A meta-analysis of economic diplomacy and its effect on international economic flows

This meta-analysis deals with 29 empirical studies on the trade and investment impact of economic diplomacy (embassies, consulates and other diplomatic facilities, investment and export promotion offices, trade and state visits). The meta-regression results suggest that the significance of the coefficient of economic diplomacy is more pronounced when studies use embassies as an explanatory variable as compared to studies using consulates, trade missions, state visits and export promotion agencies. If the primary dependant variable under investigation is exports one may also expect to find more significant coefficients then in an otherwise similar regression explaining the relation between economic diplomacy and imports, total trade or foreign direct investment. Furthermore empirical design factors play a role in the reported results of the studies we reviewed. Studies based on a single country will in general show lower significance.