Yibo Qiao, Nicola Cortinovis & Andrea Morrison
Abstract:
This article investigates how MNEs influence the export behavior of domestic firms in the context of China. We conceptually disentangle different MNE spillovers related to local export dynamics, linking in a unique framework specific spillover mechanisms, channels, activation conditions and type of knowledge conveyed. Empirically, our analysis relies on a panel dataset containing all Chinese manufacturing firms in the period 2000-2007. The results show that relatedness linkages matter in the context of export quantity, while forward-backward linkages matter for the sophistication of export. These findings suggest that relatedness linkages convey mainly marketing-related knowledge spillovers, while forward-backward linkages are diffusing mainly product-related knowledge spillovers.
Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography 