ABSTRACT

This paper examines how foreign multinationals (FMN) and domestic multinationals (DMN) differ in R&D outsourcing and cooperation. We argue that the propensity of DMN and FMN to create such R&D linkages reflects their specific balance between advantages and challenges of multinationality. On the one hand, both FMN and DMN rely on a combination of home-base advantages and learning capacities, which positively affect their R&D linkages with national and international counterparts. On the other hand, the costs and risks associated with unfamiliar contexts reduce the propensity of FMN to create R&D linkages with local counterparts; while they will not penalise DMN, which do not suffer any liability of foreignness when dealing with local counterparts in their country of origin. This interpretive framework is tested using data on R&D investors active in Italy over 2003–2010, controlling for firms’ internal R&D efforts, internationalisation, age and regional distribution of R&D.

摘要

本文探讨了外国跨国公司 (FMN) 和国内跨国公司 (DMN) 在研发外包与合作方面的差异。我们认为，DMN 和 FMN 建立这种研发联系的倾向反映了它们在跨国性优势和挑战之间的特定平衡。一方面，FMN 和 DMN 都依赖本土优势和学习能力的结合，这对它们与国家和国际同行的研发联系产生了积极影响。另一方面，与陌生环境相关的成本和风险降低了 FMN 与当地同行建立研发联系的倾向；同时他们不会惩罚DMN，DMN在与原籍国的当地同行打交道时不承担任何外国责任。该解释性框架使用 R& 数据进行测试