Attracting FDI to developing countries

This study examines the efforts of many developing countries to promote their economies as sites for foreign direct investment. It develops a model of determinants of foreign direct investment flows to test the extent to which countries are able to differentially attract foreign direct investment through promotional activities. The statistical study lends support to the concept that the convergence of policy and promotional activities around the developing world is leading to a movement toward the maturity phase of the life cycle of the differential effectiveness of special attraction efforts. While this trend does not support a discontinuation of these special attraction efforts, we do suggest that it does make it critical that promotional organizations in developing countries emphasize “functional” rather than “selective” policy reforms and promotional activities that are non‐discriminatory in relation to local investors.