International Knowledge Spillovers: The Benefits from Employing Immigrants

33 Pages Posted: 4 Mar 2015

See all articles by Jürgen Bitzer

Jürgen Bitzer

University of Oldenburg

Erkan Gören

University of Oldenburg - Department of Economics and Statistics

Sanne Hiller

Aarhus University

Date Written: March 2, 2015

Abstract

This paper explores the role of immigrant employees for a firm’s capability to absorb international knowledge. Using matched employer-employee data from Denmark for the years 1996 to 2009, we are able to show that non-Danish employees from technological advanced countries contribute significantly to a firm’s economic output through their ability to access international knowledge. The empirical results suggest that the immigrants’ impact increases if they come from technological advanced countries, have a high educational level, and are employed in high-skilled positions.

Keywords: R&D Spillovers, Absorptive Capacity, Firm-Level Analysis, Foreign Workers, Immigrants

JEL Classification: D20, J82, L20, O30

Suggested Citation

Bitzer, Jürgen and Gören, Erkan and Hiller, Sanne, International Knowledge Spillovers: The Benefits from Employing Immigrants (March 2, 2015). ZenTra Working Paper in Transnational Studies No. 49 / 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2572407 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2572407

Jürgen Bitzer (Contact Author)

University of Oldenburg ( email )

Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118
Oldenburg, D-26111
Germany

Erkan Gören

University of Oldenburg - Department of Economics and Statistics ( email )

Oldenburg, D 26111
Germany
+49 441 7984292 (Phone)

Sanne Hiller

Aarhus University ( email )

Nordre Ringgade 1
DK-8000 Aarhus C, 8000
Denmark

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