Offshoring of R&D activities by Multinational Corporations

This thesis attempts to extend the current understanding of the R&D offshoring process with specific focus on determinants of location choice for R&D activities. The literature dealing with the determinants of location choice is largely fragmented and hence this thesis attempts to integrate the different prevailing perspectives. Based on transactional cost economics, resource-based view and eclectic paradigm, this thesis adopts a multi-level approach to examine country, firm and project level factors of location choice decision. Moreover, this study investigates the difference between the degree of innovativeness and routineness of R&D activities offshored to developed and emerging countries. Furthermore, it also looks at the difference between the degree of innovativeness and routineness of R&D activities offshored to foreign affiliate and non-integrated suppliers.