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on Economics of Strategic Management |
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Issue of 2013‒09‒28
twelve papers chosen by Joao Jose de Matos Ferreira University of the Beira Interior |
| By: | Friedrich Dornbusch (Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Competence Center Policy and Regions); Thomas Brenner (Economic Geography and Location Research, Philipps-Universität Marburg) |
| Abstract: | It is often claimed that universities act as local knowledge factories. Although this function is largely analyzed in previous research, there still is a knowledge gap regarding the role of a technological match between the profiles of partners in university-industry interactions. In addition, the effects of different knowledge dynamics in technological regimes remain under-researched. In this paper, we thus draw special attention to the question how geographical distance and the specific role of a technological fit between the knowledge provided by the university and the technological needs of the local industry affects interactions between universities and firms. Thereby, we differentiate between six technological regimes constituted by different knowledge dynamics. Our analyses are based on a unique dataset containing all German universities’ academic patenting and publication activities. As these are further enriched by secondary data, they enable us to show that the technological fit between a university and its surrounding region (in terms of local industry needs) indeed has a significant influence on a university’s innovation-related research interactions, especially with small firms. We further show that this effect additionally depends on the underlying knowledge base in heterogeneous technological regimes. |
| Keywords: | university-industry interaction, technological fit, knowledge base, academic patenting, technology regime, local knowledge hub |
| JEL: | O31 R12 L14 |
| Date: | 2013–10–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pum:wpaper:2013-10&r=cse |
| By: | Ernest Miguélez (Economics and Statistics Division, WIPO and AQR-IREA); Rosina Moreno (Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona) |
| Abstract: | The goal of this paper is twofold: first, we aim to assess the role played by inventors’ cross-regional mobility and collaborations in fostering knowledge diffusion across regions and subsequent innovation. Second, we intend to evaluate the feasibility of using mobility and co-patenting information to build cross-regional interaction matrices to be used within the spatial econometrics toolbox. To do so, we depart from a knowledge production function where regional innovation intensity is a function not only of the own regional innovation inputs but also external accessible knowledge stocks gained through interregional interactions. Differently from much of the previous literature, cross-section gravity models of mobility and co-patents are estimated to use the fitted values to build our ‘spatial’ weights matrices, which characterize the intensity of knowledge interactions across a panel of 269 regions covering most European countries over 6 years. |
| Keywords: | inventors’ spatial mobility, co-patenting, gravity models, weights matrix, knowledge production function. JEL classification: C8, J61, O31, O33, R0. |
| Date: | 2013–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aqr:wpaper:201306&r=cse |
| By: | Giuseppe Croce; Edoardo Di Porto; Emanuela Ghignoni; Andrea Ricci |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the role of the employer in workplace training, a novelty with respect to the literature on this topic. Taking advantage of a unique dataset on Italy, we study how individual employer profile and the agglomeration of employers influence firms’ propensity to invest in training. Our findings show that highly educated employers have a greater propensity to invest in workplace training. Moreover, we are able to capture the effect of employers’ human capital agglomeration on the training decision. We assert that such agglomeration leads to two different alternative scenarios: 1) a poaching effect may prevail, therefore competition among employers induces less propensity to train workers; 2) a positive knowledge spillover effect may prevail leading to a greater propensity to engage in training. We test these two options discovering that in the Italian case, where small businesses are prominent, the first effect is stronger. Several econometrics issues are considered in our empirical strategy: the skewed and bounded nature of the training decision indicator, the endogeneity issues derived from the agglomeration effect as well as the cross section dependence problems affecting standard errors. |
| Keywords: | workplace training; poaching; knowledge spillovers; entrepreneurship cluster, employer’s education, social capital, proximity. |
| JEL: | J24 O15 O18 R23 |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sap:wpaper:wp162&r=cse |
| By: | Stefan Wagner (ESMT European School of Management and Technology); Karin Hoisl (University of Munich); Grid Thoma (University of Camerino) |
| Abstract: | The literature on organizational learning asserts that external learning is often limited geographically and technologically. We scrutinize to what extent organizations acquire external knowledge by accessing external knowledge repositories. We argue that professional service firms (PSFs) grant access to nonlocalized knowledge repositories and thereby not only facilitate external learning but also help to overcome localization. Focusing on patent law firms, we test our predictions using a unique dataset of 544,820 pairs of EP patent applications. Analyzing patterns of knowledge flows captured in patent citations we find that accessing a PSF’s repository facilitates the acquisition of external knowledge. As the effect is more pronounced for knowledge that is distant to a focal organization we conclude that having access to a knowledge repository compensates for localization disadvantages. |
| Keywords: | Learning, knowledge acquisition, localization, patent citations, professional service firm |
| Date: | 2013–09–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esm:wpaper:esmt-13-09&r=cse |
| By: | McKenzie, David J.; Woodruff, Christopher |
| Abstract: | Business training programs are a popular policy option to try to improve the performance of enterprises around the world. The last few years have seen rapid growth in the number of evaluations of these programs in developing countries. We undertake a critical review of these studies with the goal of synthesizing the emerging lessons and understanding the limitations of the existing research and the areas in which more work is needed. We find that there is substantial heterogeneity in the length, content, and types of firms participating in the training programs evaluated. Many evaluations suffer from low statistical power, measure impacts only within a year of training, and experience problems with survey attrition and measurement of firm profits and revenues. Over these short time horizons, there are relatively modest impacts of training on survivorship of existing firms, but stronger evidence that training programs help prospective owners launch new businesses more quickly. Most studies find that existing firm owners implement some of the practices taught in training, but the magnitudes of these improvements in practices are often relatively modest. Few studies find significant impacts on profits or sales, although a couple of the studies with more statistical power have done so. Some studies have also found benefits to microfinance organizations of offering training. To date there is little evidence to help guide policymakers as to whether any impacts found come from trained firms competing away sales from other businesses versus through productivity improvements, and little evidence to guide the development of the provision of training at market prices. We conclude by summarizing some directions and key questions for future studies. |
| Keywords: | business training; consulting; firm productivity; randomized experiments |
| JEL: | J16 L26 M53 O12 |
| Date: | 2013–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:9564&r=cse |
| By: | Samuel Nursamsu (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics Universitas Indonesia); Fithra Faisal Hastiadi (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics Universitas Indonesia) |
| Abstract: | This research tries to explain the relation between international R&D spillover from international trade and FDI channel with productivity (TFP) based on endogenous growth theory in Asian Newly Industrialized Countries (ANIC) in period 1990--2010. In this research, it is found that R&D spillover is a significant factor in increasing TFP, especially from trade channel. It is also found that the availability of educated workers is another important factor in increasing productivity. From the comparison of the two country groups in ANIC, it is found that in ANIC Tier 2, international R&D spillover from export is not increasing productivity, yet its spillover effect is still significant. Another finding of this research is FDI is not an important channel for technology spillover. However, there is a need to further discuss the FDI spillover measurement. |
| Keywords: | R&D Spillover, Endogenous Growth, Productivity, Asia Developing Countries |
| JEL: | F00 O33 O47 |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lpe:wpecbs:201310&r=cse |
| By: | Stefania Aceto (MENON Network); Spiros Borotis (MENON Network); Jim Devine (DEVINE Policy|Projects|Innovation (and former President, IADT)); Thomas Fischer (MENON Network) |
| Abstract: | EU policies call for the strengthening of Europe’s innovative capacity and it is considered that the modernisation of Education and Training systems and technologies for learning will be a key enabler of educational innovation and change. This report brings evidence to the debate about the technologies that are expected to play a decisive role in shaping future learning strategies in the short to medium term (5-10 years from now) in three main learning domains: formal education and training; work-place and work-related learning; re-skilling and up-skilling strategies in a lifelong-learning continuum. This is the final report of the study ‘Mapping and analysing prospective technologies for learning (MATEL)' carried out by the MENON Network EEIG on behalf of the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. The report synthesises the main messages gathered from the three phases of the study: online consultation, state-of-the-art analysis and a roadmapping workshop. Eight technology clusters and a set of related key technologies that can enable learning innovation and educational change were identified. A number of these technologies were analysed to highlight their current and potential use in education, the relevant market trends and ongoing policy initiatives. Three roadmaps, one for each learning domain, were developed. These identified long-term goals and specific objectives for educational change, which in turn led to recommendations on the immediate strategies and actions to be undertaken by policy and decision makers. |
| Keywords: | Prospective technologies for learning, Formal education and training, work-place and work-related learning, Re-skilling and up-skilling strategies in lifelong-learning continuum, Europe 2020 Strategy, educational change, Innovation & Creativity in Education and Training, ICT-enabled innovation for learning, roadmapping |
| JEL: | I20 I21 I28 I29 |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc81935&r=cse |
| By: | Garicano, Luis; Rayo, Luis |
| Abstract: | An expert must train a novice. The novice initially has no cash, so he can only pay the expert with the accumulated surplus from his production. At any time, the novice can leave the relationship with his acquired knowledge and produce on his own. The sole reason he does not is the prospect of learning in future periods. The profit-maximizing relationship is structured as an apprenticeship, in which all production generated during training is used to compensate the expert. Knowledge transfer takes a simple form. In the first period, the expert gifts the novice a positive level of knowledge, which is independent of the players' discount rate. After that, the novice's total value of knowledge grows at the players' discount rate until all knowledge has been transferred. The inefficiencies that arise from this contract are caused by the expert's artificially slowing down the rate of knowledge transfer rather than by her reducing the total amount of knowledge eventually transferred. We show that these inefficiencies are larger the more patient the players are. Finally, we study the impact of knowledge externalities across players. |
| Keywords: | general human capital; knowledge; relational contracts; skills |
| JEL: | C73 J24 L14 |
| Date: | 2013–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:9460&r=cse |
| By: | Vítor Caldeirinha (Centro de Estudos de Gestão; School of Economics and Management (ISEG)); J. Augusto Felício (School of Economics and Management; Technical University of Lisbon); Andreia Dionísio (CEFAGE-UÉ, Évora University (UÉ)) |
| Abstract: | This paper attempts to evaluate and understand the port sector senior managers’ perception relative to the influence of the port characteristics and specific container terminals in customers’ satisfaction. The SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) methodology is used to confirm the investigation model. The sample is composed by 151 valid responses, each one of them regarding a specific terminal of a set of 12 Portuguese and Spanish container terminals. The results confirm the influence of the port and container terminal characteristics in customer’s satisfaction. |
| Keywords: | Port characteristics; Container terminal; Customer’s satisfaction; SEM. |
| JEL: | R42 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfe:wpcefa:2013_14&r=cse |
| By: | Adrien Nguyen Huu (FiME Lab) |
| Abstract: | We investigate a randomization procedure undertaken in real option games which can serve as a raw model of regulation in a duopoly model of preemptive investment. We recall the rigorous framework of [Grasselli, M.R., Lecl\`ere, V. and Ludkovski, M. Priority option: the value of being a leader. Math. and Fin. Econ., 2013] and extend it to the presence of a random regulator. This model generalizes and unifies the different competitive frameworks proposed in the literature, and creates a new one similar to a Stackelberg leadership. We fully characterize strategic interactions in the several situations following from the parametrization of the regulator. Finally, we study the effect of the coordination game and uncertainty of outcome when agents are risk-averse, providing new intuitions for the standard case. |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1309.1844&r=cse |
| By: | DREZE, Jacques H.; WYPLOSZ, Charles; BEAN, Charles; GIAVAZZI, Francesco |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cor:louvrp:800&r=cse |
| By: | Ishida, Souhei; Ito, Kunio |
| Abstract: | We examine how two types of conservatism—conditional conservatism and unconditional conservatism—affect corporate investment behavior. Conditional conservatism forces managers to recognize the loss resulting from an investment project on a timely basis. When risk-averse managers are aware that their reputation and compensation are affected adversely by recognizing the loss resulting from project failure, they are less likely to undertake the project ex ante despite its positive net present value (NPV). Thus, conditional conservatism probably inhibits corporate investment behavior. In contrast, unconditional conservatism mitigates a firm’s earning volatility, especially downward volatility, by providing an accounting slack. Thus, it is likely that unconditional conservatism promotes corporate investment behavior. Using a large sample of Japanese companies, we empirically analyze how conditional conservatism and unconditional conservatism affect corporate investment behavior. These results suggest that although firms with higher conditional conservatism take more negative investment initiatives, those firms with higher unconditional conservatism take more positive investment initiatives. |
| Keywords: | Conservatism, Conditional Conservatism, Unconditional Conservatism, Corporate Behavior, Capital Investment |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:hjbswp:175&r=cse |