FDI theory and foreign direct investment in the United States: a comparison of investors and non-investors
研究用判别函数分析1984-1988年间240家非美国公司，发现投资者比非投资者规模更大、利润更高，且来自对美出口多、研发投入高的行业。
This study used discriminant function analysis on a sample of 240 non-US firms to determine if they could be correctly classified as direct investors or non-investors in the United States for each year during the five year period 1984–1988. Results were robust, correctly classifying 72.81% of all firms (5-year average). Specifically, investors were larger and more profitable than non-investors. They came from industries with higher exports to the United States, and which spend more on research and development. Unexpectedly, prior rates of industry export growth to the United States and global industry concentration did not discriminate between investors and non-investors.