International reverse spillover effects on parent firms: Evidences from emerging-market MNEs in developed markets

This study examines whether and to what extent emerging-market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) use outward foreign direct investment (FDI) in a developed market to capture knowledge spillovers so as to improve their technological capabilities at home. We refer to this as a "reverse spillover" effect on parent firms, and develop the idea based on the knowledge-seeking motive for FDI by EM MNEs. Extending previous studies that have identified the knowledge-seeking motive and have also provided some evidence for its validity, our study focuses on the effects of such FDI on technological capabilities of EM MNEs at home. Using a panel dataset of 493 EM MNEs over the period 2000-2008, and controlling for possible endogeneity, we find evidence supporting the reverse spillover effect: EM MNEs that have subsidiaries in host developed markets richer in technological resources (measured by R&D investments and R&D employment) exhibit stronger technological capabilities at home. We discuss the implications of our study for research and practice related to the internationalization of EM MNEs. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.