Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the UK Electronic Industry: The Eclectic Approach

This article analyses the combined effects of Japanese firms' ownership and location advantages on the size of foreign direct investment (FDI). The size of FDI is measured by two proxies, the firm's employment level and its total assets. Econometric models are estimated. The estimated regression models show that the parent company's firm-specific resources and the external economies in the located region determine the flow of FDI at the time of entry of Japanese electronic firms in the UK. This result shows that empirical analysis on FDI flows should combine both the ownership and location advantages, as suggested by Dunning's eclectic paradigm.