Motive, Strukturen und Auswirkungen deutscher Direktinvestitionen in Tschechien

Abstract

"The internationally coordinated IAB research project ReLOC - Research on Locational and Organisational Change - investigates the impact of direct investments of German firms in the Czech Republic on the labor markets in both countries. The analysis focuses on the effects of these cross-border business activities on employment, skill and wage structures in Germany and the Czech Republic. Investments in manufacturing and service activities abroad are a widespread phenomenon that is closely related to the process of economic integration of European markets. The theory of the multinational firm makes a classic distinction between two types of foreign direct investment. Vertical foreign direct investment is undertaken for the reason of cost savings, whereas horizontal foreign direct investment refers to investments that are performed in order to gain product market access. A central controversial topic concerns the impact of off shoring and the slicing up of the value-added chain of production and service activities on net employment in the country of origin and in the target country, particularly when countries with significant wage level differences are involved. Moreover, the activities of multinational firms are likely to influence the interregional allocation of productive resources and wealth. Concerning these research topics important gaps in both the theoretical and the empirical field exist that the ReLOC project aims to fill. In order to counter the lack of reliable information a central element of this project is a firm survey launched by the IAB both in Germany and in the Czech Republic. From September 2010 until May 2011 interviews were conducted in firms having cross-border linkages as well as in a comparison group of firms not investing abroad or without any foreign ownership respectively. Based on the survey new - internationally unique - linked employer-employee micro data sets are to be created that, by adding a time dimension, provide excellent conditions for profound empirical investigations. In this research report the first descriptive results of the survey are presented." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Hecht, V., Hohmeyer, K., Litzel, N., Moritz, M., Müller, J., Phan thi Hong, V. & Schäffler, J. (2013): Motive, Strukturen und Auswirkungen deutscher Direktinvestitionen in Tschechien. Erste Untersuchungsergebnisse aus dem IAB-Projekt ReLOC - Research on Locational and Organisational Change. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 01/2013), Nürnberg, 101 p.