Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation

This paper develops a simple model to analyze the interaction between strategic corporate public good provision, international firm location and national regulation. An information-based strategic corporate public good provision mechanism is propos...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kitzmuller, Markus
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:
GDP
TAX
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/10/16873350/better-information-always-good-news-international-corporate-strategy-regulation
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12092
id okr-10986-12092
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic ACCESS TO INFORMATION
ACCOUNTING
ADVERSE EFFECTS
ADVERTISING
ARBITRAGE
BANK POLICY
BARGAINING
BARGAINING POWER
BERTRAND COMPETITION
BINDING CONSTRAINT
BOND
BRAND
CHILD LABOR
CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
COMMERCE
COMMITMENT DEVICE
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
COMPETITIVE PRICES
COMPETITIVENESS
CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS
CONSUMER PREFERENCES
CONSUMERS
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION
COORDINATION FAILURE
CORPORATE TAXES
CREDIBILITY
DERIVATIVE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
DISPLACEMENT
DRIVERS
DUMPING
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR
ECONOMIC COMPETITION
ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
ECONOMIC MOTIVATION
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMICS
ECONOMISTS
EMERGING MARKET
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMY
EMERGING MARKETS
EMISSIONS
EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPLOYMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
ENVIRONMENTS
EQUILIBRIUM
EQUILIBRIUM PRICES
EXPENDITURES
EXPLOITATION
EXPORTS
EXTERNALITIES
EXTERNALITY
FAIR
FAIR TRADE
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FIRM PERFORMANCE
FIXED COSTS
FLOW OF INFORMATION
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
FREE TRADE
GDP
GLOBALIZATION
HOLDING
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
IMPERFECT INFORMATION
INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT
INCOME EFFECTS
INCOME LEVELS
INDUSTRIALIZATION
INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES
INFORMATION ASYMMETRY
INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
INNOVATION
INSTRUMENT
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
LABOR FORCE
LABOR ORGANIZATION
LABOR STANDARD
LABOR STANDARDS
LEGAL TOOLS
LIABILITY
LOCAL MARKETS
LYON
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL COSTS
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET ECONOMY
MARKET FAILURE
MARKET FORCES
MARKET LEVEL
MARKET LEVELS
MARKET MECHANISM
MARKET MECHANISMS
MARKET SHARE
MARKET VALUE
MARKETING
MINES
MONITORING COSTS
MONITORING TECHNOLOGY
MONOPOLY
NASH EQUILIBRIUM
NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFECT INFORMATION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION LEVELS
PRICE SETTING
PRICING STRATEGY
PRIVATE INFORMATION
PRODUCERS
PRODUCT MARKETS
PRODUCT QUALITY
PRODUCTION COSTS
PRODUCTION PROCESS
PRODUCTION PROCESSES
PRODUCTIVITY
PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PUBLIC GOOD
PUBLIC GOODS
PURCHASING
PURCHASING POWER
QUALITY STANDARDS
REGULATORY AUTHORITY
REGULATORY CONSTRAINT
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
REGULATORY STANDARDS
REGULATORY SYSTEM
RELEVANT MARKETS
RETAILING
RETURNS
SALES
SCALE EFFECTS
SELF-REGULATION
SPREAD
STOCK MARKET
STOCKS
SUBSTITUTE
SUPPLIERS
SUPPLY CHAINS
TAX
TAX REVENUE
TRADE BARRIERS
TRADE LIBERALIZATION
TRADE POLICY
TRADE REFORMS
TRADING
TRANSPARENCY
UTILITY FUNCTIONS
UTILITY MAXIMIZATION
VALUATION
WEALTH
WELFARE EFFECTS
WELFARE FUNCTION
WILLINGNESS TO PAY
spellingShingle ACCESS TO INFORMATION
ACCOUNTING
ADVERSE EFFECTS
ADVERTISING
ARBITRAGE
BANK POLICY
BARGAINING
BARGAINING POWER
BERTRAND COMPETITION
BINDING CONSTRAINT
BOND
BRAND
CHILD LABOR
CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
COMMERCE
COMMITMENT DEVICE
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
COMPETITIVE PRICES
COMPETITIVENESS
CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS
CONSUMER PREFERENCES
CONSUMERS
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION
COORDINATION FAILURE
CORPORATE TAXES
CREDIBILITY
DERIVATIVE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRY
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
DISPLACEMENT
DRIVERS
DUMPING
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR
ECONOMIC COMPETITION
ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
ECONOMIC MOTIVATION
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
ECONOMIC THEORY
ECONOMICS
ECONOMISTS
EMERGING MARKET
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES
EMERGING MARKET ECONOMY
EMERGING MARKETS
EMISSIONS
EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
EMPLOYMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
ENVIRONMENTS
EQUILIBRIUM
EQUILIBRIUM PRICES
EXPENDITURES
EXPLOITATION
EXPORTS
EXTERNALITIES
EXTERNALITY
FAIR
FAIR TRADE
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FIRM PERFORMANCE
FIXED COSTS
FLOW OF INFORMATION
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
FREE TRADE
GDP
GLOBALIZATION
HOLDING
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
IMPERFECT INFORMATION
INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT
INCOME EFFECTS
INCOME LEVELS
INDUSTRIALIZATION
INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES
INFORMATION ASYMMETRY
INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
INNOVATION
INSTRUMENT
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
LABOR FORCE
LABOR ORGANIZATION
LABOR STANDARD
LABOR STANDARDS
LEGAL TOOLS
LIABILITY
LOCAL MARKETS
LYON
MARGINAL COST
MARGINAL COSTS
MARKET ECONOMIES
MARKET ECONOMY
MARKET FAILURE
MARKET FORCES
MARKET LEVEL
MARKET LEVELS
MARKET MECHANISM
MARKET MECHANISMS
MARKET SHARE
MARKET VALUE
MARKETING
MINES
MONITORING COSTS
MONITORING TECHNOLOGY
MONOPOLY
NASH EQUILIBRIUM
NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY
PER CAPITA INCOME
PERFECT INFORMATION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLLUTION
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION LEVELS
PRICE SETTING
PRICING STRATEGY
PRIVATE INFORMATION
PRODUCERS
PRODUCT MARKETS
PRODUCT QUALITY
PRODUCTION COSTS
PRODUCTION PROCESS
PRODUCTION PROCESSES
PRODUCTIVITY
PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PUBLIC GOOD
PUBLIC GOODS
PURCHASING
PURCHASING POWER
QUALITY STANDARDS
REGULATORY AUTHORITY
REGULATORY CONSTRAINT
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
REGULATORY STANDARDS
REGULATORY SYSTEM
RELEVANT MARKETS
RETAILING
RETURNS
SALES
SCALE EFFECTS
SELF-REGULATION
SPREAD
STOCK MARKET
STOCKS
SUBSTITUTE
SUPPLIERS
SUPPLY CHAINS
TAX
TAX REVENUE
TRADE BARRIERS
TRADE LIBERALIZATION
TRADE POLICY
TRADE REFORMS
TRADING
TRANSPARENCY
UTILITY FUNCTIONS
UTILITY MAXIMIZATION
VALUATION
WEALTH
WELFARE EFFECTS
WELFARE FUNCTION
WILLINGNESS TO PAY
Kitzmuller, Markus
Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
relation Policy Research Working Paper; No. 6251
description This paper develops a simple model to analyze the interaction between strategic corporate public good provision, international firm location and national regulation. An information-based strategic corporate public good provision mechanism is proposed to shed light on recent firm behavior within different regulatory environments. The main insight derived is that in the presence of firms with geographic flexibility (multinational enterprises) and market provision of an international public credence good, unilateral (non-cooperative) regulatory scope depends on (1) the absolute probabilities to verify firms' corporate public good provision levels within different geographic and institutional environments, and (2) the differential between these probabilities across countries. The relative information asymmetry determines not only the market levels of the public good produced under autarky, but also the relocation incentives of multinational enterprises. A firm trades off lower production costs, which increase its competitiveness in pricing, with higher expected informational price premiums, which decrease its competitiveness. A government's ability to regulate above market (corporate public good provision) levels decreases with the absolute level of foreign transparency, while it increases in the relative (positive) difference between the same transparency at home and abroad. This may not only explain mixed empirical evidence of theoretic propositions such as the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and Regulatory Race to the Bottom dynamics, but also open up interesting policy implications as the international information playing field becomes leveled through development, while existing regulations are rather rigid, and policy coordination remains limited.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Kitzmuller, Markus
author_facet Kitzmuller, Markus
author_sort Kitzmuller, Markus
title Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
title_short Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
title_full Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
title_fullStr Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
title_full_unstemmed Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation
title_sort is better information always good news? international corporate strategy and regulation
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2013
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/10/16873350/better-information-always-good-news-international-corporate-strategy-regulation
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12092
_version_ 1764418995595771904
spelling okr-10986-120922021-04-23T14:02:59Z Is Better Information Always Good News? International Corporate Strategy and Regulation Kitzmuller, Markus ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACCOUNTING ADVERSE EFFECTS ADVERTISING ARBITRAGE BANK POLICY BARGAINING BARGAINING POWER BERTRAND COMPETITION BINDING CONSTRAINT BOND BRAND CHILD LABOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY COMMERCE COMMITMENT DEVICE COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES COMPETITIVE PRICES COMPETITIVENESS CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS CONSUMER PREFERENCES CONSUMERS CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION COORDINATION FAILURE CORPORATE TAXES CREDIBILITY DERIVATIVE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT POLICY DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION DISPLACEMENT DRIVERS DUMPING ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR ECONOMIC COMPETITION ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC MOTIVATION ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ECONOMIC THEORY ECONOMICS ECONOMISTS EMERGING MARKET EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES EMERGING MARKET ECONOMY EMERGING MARKETS EMISSIONS EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EMPLOYMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS ENVIRONMENTS EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM PRICES EXPENDITURES EXPLOITATION EXPORTS EXTERNALITIES EXTERNALITY FAIR FAIR TRADE FINANCIAL MARKETS FIRM PERFORMANCE FIXED COSTS FLOW OF INFORMATION FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FREE TRADE GDP GLOBALIZATION HOLDING HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION IMPERFECT INFORMATION INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT INCOME EFFECTS INCOME LEVELS INDUSTRIALIZATION INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES INFORMATION ASYMMETRY INFORMATION DISCLOSURE INNOVATION INSTRUMENT INTERNATIONAL BANK INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS INTERNATIONAL TRADE LABOR FORCE LABOR ORGANIZATION LABOR STANDARD LABOR STANDARDS LEGAL TOOLS LIABILITY LOCAL MARKETS LYON MARGINAL COST MARGINAL COSTS MARKET ECONOMIES MARKET ECONOMY MARKET FAILURE MARKET FORCES MARKET LEVEL MARKET LEVELS MARKET MECHANISM MARKET MECHANISMS MARKET SHARE MARKET VALUE MARKETING MINES MONITORING COSTS MONITORING TECHNOLOGY MONOPOLY NASH EQUILIBRIUM NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY PER CAPITA INCOME PERFECT INFORMATION POLITICAL ECONOMY POLLUTION POLLUTION ABATEMENT POLLUTION LEVELS PRICE SETTING PRICING STRATEGY PRIVATE INFORMATION PRODUCERS PRODUCT MARKETS PRODUCT QUALITY PRODUCTION COSTS PRODUCTION PROCESS PRODUCTION PROCESSES PRODUCTIVITY PROFIT MAXIMIZATION PROPERTY RIGHTS PUBLIC GOOD PUBLIC GOODS PURCHASING PURCHASING POWER QUALITY STANDARDS REGULATORY AUTHORITY REGULATORY CONSTRAINT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REGULATORY STANDARDS REGULATORY SYSTEM RELEVANT MARKETS RETAILING RETURNS SALES SCALE EFFECTS SELF-REGULATION SPREAD STOCK MARKET STOCKS SUBSTITUTE SUPPLIERS SUPPLY CHAINS TAX TAX REVENUE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADE POLICY TRADE REFORMS TRADING TRANSPARENCY UTILITY FUNCTIONS UTILITY MAXIMIZATION VALUATION WEALTH WELFARE EFFECTS WELFARE FUNCTION WILLINGNESS TO PAY This paper develops a simple model to analyze the interaction between strategic corporate public good provision, international firm location and national regulation. An information-based strategic corporate public good provision mechanism is proposed to shed light on recent firm behavior within different regulatory environments. The main insight derived is that in the presence of firms with geographic flexibility (multinational enterprises) and market provision of an international public credence good, unilateral (non-cooperative) regulatory scope depends on (1) the absolute probabilities to verify firms' corporate public good provision levels within different geographic and institutional environments, and (2) the differential between these probabilities across countries. The relative information asymmetry determines not only the market levels of the public good produced under autarky, but also the relocation incentives of multinational enterprises. A firm trades off lower production costs, which increase its competitiveness in pricing, with higher expected informational price premiums, which decrease its competitiveness. A government's ability to regulate above market (corporate public good provision) levels decreases with the absolute level of foreign transparency, while it increases in the relative (positive) difference between the same transparency at home and abroad. This may not only explain mixed empirical evidence of theoretic propositions such as the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and Regulatory Race to the Bottom dynamics, but also open up interesting policy implications as the international information playing field becomes leveled through development, while existing regulations are rather rigid, and policy coordination remains limited. 2013-01-04T18:54:55Z 2013-01-04T18:54:55Z 2012-10 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/10/16873350/better-information-always-good-news-international-corporate-strategy-regulation http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12092 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 6251 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research