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Chinese outward foreign direct investment—a challenge for traditional internationalization theories?

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Abstract

In this paper we explore the current state of research on outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese firms. A literature review identifies 62 articles in 15 peer-reviewed academic journals that were published between 1986 and 2012. We examine the underlying theories, research methods, motives, determinants, host countries, industries, periods of observation, nationality of authors and performance of Chinese OFDI, as well as the degree of consensus with traditional internationalization theories. We find that the majority of studies find these theories not applicable to explain Chinese OFDI. We discuss possible extensions and modifications and derive implications for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Management, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 90403, Nürnberg, Germany

    Sue Claire Berning & Dirk Holtbrügge

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  1. Sue Claire Berning
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  2. Dirk Holtbrügge
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Correspondence to Sue Claire Berning.

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Berning, S.C., Holtbrügge, D. Chinese outward foreign direct investment—a challenge for traditional internationalization theories?. J Betriebswirtsch 62, 169–224 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-012-0086-5

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