This dissertation was prepared by Alexander-Nikolai Sandkamp, completed in September 2018 and first published online by LMU Munich in February 2019. It consists of four selfcontained chapters that empirically investigate different trade dampening phenomena using gravity analysis. The first two...

This paper quantifies the value of importer-exporter relationships. We show that almost 80 percent of U.S. imports take place in pre-existing relationships, with sizable heterogeneity across countries, and show that traded quantities and survival increase as relationships age. We develop a...

Using a newly built soft power index, we examine whether and how soft power affects Chinese firm-level export to the Belt and Road (B&R) countries from 2000 to 2016. We find that soft power has significantly positive effects on both export value and export product types for the B&R countries....

In recent years, the number of research and development (R&D) partnerships between firms has substantially increased. From the perspective of the individual firm, these partnerships are formed in order to share the risks and benefits of R&D. At the macro level, they result in a global spanning...

In the absence of discrimination, there should be no wage-productivity differentials as relative wages should be equal to the relative marginal productivity levels of workers. This paper investigates the role of globalization on the structure and evolution of gender differentials in China by...

Using firm level data, the authors examine how global industrial concentration has changed over the last decade in relation to the rise of China. Between 2006 and 2014, global concentration has declined in most industries and is falling on average across all industries, while firms at the top of...

Business registration is crucial for ensuring accountable, transparent and viable business environments. By bringing businesses into the formal economy, governments are able to provide more strategic and targeted policies for businesses and consumers. The objective of this working paper is to...

This study analyzes the impact of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) on the investment of multinational firms located outside the FTA-covered regions. Specifically, we analyze how Japanese firms located in the European Union (EU) changed their investment behavior in response to the EU-Korea...

Cultural, institutional, and psychic distances between countries are critical determinants of bilateral trade. In this paper we examine if ethical distance and difference between an exporting country and an importing country matter in international trade. Ethics in international trade is...

Cultural, institutional, and psychic distances between countries are critical determinants of bilateral trade. In this paper we examine if ethical distance and difference between an exporting country and an importing country matter in international trade. Ethics in international trade is...