Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Sotiris Blanas
Author-Name-First: Sotiris
Author-Name-Last: Blanas
Author-Name: Adnan Seric
Author-Name-First: Adnan
Author-Name-Last: Seric
Title: Knowledge Transfer and Intra-Firm Trade
Abstract: Using a unique sample of foreign affliates in Sub-Saharan Africa, we study the relationship of the extensive and intensive margins of their intra-firm trade with knowledge transfer to them from their parent companies. We find that the engagement of foreign affliates in intra-firm trade and their share of intra-firm trade are positively associated with the probability of these receiving crucial parental assistance in the use of patents, trademarks, and brand names, technology and know-how, access to foreign supplier network, and access to global markets. Foreign afiliates which engage in intra-firm trade and those with a higher share of this type of trade also receive more important overall<br/>parental assistance. The positive associations between intra-firm trade and knowledge transfer in the form of patents, trademarks and brand names are weaker in countries with relatively strong legal rights than in countries with relatively weak legal rights. Our findings point to the interplay between property rights and intangible assets theories of the multinational firm by suggesting that the joint role of knowledge ows in production and of multinational firm boundaries as facilitators of transfers of tangibles and intangibles is crucial.
Creation-Date: 2017
File-URL: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/economics/working-papers/LancasterWP2017_020.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
Number: 178612931
Classification-JEL: f14, f21, f23, l21, l23, l24
Keywords: knowledge transfer, intra-firm trade, foreign affliates, Sub-Saharan Africa
Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:178612931