Multinationals and Plant Survivals in Swedish Manufacturing

Are multinational enterprises MNEs more likely than none-MNEs, owing to their footlose charater, to close down their plants? The results from using a panel o all Swedish manufacturing plants over the period 1993 and 2002 suggest that MNE plants, and in particular Swedish MNE plants, have higher probability to exit the market than non-MNE plants. The outcome is robust controlling for other variables affecting the survival rates. Among non-MNE plants the probabilities of exit is higher in non-exporting firms than in exporting firms. Moreover, the increased forefin presence in swedish manufacturing seems, due to intesified competition, to have led to higher exit rates of plants in non-exporting non-MNEs. Plants of globally engaged indigenous firms, such as plants of Swedish MNEs and exporting non-MNEs, appear. on the other hand, to have been unaffected of the increased foregin presence.Survival analysis; multinational enterprises; foregin ownership

Foreign Acquisition, Wages and Productivity

This paper studies the effect of foreign acquisition on wages and total factor productivity (TFP) in the years following a takeover by using unique detailed firm-level data for Sweden for the period 1993-2002. The paper takes particular account of the potential endogeneity of the acquisition decision (for example due to “cherry picking”) by implementing an instrumental variable approach and propensity score matching with difference-in-difference estimation technique. Moreover, in line with recent literature on firm heterogeneity in international trade, this paper allows for the acquisition effect to differ depending on whether the targeted firms were domestic multinational or non-multinationals before the foreign takeover. This paper also allows for the acquisition effect to differ depending on whether the acquisition is horizontal or vertical. The result shows that foreign acquisition has no effects on overall, skilled or less-skilled wage growth neither in targeted Swedish MNEs nor in targeted Swedish non-MNEs and neither if the acquisition was motivated by vertical or horizontal motives. However, the results indicate that both targeted Swedish MNEs and non- MNEs have better growth in TFP after vertical foreign acquisition only but no such impact from horizontal foreign acquisitionheterogeneity; multinational enterprises; acquisitions; wage differentials; productivity; matching; difference-in-difference

Do Workers Benefit from Foreign Ownership? Evidence from Swedish manufacturing

The paper examines whether foreign-owned firms pay higher wages than domestically owned firms, controlling for a number of firm characteristics. As in most other similar studies I find that this appears to be the case. In particular, skilled labor seems to profit from working in foreign-owned firms. Furthermore, I distinguish between Swedish multinational enterprises (MNEs) and other domestically owned firms. In accordance with the idea that MNEs are superior to other firms the former pays significantly higher wages than other domestically owned firms. Foreigners acquiring high-wage Swedish MNEs may thus account for the higher wages in foreign-owned firms. Alternatively, the acquired firms might have more favorable wage growth than non-targeted domestically owned firms. Nevertheless, the two explanations are not mutually exclusive I only get support for that foreign firms select high-wage firms (Swedish MNEs as well as non-MNEs) for acquisition.Wage differentials; Multinational enterprises; Foreign ownership

Foreign acquisition, plant survival, and employment growth

This paper analyses the effect of foreign acquisition on survival probability and employment growth of target plant using data on Swedish manufacturing plants during the period 1993- 2002. An improvement over previous studies is that we take into account firm level heterogeneity by separating the targeted plants into those within Swedish MNEs, Swedish exporting non-MNEs, and purely domestic firms before foreign takeover. The results, controlling for possible endogeneity of the acquisition dummy using an IV and propensity score matching approach suggest that acquisition by foreign owners increases the lifetime of the acquired plants only if the plant was an exporter. The effect differs depending on whether the acquisition is horizontal or vertical. We also find robust positive employment growth effects only for exporters, and only if the takeover is vertical, not horizontalAcquisitions; plant survival; employment growth; multinational enterprises

Foreign Acquisition and Employment Effects in Swedish Manufacturing

This paper investigates the employment effects of foreign acquisitions in acquired firms in Swedish manufacturing during the 1990s, a period characterized by a dramatic increase in foreign ownership. To handle likely endogeneity problems, we evaluate the effects of foreign acquisitions on the targeted firms’ employment by combining propensity score matching with difference-in-difference estimation. We find some evidence of positive employment effects in firms taken over by foreigners and it seems that the employment of skilled labor increases more than the employment of less-skilled labor. Moreover, we examine whether the employment impact of foreign ownership differs between takeovers of Swedish MNEs and non-MNEs. Our results indicate that the positive employment effects only appear in acquired non-MNEs. Furthermore, we observe shifts in skill intensities toward higher shares of skilled labor in non-MNEs taken over by foreign MNEs but not in acquired Swedish MNEs.Foreign acquisitions, labor demand, matching, difference-in difference, multinational enterprises

Multinationals and plant survival in Swedish manufacturing

Are multinational enterprises, MNEs, more likely than non-MNEs to close down their plants due to their footloose character? The results from using a panel of all Swedish manufacturing plants over the period 1993 and 2002 suggest that MNE plants, in particular Swedish MNE plants, have a higher probability of exiting the market than non-MNE plants. The outcome is robust controlling for other variables affecting the survival rates. Among non-MNE plants, the probabilities of exit are higher in non-exporting firms than in exporting firms. Moreover, the increased foreign presence in Swedish manufacturing seems to have led to higher exit rates of plants in non-exporting non-MNEs while plants of globally engaged indigenous firms appear to have been unaffected by the increased foreign presence.Survival analysis, multinational enterprises, foreign ownership

Foreign acquisitions, domestic multinationals, and R&D

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the causal effect of foreign acquisition on R&D intensity in targeted domestic firms. We are able to distinguish domestic multinationals and non-multinationals, which allows us to investigate the fear that the change in ownership of domestic to foreign multinationals leads to a reduction in R&D activity in the country, as headquarter activities are relocated to the new owners home country. We use unique and rich firm level data for the Swedish manufacturing sector and different micro-econometric estimation strategies in order to control for the potential endogeneity of the acquisition dummy. Overall, our results give no support to the fears that foreign acquisition of domestic firms lead to a brain drain of R&D activity in Swedish MNEs. Rather, this paper finds robust evidence that foreign acquisitions lead to increasing R&D intensity in acquired domestic MNEs and non-MNEs.Foreign acquisition; MNE; R&D

Foreign acquisition, plant survival, and employment growth

This paper analyses the effect of foreign acquisition on survival probability and employment growth of target plant using data on Swedish manufacturing plants during the period 1993-2002. An improvement over previous studies is that we take into account firm level heterogeneity by separating the targeted plants into those within Swedish MNEs, Swedish exporting non-MNEs, and purely domestic firms before foreign takeover. The results, controlling for possible endogeneity of the acquisition dummy using an IV and propensity score matching approach suggest that acquisition by foreign owners increases the lifetime of the acquired plants only if the plant was an exporter. The effect differs depending on whether the acquisition is horizontal or vertical. We also find robust positive employment growth effects only for exporters, and only if the takeover is vertical, not horizontal.Acquisitions; plant survival; employment growth; multinational enterprises

Foreign Acquisition, Plant Survival, and Employment Growth

This paper analyses the effect of foreign acquisition on survival probability and employment growth of target plant using data on Swedish manufacturing plants during the period 1993-2002. An improvement over previous studies is that we take into account firm level heterogeneity by separating the targeted plants into those within Swedish MNEs, Swedish exporting non-MNEs, and purely domestic firms before foreign takeover. The results, controlling for possible endogeneity of the acquisition dummy using an IV and propensity score matching approach suggest that acquisition by foreign owners increases the lifetime of the acquired plants only if the plant was an exporter. The effect differs depending on whether the acquisition is horizontal or vertical. We also find robust positive employment growth effects only for exporters, and only if the takeover is vertical, not horizontal.employment growth, plant survival, acquisitions, multinational enterprises

Foreign Acquisitions, Plant Survival, and Employment Growth

This paper analyses the effect of foreign acquisition on survival probability and employment growth of target plant using data on Swedish manufacturing plants during the period 1993-2002. An improvement over previous studies is that we take into account firm level heterogeneity by separating the targeted plants into those within Swedish MNEs, Swedish exporting non-MNEs, and purely domestic firms before foreign takeover. The results, controlling for possible endogeneity of the acquisition dummy using an IV and propensity score matching approach suggest that acquisition by foreign owners increases the lifetime of the acquired plants only if the plant was an exporter. The effect differs depending on whether the acquisition is horizontal or vertical. We also find robust positive employment growth effects only for exporters, and only if the takeover is vertical, not horizontal.acquisitions, plant survival, employment growth, multinational enterprises