The effects of aid on foreign direct investment : the roles of governance and financial market development

Abstract

This thesis investigates the effects of aid on foreign direct investment. The study takes into account the conditions such as sound governance within countries or well-developed financial markets, which are expected to effect this relationship. The hypothesis is that aid encourages foreign direct investment only where governance is of quality or financial markets are developed or both. The dynamic relationship is examined using an unbalanced panel data set, including 97 countries over the period of 1960-2004, where available. The results of the empirical analysis confirm the hypothesis with strong evidence.