This paper looks at the importance of CSR considerations in the decision taken by a foreign affiliate of a multinational company about the choice of local suppliers. We investigate this empirically using unique firm level data for more than 2,000 foreign owned firms in 19 Sub-Saharan African...

This paper uses firm level data for 19 African countries to look at the link between domestic firms’ business relationship with multinationals and their performance in terms of innovation and productivity. Quite uniquely, we also evaluate the importance of support received by the domestic...

[Introduction] Cluster development programs have become increasingly widespread tools in fostering innovation and growth of a competitive private sector in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Naturally emerged clusters of micro- and small-scale enterprises (MSEs) are predominantly common...

This paper uses firm level data for 19 African countries to look at the link between domestic firms' business relationship with multinationals and their performance in terms of innovation and productivity. Quite uniquely, we also evaluate the importance of support received by the domestic firm,...

We compare the performance of Northern and Southern multinationals in Sub-Saharan Africa, and contrast it with local firms in the host country. Employing unique firm level data for 19 Sub-Saharan African countries, we show that firms receiving FDI outperform domestic ones, while the origin of...

While African countries are becoming more and more relevant as host countries for suppliers of multinational companies little is known about corporate social responsibility (CSR) in this region. To fill this gap, the present paper explores CSR considerations of foreign affiliates of...

We compare the performance of Northern and Southern multinationals in Sub-Saharan Africa, and contrast it with local firms in the host country. Employing unique firm level data for 19 Sub-Saharan African countries, we show that firms receiving FDI outperform domestic ones, while the origin of...

This paper aims to identify the obstacles to attracting "quality" foreign direct investment (FDI) in middle-skill manufacturing activities, so as to inform an action-agenda for policies that will help developing and emerging market economies to link into global supply chains while building...

Foreign direct investment in developing countries has got a bad reputation in some popular discussions where it is set tantamount to first world’s postcolonial exploitation of the raw materials and cheap labour from the third world, associated with pictures of leaking oil fields and collapsing...

The disconnect between the lofty aspirations of firms claiming Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and their shortcomings in practice have caused some observers to question its usefulness. The fallout from events like the Rana Plaza catastrophe has highlighted some of these...