This thesis explores three important factors that have been central to the pursuit of economic growth, particularly in the developing and emerging economies. These are Outward Foreign Direct Investment, Reverse Technology Spillovers, and Total Factor Productivity. Chapter 2 examines whether India’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) pattern is consistent with Dunning’s Investment Development Path (IDP) sequence using macro data over the period 1980-2010. It tests whether the level of development - proxied by GDP per capita - is the main factor explaining OFDI, and augments the IDP by studying other major determinants such as exports, Inward FDI, human capital, and R&D using the Cointegration and Error Correction Model techniques. The results support the main proposition of the IDP, but also highlight the importance of other factors. We also find that OFDI granger-causes R&D, suggesting a possibility of reverse technology spillover. Chapter 3 analyses the ‘feedback effect’ of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth of emerging economies via technology spillovers across borders. We study the effect of R&D spillovers resulting from Outward FDI flows from 18 emerging economies into 34 OECD countries over the 1990-2010 period, comparing the impact with that of spillovers resulting from Inward FDI flows. The result confirms that FDI enhances productivity growth in the home country; however the impact is much larger when R&D-intensive developed countries invest in the emerging economies than the other way round. The country-specific bilateral elasticities also support this outcome. Finally, Chapter 4 studies twofold stages of OFDI – determinants and effects – at a disaggregated level, using data on OFDI undertaken by 34 countries in 10 major sectors of US during 1990-2010. The main aim of this essay is to provide micro evidence in support of outcomes of Chapter 2 & 3. The first stage concentrates on the driving forces of OFDI to understand its macroeconomic determinants, by distinguishing the factors into 3 broad categories: country specific, sector specific and time specific variables. In the second stage, we then study how the home countries benefit from the OFDI that they undertake in the US, in terms of the impact of induced reverse technology spillovers. This stage entails the creation of a foreign R&D capital term as the weighted average of R&D intensity of US with the OFDI undertaken by the home countries into US. It investigates both direct and interaction effects of such R&D spillovers on the growth of home country’s TFP. The analysis also considers a lag structure to allow for a time lag in the transfer and effect of foreign R&D capital. Results for both the stages confirm the set hypotheses.

Two literatures exist concerning cross-border merger activity's impact on domestic wages: one focusing on positive spillover-effects; the other focusing on negative bargaining-effects. Motivated by scarce theoretical scholarship spanning these literatures, we nest both mechanisms in a single conceptual framework. Considering the separate phenomena of inward and outward cross-border merger activity, our theoretical model generates three formal propositions: cross-border mergers can lead to wage increases via positive spillover-effects; and negative bargaining-effects are relatively more dominant when union market power is high, and when merging firms exhibit relatedness. Employing US firm-level panel data on wages combined with industry-level data on unionization and merger activity (covering 1989-2001), we find support for our propositions as inward and outward cross-border merger activity generate positive spillovers to wages, but are more likely to generate firm-level wage decreases when unionization rates are high and when cross-border merger activity is characterized as horizontal. Accordingly, future research on how cross-border mergers affect domestic wages should be mindful that both spillover and bargaining effects are at play, and that the degree of union market-power and the relatedness of cross-border merger activity are critical in determining which effect dominates. (authors' abstract)

Cette thèse étudie les implications du commerce international sur l'innovation en considérant l'enjeu de l'interdépendance spatiale. En e et, les mécanismes par lesquels le commerce international affecte l'innovation reposent sur la mise en évidence de facteurs qui, parce qu'ils sont à l'origine de rendements croissants, représentent de véritables moteurs de la croissance. Or le processus d'accumulation de ces facteurs repose sur des effets dont l'intensité est contrainte par l'espace. D'abord, les flux commerciaux qui sont supposés transmettre la technologie entre les pays sont spatialement interdépendants. Ensuite, les résultats mis en avant dans littérature existante captent seulement l'effet direct des échanges commerciaux sur l'innovation. Toutefois il est possible qu'un pays bénéficie de la technologie d'un autre pays sans qu'un échange commercial ait lieu entre les deux pays. Il semble donc opportun de réexaminer la relation entre le commerce international et l'innovation dans un contexte d'interdépendance spatiale. A cet effet, nous nous sommes appuyés sur les modèles de croissance endogène pour dériver deux modèles structurels spatiaux permettant de rendre compte de l'interdépendance. L'analyse empirique de ces modèles fait ressortir qu'en plus des variables traditionnelles telles que les R&D et le capital humain, les externalités contribuent fortement à la hausse de productivité et que celles-ci sont particulièrement importantes pour les pays à faible revenu. De plus, La libéralisation commerciale, en augmentant la concurrence, favorise l'innovation dans les pays à revenu élevé. En revanche, elle entraine une baisse de celle-ci dans les pays à faible revenu. Ces résultats renforcent l'idée que, au moins dans le cas des pays avancés, l'ouverture commerciale accroît l'innovation et la croissance grâce à la concurrence. / This thesis studies the consequences for innovation of international trade allowing for spatial interdependence. Indeed, the mechanisms through which international trade affects innovation are based on highlighting factors that, because they are the source of increasing returns, represent real engines of the growth. Yet, the accumulation process of these factors depends on effects which are constraints in space .First, trade flows by which technology is supposed to transmit between countries are interdependent. Second, the results highlighted in existing literature capture only the direct effect of trade on innovation. However, it is possible that a country benefits technology from an another country without any trade between the two countries. It seems convenient to revise the relation between international trade and innovation in the context of spatial interdependence. Based on endogenous growth models, we derive two spatial structural models in order to take into account spatial interdependence. The empirical analysis of spatial models revealed that in addition to traditional variables such as R&D and human capital, externalities contribute strongly to productivity growth and these externalities are especially important for low-income countries. Regarding competition, the effects are mixed. Trade liberalization, by increasing competition, promotes innovation in developped countries. However, it reduces innovation in low-income countries.

This dissertation analyzes productivity changes connected with inflow of foreign direct investment. Specifically indirect effects of foreign direct investment (spillovers) on firms in the Czech Republic in period 2000 -- 2006 are analyzed. As a proxy for productivity spillovers is used total factor productivity, which is retrieved by implementing the Levinsohn -- Petrin technique, which control the simultaneity bias in the production function. Using firm-level data, obtained from Amadeus database, a significant spillovers effects of foreign direct investment on productivity were identified -- a stronger positive impact on upstream sector and weaker negative impact on downstream sector.

The inflow of the foreign direct investments (FDI) is often associated with existence of externalities which are created by influence of multinational companies with higher technology level on domestic companies. It is hard to prove some effect of the technology spillovers and other externalities by empirical calculations. Moreover, various results of these actual papers support real discussions among economists about this topic. The goal of my thesis is shed light on this problem by using the sector analysis of the automobile industry which is significant recipient of the government incentives in the Czech republic. I chose the example of the TPCA company. I focused on impacts of the entrance of this automobile maker not only on its suppliers, but also on wage changes in this sector. The conclusions of this analysis should not be considered generally acceptable for all industries. However, the magnitude of the importance of the automobile industry for Czech economy determinates a relevancy of my findings for the total look on the externalities of FDI in the Czech republic.

This thesis investigates conditions under which the activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs) impact upon innovation performance in host-country firms. Three specific sub-questions are addressed: 1) Do MNE subsidiary characteristics influence FDI spillovers on host-country firms? 2) Does the external technological environment in individual industries influence spillover effects? 3) Do such technology spillovers follow a linear relation with the scale of FDI? Individual empirical analyses, using firm-level data extracted from two waves (2002 and 2005) of the Korean Innovation Survey (KIS) in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), are used to examine these questions. The first finding is that FDI spillovers vary depending on the subsidiary’s heterogeneous role. In this regard, we build on recent theoretical contributions made by the network-based view of MNEs, distinguishing heterogeneous subsidiary roles into either competence-creating (CC) or competence-exploiting (CE). Our results show that CC subsidiaries generate negative horizontal and positive backward spillovers, but no forward spillovers. Against this, CE subsidiaries generate positive horizontal and forward spillovers and negative backward spillovers. The second finding concerns the moderating role assumed by the type of business environment in the host country during foreign entry, especially in terms of environment velocity. We build on strategic management literature that the behaviour and performance of a firm is influenced by environment velocity, finding that environment velocity affects backward (negatively) and forward spillovers (positively), but not horizontal spillovers. The third finding concerns non-linear (linear) impacts of FDI spillover across different scales of FDI in a sector, building on existing studies predicting a changing marginal effect of horizontal spillovers. We took this a step further by comparing horizontal spillovers on local rivals and vertical spillovers on local partners, either suppliers or clients. The key contributions are two-fold: firstly, this thesis proposes revising implicit assumptions in the extant literature by identifying conditions of FDI spillovers concerning subsidiary heterogeneity and business environment type, and also by confirming the non-linear effect of horizontal and backward FDI spillovers. Secondly, it provides a glimpse of FDI spillovers in a technologically capable host country in East Asia. The findings stress various implications, including the usefulness of international business theories for assessing the role of MNE activities in host economies.

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude des facteurs sous-jacents au risque du défaut souverain, tel que mesuré par les spreads des CDS souverains, au cours de la crise de la dette souveraine en Europe. En analysant les données mensuelles de janvier 2007 à septembre 2015 en utilisant un modèle à correction d'erreur (VECM), nous constatons que le risque de défaut souverain européen répond en partie à un environnement macroéconomique caractérisé par de mauvaises politiques budgétaires et une détérioration des facteurs économiques. Plus précisément, la hausse du taux de chômage, le niveau d'endettement et la réduction des soldes de la balance courante ont accru les spreads des CDS souverains. Ces résultats ne permettent pas de rejeter l’hypothèse selon laquelle le défaut souverain a été motivé par des fondamentaux économiques faibles. Mais l'importance relative de ces facteurs change avec le temps et le groupe de pays. La présence et l'absence de la Grèce ont joué un rôle clé dans l'évolution des spreads dans les pays de la zone euro. La dégradation des notations en Grèce et l'aversion accrue pour le risque de la part des Européens ont contribué à une augmentation significative des spreads de CDS des pays de la zone euro et des autres pays. Notre analyse VECM met en évidence des retombées directes de la Grèce vers la périphérie de la zone euro via des canaux non fondamentaux. Enfin, nos résultats suggèrent que l’émergence de la crise de la dette a été causée par des fondamentaux faibles, mais a également un caractère auto-réalisateur. / This thesis attempts to identify the factors behind the sovereign default risk, as measured by sovereign CDS spreads, during the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. By analyzing monthly data from January 2007 to September 2015 using vector error correction model with panel data, we find that European sovereign default risk is partly a response to a macroeconomic environment characterized by poor fiscal policies and deteriorating economic factors. Specifically, higher unemployment rate, debt levels and lower current account balances have increased the sovereign CDS spreads. These results do not allow us to reject the hypothesis that the sovereign default was driven by weak economic fundamentals. But the relative importance of these factors changes over time and group of countries. The presence and absence of Greece have played a key role in the developments of the spreads in the euro area countries. The rating downgrades in Greece and the higher European risk aversion had contributed to a significant rise in the CDS spreads of euro and non-euro area countries. Our VECM analysis does suggest direct spillovers from Greece to Euro area periphery via non-fundamental channels. Finally, our results suggest that the emergence of the debt crisis was caused by weak fundamentals but has also a self-fulfilling character.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka enhetschefers upplevelser av arbete-familj konflikten i en mellanstor kommun i Sverige, med fokus på eventuella könsrelaterade skillnader. Datamaterial samlades in via semistrukturerade intervjuer med 9 enhetschefer i en mellanstor kommun i Sverige. Genom kriteriestyrt urval valdes respondenter med barn i åldrarna 0–12 år ut att medverka i studien. Respondenterna kontaktades via mail och bokades in till en fysisk eller digital intervju. Det insamlade materialet analyserades genom en induktiv tematisk analys. I den tematiska analysen framkom emotionellt ansvar, socialt stöd, egen tid och känslan av otillräcklighet som återkommande teman. Respondenterna upplevde sig sammantaget vara ganska nöjda och ansåg sig leva i jämställda parrelationer. Trots den upplevda tillfredställelsen påvisade resultatet i studien vissa könsrelaterade skillnader, främst gällande emotionellt ansvar. De kvinnliga respondenterna uttryckte i större uträckning att de tog ett större emotionellt ansvar, vilket kan tolkas vara en orsak till upplevd obalans och bidra till högre nivåer av arbete-familj konflikt. Hos de manliga respondenterna var avsaknad av socialt stöd och låg energi två anledningarna till upplevd obalans och högre nivåer av arbetefamilj konflikt.

Thesis advisor: Julie H. Mortimer / The unifying theme of this dissertation is the growing importance of pharmaceutical products in health care and in society more broadly. The first two chapters use structural and reduced-form models to study the effects of various policies on the choice and utilization of prescription drugs. The third chapter surveys the empirical literature on the competitive effects of a class of pricing arrangements used in the pharmaceutical and many other industries. Chapter 1. One of the criticisms leveled against direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is that it overemphasizes the use of pharmaceuticals at the expense of other forms of treatment. In “Choice of Depression Treatment: Advertising Spillovers in a Model with Complementarity,” I study how antidepressant TV ads affect demand for psychotherapy. Antidepressant advertising can increase demand for therapy if the products are complements or if advertising has spillover effects. To disentangle the different channels, I develop a discrete-choice demand model that allows for complementarity between products, advertising spillovers, and flexible unobserved preference heterogeneity. Individual-level panel data on treatment choices and price variation allow me to separately identify complementarity and correlated preferences, whereas the average price of TV advertising, used as an instrument, identifies the causal effect of antidepressant ads on demand for each product. The results indicate that even though antidepressants and psychotherapy are substitutes, drug advertising increases demand for therapy through a spillover effect. Allowing for time-invariant and time-varying unobservables that can be correlated across products critically affects the estimated degree of complementarity and advertising elasticities. Chapter 2. While prescription drugs have enabled the cost-effective treatment of a myriad of diseases, many pharmaceuticals come with potential for abuse. The growing use of opioid medications for chronic pain led to widespread misuse, addiction, and skyrocketing overdose death rates. In “Did Plain-Vanilla Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Reduce Opioid Use? Evidence from Privately Insured Patients,” I explore whether prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) with no registration or use mandates were effective in reducing the utilization of opioid prescription drugs. Exploiting the staggered introduction of such programs between 2008 and 2010, I use difference-in-differences to estimate their causal effect on the number of prescriptions, days supply, and dosage per capita. Based on data from privately insured adults, the estimation results reveal that PDMPs successfully reduced opioid utilization, especially of high-dosage prescriptions. A battery of robustness checks suggests that the estimated effects are caused by the PDMPs and not by confounding factors such as broader trends in health care, attrition, out-of-state purchases, or other anti-opioid policies. Chapter 3. The assumption that buyers pay the same price for each unit of the good they purchase underlies many economic analyses. However, linear pricing is one of many pricing arrangements used in practice. In “Empirical Evidence on Conditional Pricing Practices: A Review,” Julie Holland Mortimer and I review the existing empirical studies on the competitive impact of conditional pricing practices (CPPs), under which the price of a product may depend on a quantity, share, bundling, or other requirement. Examples of CPPs include all-units and loyalty discounts, full-line forcing contracts, and exclusivity arrangements. A common thread unifying the empirical literature is that CPPs often have both procompetitive and anticompetitive effects and that their net effect may depend on the details of the arrangements and the characteristics of the markets in which they are used. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

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