ABSTRACT This paper argues that, under certain conditions, outward foreign direct investment (FDI) can promote economic development in the home economies from which the investment originates. It presents a conceptual framework incorporating simultaneously the complex interrelationships between the three main tenets shaping the developmental outcomes of outward FDI – the home economy conditions that induce firms to invest abroad; the role of the state in linking outward investment to economic development back in the home economy; and the investment returns which stimulate catching-up. The framework helps researchers and policymakers assess particular characteristics of outward FDI and their impacts on the home economies.

中文翻译：

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攀登经济阶梯：对外直接投资的作用

摘要本文认为，在一定条件下，对外直接投资（FDI）可以促进投资起源国的经济发展。它提出了一个概念框架，同时兼顾了三个主要原则之间的复杂相互关系，这三个原则塑造了对外直接投资的发展成果，即吸引公司进行海外投资的本国经济条件；国家在将对外投资与本国经济的经济发展联系起来方面的作用；以及促进追赶的投资回报。该框架可帮助研究人员和政策制定者评估对外直接投资的特殊特征及其对本国经济的影响。