Onur Koska
S ho r t B io :
I ea rn ed my B .S c. d eg ree in Eco n o mic s f ro m
Ha ce ttep e Un ive r si ty, A n ka ra ( Tu r key ) a n d m y
Ph .D. d eg ree in E co n o m ic s fro m th e Un iv e rs it y
o f Ota g o , Du n ed in (N e w Z ea la n d ) . Befo re my
p o stg ra d u a te y ea rs a t Ota g o , I wa s a t th e
Mid d le Ea st Te ch n i ca l Un i ve r si ty ( ME TU ),
wh e re I co mp l eted M.S c . a n d Ph .D. co u rs e wo r k
in Eco n o mi cs .
My fi r st a ca d em ic p o si t io n a f te r O ta g o wa s in
Ge rma n y a t th e Un i ve r si ty o f Wü r zb u rg . In
2 0 1 1 , I mo ved to th e Un ive r si ty o f Tü b in g en a t
th e A s si s ta n t P ro fe s so r l evel , t h en in 2 0 1 5 , b a ck
to ME TU . Cu r ren tl y, I h o ld th e p o sit io n o f
As si s ta n t P ro fe s so r o f E co n o mi cs a t ME TU .
O n ur , fir s t o f a ll, I wa n t to sa y wel co me to o ur
d ep ar t me n t a g ai n a s yo u st ar ted a year a go a s a n
As s is ta n t P ro fe s so r . W e ar e ver y h ap p y to ha v e
yo u a nd g lad t h at yo ur r ese ar c h i nter e st s wi l l b e
a ni ce ad d it io n to t he l i st o f r e sea r c h to p ic s we
ha v e i n o u r d ep ar t me n t.
T ha n k yo u ver y mu c h. I t f eel s ver y g o o d to b e
b ac k a nd to b e a me mb er o f t h i s gr e at f a mi l y,
ind eed !
W ill yo u p lea se let u s k n o w ab o ut yo ur r e se arc h
in ter es t s a nd re ce nt p r o j ects yo u h a ve b ee n
wo r ki n g o n, e sp e cia ll y f o r tho se wh o d o no t ye t
k no w yo u?
I co n sid er m ys e l f ma i nl y a t heo r et ica l
mi cr o e co no mi s t, wh i le m y p r i nc ip a l r e sear c h
in ter es t s ar e i n t he f ie ld s o f i nte r nat io na l tr ad e
and i nd u str ia l o r ga n iza ti o n, wi t h a sp eci al fo c u s
o n mu l t i nat io na l fir m s a nd fo r e i g n d ir ec t
in v e st me n t .
Alt h o u g h I h a ve so m e d i ver si f ied r e s earc h
p o r t fo l io , m y rec e nt p r o j ects ha ve a t lea st o ne
th e me i n co m mo n, t hat i s, mo d e li n g i n fo r ma tio n
as y m me tr ie s i n t he co nt ex t o f fir m t h eo r y a nd
in ter n at io na l eco no mi c s. J us t to gi v e yo u a fe w
ex a mp l es , i n o ne o f th e p r o j ec ts, I mo d el
in f o r ma tio n
as y m me t r ie s
in
p ar t ner s hip
ar r a n ge me n t s ( e. g., me r ge r s, a cq ui si tio n s, o r
j o int ve nt u re s) wi t h e nd o ge no u s p r o f it s h ar e s o f
th e p o t e nt ia l p ar t ner f ir ms .
6
Department of Economics Newsletter
T hi s p ro j ect , fir s t, ad d res se s a mu l ti n at io na l
fir m's p ro b le m o f id e nt i fyi n g go o d ma tc h es wi t h
p o te nt ia l lo ca l p art n er s , t h e n scr u ti n ize s b o t h
th e c ho ic e b e t we e n g r ee n fi eld i n ve s t me n t (a
wh o l l y- o wn ed s ub sid ia r y) a nd a p art n er s hip
arra n ge me n t a nd t he co rre sp o nd i n g we l far e
i mp l ica tio n s u nd er i n co mp let e i n fo r ma tio n o n
ex -p o s t mar g i na l co st s o f p art ne ri n g fir ms .
In a d i ffere n t p ro j ect , I mo d el co mp e ti tio n
a mo n g mu l t i nat io na l fir ms i n a n e n v iro n me n t o f
fir m he tero g e nei t y, i nco mp let e co s t i n fo r mat io n
and s tra te gi c i n ter act i o n s. I n t hi s co nte x t,
fo r ei g n d irec t i n v es t me nt s er ve s a s a s i g nal o f
p ro d uc ti v it y: wh e n fir ms so rt i n to e xp o r ter s a nd
mu l t i nat io na l s, t he y a l s o si g na l wh e t her t he y
ha v e lo w o r h i g h p ro d uc ti vi t y.
In a no t h er p ro j ec t, wh i ch p er hap s i s t h e o ne a mo n g t he o t her re ce nt p ro j ect s - t hat c a n b e
p laced fur t her a wa y fro m t he field s o f
in ter n at io na l
tr ad e
and
fo re i g n
d ir ec t
in v e st me n t, I d e li ne at e t he s co p e o f a uc tio n s i n
th e p re se nc e o f d o wn s trea m i n ter ac tio n s a nd
in fo r ma tio n e x ter na li ti e s b y u s i n g t he to p ic al
ex a mp l e o f a fi r m a cq ui si tio n u nd er i nco mp let e
co s t i n fo r m a tio n . T he auc tio n li tera t ure ha s
in v e st i gat ed t h e ro l e o f b in d i n g r u le s a nd
fur t her
and t h e
st ud ie s
au ct io n
i n tera ct io n s a m o n g b id d e rs sep ar at el y,
mai n i n no v at io n in t hi s p ro j ect i s t ha t i t
co m mi t me n t to au ct io n r u le s a nd p o s t stra te g ic i nt erac tio n s a t t h e sa me t i me.
Al so v er y r ece n tl y, I ha v e ear ned a re se arc h
gra n t t hat i s a ward ed b y t he T UB IT AK R et ur n
Fel lo ws h ip P ro g ra m. T h is p ro j ec t wi l l i n cl ud e a