdf (168.6Kb)