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on Economics of Strategic Management |
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Issue of 2011‒04‒09
thirteen papers chosen by Joao Jose de Matos Ferreira University of the Beira Interior |
| By: | Pablo D'Este; Frederick Guy; Simona Iammarino |
| Abstract: | Research collaborations between universities and industry (U-I) are considered to be one important channel of potential localised knowledge spillovers. These collaborations favour both intended and unintended flows of knowledge and facilitate learning processes between partners from different organisations. Despite the copious literature on localised knowledge spillovers, still little is known about the factors driving the formation of U-I research collaborations and, in particular, about the role that geographical proximity plays in the establishment of such relationships. Using collaborative research grants between universities and business firms awarded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in this paper we disentangle some of the conditions under which different kinds of proximity contribute to the formation of U-I research collaborations, focussing in particular on technological complementarity among the firms participating in such partnerships. |
| Keywords: | university-industry research collaborations, proximity, geography, industrial clustering, technological complementarity |
| JEL: | O31 O32 O33 R10 |
| Date: | 2011–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:egu:wpaper:1106&r=cse |
| By: | Done, Adrian (IESE Business School) |
| Abstract: | The supply chain literature still largely focuses on asset, alphanumeric data and information (in the form of documents and files) elements of exchange between supply chain partners, despite the fact that increased integration and collaboration clearly require development of more complex elements of expertise and knowledge. In this respect, this paper recognizes the knowledge management (KM) literature as a potential source of new insights to add conceptual depth and understanding to managing 21st century supply chains. Specific KM theories and constructs are identified as potentially contributing to theory and practice in supply chain contexts. An overall framework for supply chain knowledge management is developed, along with literature-based definitions of supply chain knowledge transfer, competence and maturity constructs. The "knowledge lens" theory building approach is applied to import these perspectives into supply chain domains, with efforts to maintain conceptual consistency across the two literature streams. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Management; Supply Chains; Conceptual Framework; |
| Date: | 2011–01–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0900&r=cse |
| By: | Néstor Duch-Brown (University of Barcelona & IEB); Javier García-Estévez (University of Barcelona & IEB) |
| Abstract: | Human capital, scientific research, and technology are the three chief mechanisms promoting knowledge spillovers from universities to firms. Based on a study of the impact of Spain’s 1983 University Reform Act (LRU), which opened the door to the foundation of new universities and faculties, this paper examines whether university (or faculty) location affects the creation of new firms within a given province. We conclude that the foundation of science and social science faculties has had a marked impact on the creation of firms. |
| Keywords: | universities, firm location, spillovers, poisson regression |
| JEL: | I23 O31 R12 R39 C23 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2011/4/doc2011-7&r=cse |
| By: | Nwaobi, Godwin C |
| Abstract: | Since the mid 1900’s, economist have come to recognize the role of innovative activity in firms productivity growth, particularly in the competitive market economies. However, the most conducive market environment for innovative activity has also become a subject of interest. Thus, a major constraint on industrial dynamism in African countries is said to be the dearth of indigenous entrepreneurs. This paper therefore argued for the provision of comprehensive innovation policy, in which the government supports the innovators by providing appropriate financial measures; removing regulatory, institutional (competitive) obstacles to innovation; and strengthening the knowledge base through investment in education, research and industrial sites in Africa. |
| Keywords: | innovation policy; Africa; Nigeria; investment; productivity; science parks; business clusters; economic zones; inventions; free trade zones; cognitive revolution; industrial revolution; infrastructures; technology; research and development; venture capital |
| JEL: | Q50 R10 L90 D20 Q3 O32 L60 Q2 O30 Q40 L26 M13 O31 Q10 L70 |
| Date: | 2011–03–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:29728&r=cse |
| By: | J. Paul Elhorst (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, The Netherlands); Katarina Zigova (Department of Economics, University of Konstanz, Germany) |
| Abstract: | Despite the prevalence of both competitive forces and patterns of collaboration within academic communities, studies on research productivity generally treat universities as independent entities. By exploring the research productivity of all academic economists employed at 81 universities and 17 economic research institutes in Austria, Germany, and German-speaking Switzerland, this study determines whether a research unit’s productivity depends on that of neighboring research units. The significant negative relationship that is found implies competition for priority of discovery among individual researchers, as well as the universities and research institutes that employ them. In addition, the empirical results support the hypotheses that collaboration and the existence of economies of scale increase research productivity. |
| Keywords: | Research productivity, Competition, Collaboration, Negative spatial autocorrelation, Geo-referenced point data |
| JEL: | C21 D85 I23 J24 R12 |
| Date: | 2011–03–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:knz:dpteco:1104&r=cse |
| By: | Cui, Victor; Ding, Waverly W.; Yanadori, Yoshio |
| Abstract: | Given the importance of exploration in a firm’s overall innovation program, scholars have sought to understand organizational factors that give rise to exploration-oriented innovations. We propose theory and empirical evidence that relates firms’ use of financial incentives to their exploratory innovation performance. We expect that a larger proportion of long-term incentives in R&D employee compensation should be positively associated with the creation of exploratory innovation in a firm. In addition, we propose that a higher level of horizontal pay dispersion is negatively associated with the creation of exploratory innovation. We examine innovations reflected in the patents of a unique six-year, unbalanced panel dataset of 94 high-technology firms in the U.S. Empirical results confirm that firms with high level of horizontal pay dispersion have less exploratory patent innovations. However, surprisingly, firms that pay their R&D employees a higher proportion of long-term financial incentives in total compensation have lower level of exploratory innovation. This implies the possibility that popular longterm incentive plans in high-technology sectors (e.g., stock option plans) have failed to achieve their intended goals in practice. We discuss factors that might moderate the negative impact of long-term incentives on exploratory innovation. |
| Keywords: | Organizational Behavior and Theory |
| Date: | 2011–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:indrel:1913225&r=cse |
| By: | Néstor Duch-Brown (University of Barcelona & IEB); Javier García-Estévez (University of Barcelona & IEB); Martí Parellada-Sabata (University of Barcelona & IEB) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the main contributions of universities to the economic growth of Spanish regions. It calculates the separate effects of the different university functions on the regional economy, namely the creation of human capital, research and technology transfer. It includes a panel data set with the key variables of university activities and their effects on the economy at provincial level. The econometric estimations are based on information for all 47 public universities and include 34 Spanish provinces. The empirical results suggest that the growth of regional GVA is positively correlated to both the human capital created by universities and the stock of university patents |
| Keywords: | regional economic development, universities, higher education, human capital, research, technology development |
| JEL: | R15 I23 O18 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2011/4/doc2011-6&r=cse |
| By: | Bronwyn H. Hall; Christian Helmers |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the characteristics of 238 patents on 94 “inventions” contributed by major multinational innovators to the “Eco-Patent Commons”, which provides royalty-free access to third parties to patented climate change related innovations. By comparing the pledged patents to other patents in the same technologies or held by the same multinationals, we investigate the motives of the contributing firms as well as the potential for such commons to encourage innovation and diffusion of climate change related technologies. This study, therefore, indirectly provides evidence on the role of patents in the development and diffusion of green technologies. More generally, the paper sheds light on the performance of hybrid forms of knowledge management that combine open innovation and patenting. |
| JEL: | H23 H42 K11 O33 O34 |
| Date: | 2011–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16920&r=cse |
| By: | Done, Adrian (IESE Business School) |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to go some way to answering the question: "Where are we now in the evolution of supply chains and what has to occur to advance along the continuum?" (Bowersox et al., 2000) by undertaking a conceptual synthesis of relevant literatures relating to the increasing importance of managing knowledge in supply chains. These issues are developed through a synthesis of the supply chain literature, and analysed through adopting perspectives from knowledge management research streams. A consensus is emerging from the supply chain literature that to advance along the evolutionary continuum supply chains must become more integrated, and with increased levels of collaboration between upstream and downstream partners. Yet, the majority of existing supply chain literature still focuses on asset, data and information elements of exchange between supply chain partners. This is despite the fact that increased integration and collaboration clearly require the exchange of more complex elements at the expertise and knowledge levels. Within supply chain contexts the exchange and management of knowledge dimensions is not so well understood despite their increasing importance as more complex business dynamics shift towards competing supply chains. This paper proposes that several knowledge management concepts and frameworks are relevant and useful to supply chain academics and practitioners. It contributes to a gap in the literature relating to the exchange and development of knowledge in supply chains, which has been identified as an important area relating to the continued evolution of supply chain theory and practice. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge Management; Supply Chains; Integration; Collaboration; |
| Date: | 2011–01–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0899&r=cse |
| By: | Caldeirinha, Vitor R.; Felicio, J. Augusto |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to study the performance of ports by characterization factors and understand its importance. The methods used are data envelopment analysis (DEA), factor analysis and linear regression. The sample consists of 43 European ports. The results indicate the existence of a relationship between performance and several variables that characterize the port and confirm the impact of location, governance, size, infrastructure, port specialisation, logistics integration and maritime services in the operational and financial performance and efficiency of ports . |
| Keywords: | Portos; desempenho; factores de caracterização |
| JEL: | M11 |
| Date: | 2011–03–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:30009&r=cse |
| By: | ZHAO Wei |
| Abstract: | The upsurge of the outward direct investment (ODI) made by the Chinese firms in recent few years is one of main concerns among the academic researchers and policy consultants targeting emerging market economies. In this paper, the focus for analysis is the internationalization and ODI initiated by Chinese private-owned enterprises (POEs). Starting with a check of key factors that shape the general environment for Chinese enterprises' ODI and internationalization, the main theme of the paper is to assess conventional western theories on firm's internationalization compared with the reality found amongst Chinese POEs. The conclusion is that the conventional western theories do not satisfactorily explain the realities found in China. An alternative framework is suggested, the SIL model, as a more convincing explanation for the ODI and internationalization of the Chinese POEs. The SIL model is a revised version of John Dunning's eclectic paradigm taking into account the Chinese POE's experience. It accounts for the way in which the POEs focus on a market seeking orientation in the early stages of "going out". |
| Date: | 2011–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:11031&r=cse |
| By: | Jennifer Abel-Koch (Department of Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz, Germany) |
| Abstract: | In international trade models, it is typically assumed that manufacturers ship their goods directly to their foreign customers. In reality, however, many manufacturers call in trade intermediaries to perform this task for them. Which manufacturers make use of this option? Theory suggests that it is mostly the small firms which are not profitable enough to cover the high fixed costs of building an own distribution network abroad. Large and eefficient firms, on the contrary, prefer to export their goods directly. The present paper brings this hypothesis to a test. Using survey data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey conducted in Turkey in 2008, it shows that there is indeed a negative correlation between firm size and the relative importance of intermediated exports. This result is highly robust to the inclusion of a variety of controls, different estimation methods, and different measures of firm size. |
| Keywords: | Heterogeneous firms, intermediated trade |
| JEL: | F12 F14 |
| Date: | 2011–03–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jgu:wpaper:1105&r=cse |
| By: | David H. Hsu (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania); Simon Wakeman (ESMT European School of Management and Technology) |
| Abstract: | Due to resource constraints, startup innovators often struggle to assemble complementary assets for successful product commercialization. Alliances are an important avenue for startups to access resources and learn commercialization skills. However, an alliance structure that enables startup learning imposes costs on the alliance partner. Moreover, alliance partner quality is likely co-determined with complementary-asset learning potential in shaping alliance product performance. Using data from biotechnology alliances, we separately estimate the importance of partner quality and learning effects in explaining the drug approval hazard. We find that higher quality partners have a positive impact on product development success while alliance structures enabling startup downstream commercialization capability development have a negative effect. Innovators with cumulated learning experience are more likely to self-commercialize in future product development. |
| Keywords: | entrepreneurship, strategic alliances, learning, alliance structure, complementary assets |
| Date: | 2011–03–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esm:wpaper:esmt-11-02&r=cse |