The Differential Effects of Foreign Investments on Sectoral Growth

Abstract

Previous studies on the effect of FDI on sectoral growth are far from reaching a consensus. This paper, using a panel data of 35 countries between 1990-2019, aims at investigating the differential effects of foreign direct investment modes of entry into the economic sectors. Through the systems generalized method of moments methodology, this study found that the impact of foreign investment on growth corresponds directly with the absorptive capacity of the host country. Meanwhile,M&A is a better economic booster than greenfield investment. The results also suggest that foreign investment is a significant agent of economic growth in the service sector, relatively weak in the manufacturing sector and insignificant in the agriculture sector. Also, M&A seems to spillover more easily than greenfield across sectors, and natural resources are not very good channels to transmit foreign investment into economic growth.