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on Economics of Strategic Management |
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Issue of 2025–09–15
six papers chosen by João José de Matos Ferreira, Universidade da Beira Interior |
| By: | Jeannerat, Hugues; Butzin, Anna; Carvalho, Luís; Manniche, Jesper |
| Abstract: | While knowledge has long been central to theories of innovation-led regional development, its conceptualization within the emerging transformative innovation paradigm has remained largely implicit and undertheorized. This paper draws on insights from sustainability transitions, organizational learning, and higher education studies to develop a perspective on the action-oriented nature of knowledge, as it increasingly associates with the matters of directionality, materiality and structuration. Based on this, we articulate an idea of transformative knowledge through a triple lens, emphasising interdependencies between knowledge for action (goal- and mission-oriented), knowledge by action (generated through experimentation), and knowledge as action (situated in practice and everyday life). We apply this lens to discuss the outlines of transformative knowledge regions, proposing an expansion in the repertoire of regional innovation interventions. In doing so, the paper broadens the epistemic contours of knowledge in regional development and contribute to current debates on challenge- and mission-oriented regional innovation policy. |
| Keywords: | transformative learning, sustainability transitions, regional innovation policy, mission innovation, valuation |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iatdps:324867 |
| By: | Chuyen Thi NGUYEN (School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam Author-2-Name: Ngoc Thi Kim PHAM Author-2-Workplace-Name: School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam Author-3-Name: Dan Thi Thanh NGUYEN Author-3-Workplace-Name: School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam Author-4-Name: Author-4-Workplace-Name: Author-5-Name: Author-5-Workplace-Name: Author-6-Name: Author-6-Workplace-Name: Author-7-Name: Author-7-Workplace-Name: Author-8-Name: Author-8-Workplace-Name:) |
| Abstract: | " Objective - The wave of technology startups in Vietnam is growing strongly, significantly contributing to national economic growth. This research aims to develop a comprehensive research model to identify key factors affecting the success of technology startups in Vietnam. Methodology/Technique - This study employs a quantitative research method, utilizing desk research and an in-depth review of the foundation and current research on technology start-ups and related topics. Finding - Based on indepth literature analysis, research identifies ten (10) key factors influencing on the succes of technology start up including: 1) Technology monitoring, (2) Knowledge absorption capacity, (3) Perceived performance, (4) Customer satisfaction level, (5) Stage-based funding, (6) Innovation ecosystem, (7) Innovation and entrepreneurial culture, (8) Government support, (9) Network size and quality, and (10) Founding team capabilities Novelty - The novelty of this study lies in constructing a comprehensive model that integrates endogenous and exogenous factors within Vietnam's specific context, serving as a foundation for future empirical research and appropriate policy recommendations Type of Paper - Empirical" |
| Keywords: | Technology startups, success factors, startup ecosystem, Vietnam, research model. |
| JEL: | L26 O32 M13 O25 |
| Date: | 2025–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:gjbssr664 |
| By: | Philippe Aghion; Antonin Bergeaud; Timo Boppart; Peter J. Klenow; Huiyu Li |
| Abstract: | Firm price-cost markups may reflect (a) bigger step sizes from quality innovations that confer significant knowledge spillovers onto other firms, and/or (b) higher process efficiency than competing firms or other factors which bear no obvious knowledge externality. We write down an endogenous growth model with innovation step size and process efficiency as alternative sources of markup heterogeneity. Compared with the laissez-faire equilibrium, the social planner wants to reallocate research towards high step size firms but not high process efficiency firms. We then use price and productivity data across firms in French manufacturing to infer firm step sizes and process efficiency. We find that the planner could achieve faster growth by reallocating research toward high step size firms, and more so if high step size firms could freely license their innovations to high process efficiency firms. |
| JEL: | O31 O38 O41 O52 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34190 |
| By: | Gavin Wang; Lynn Wu |
| Abstract: | Although AI has the potential to drive significant business innovation, many firms struggle to realize its benefits. We examine how the Lean Startup Method (LSM) influences the impact of AI on product innovation in startups. Analyzing data from 1, 800 Chinese startups between 2011 and 2020, alongside policy shifts by the Chinese government in encouraging AI adoption, we find that companies with strong AI capabilities produce more innovative products. Moreover, our study reveals that AI investments complement LSM in innovation, with effectiveness varying by the type of innovation and AI capability. We differentiate between discovery-oriented AI, which reduces uncertainty in novel areas of innovation, and optimization-oriented AI, which refines and optimizes existing processes. Within the framework of LSM, we further distinguish between prototyping focused on developing minimum viable products, and controlled experimentation, focused on rigorous testing such as AB testing. We find that LSM complements discovery oriented AI by utilizing AI to expand the search for market opportunities and employing prototyping to validate these opportunities, thereby reducing uncertainties and facilitating the development of the first release of products. Conversely, LSM complements optimization-oriented AI by using AB testing to experiment with the universe of input features and using AI to streamline iterative refinement processes, thereby accelerating the improvement of iterative releases of products. As a result, when firms use AI and LSM for product development, they are able to generate more high quality product in less time. These findings, applicable to both software and hardware development, underscore the importance of treating AI as a heterogeneous construct, as different AI capabilities require distinct organizational processes to achieve optimal outcomes. |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2506.16334 |
| By: | L. Serafini; R. Paci; E. Marrocu |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of green, digital, and twin transition investments on firm performance in Italy during the 2014-2020 programming period. Drawing on detailed project-level data from the OpenCoesione platform on ERDF-funded initiatives, we classify investments according to their thematic focus and apply a staggered Difference-in-Differences approach to estimate their effects on value added, employment, and labour productivity. Our results show that firms supported through twin transition projects, those combining green and digital components, achieve the most substantial and sustained gains in value added and productivity. These integrated interventions appear particularly effective in enhancing firm performance and capacity utilisation, with employment effects emerging more gradually. Purely green and digital projects also yield positive outcomes, though with more moderate and variable effects. We further document significant heterogeneity across regions and sectors, with stronger impacts observed among firms located in Northern and Southern Italy and in knowledge-intensive sectors. Our findings highlight the importance of strategic investment design - transition-oriented and multi-dimensional projects consistently outperform single-focus initiatives. These results suggest that EU cohesion policy plays a pivotal role in supporting structural transformation, particularly when funding is targeted to integrated projects that align with broader environmental and digital policy goals. |
| Keywords: | Twin Transition;Green policies;Digital policies;Innovation and firm Performance;Cohesion Policy;Counterfactual Impact Analysis |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cns:cnscwp:202511 |
| By: | Okan Akarsu |
| Abstract: | In this paper, I explore the spillover effects of frontier firms on other firms in Türkiye, using a detailed administrative dataset with firm-level data on balance sheets, inter-firm transactions, and employment. I review key production function estimators, evaluate their assumptions and performance using a large dataset of Turkish firms, and apply estimated productivity to identify frontier firms and assess their influence on laggard firms' performance. Additionally, I contribute to the empirical literature by exploring the spillover and network effects of frontier firms on laggard firms, as well as examining the productivity convergence of laggard firms to frontier firms. The analysis reveals three key findings: (i) Frontier firms generate positive spillover effects within sectors, which enhance sales, employment, exports, and asset growth among laggard firms; (ii) detailed firm-to-firm invoice data reveals that a higher share of frontier firms in a firm’s network significantly boosts investment, net sales, and productivity growth; and (iii) laggard firms show faster productivity growth, with substantial variation across firm types and industries. |
| Keywords: | Spillover effect, Frontier firm, Total factor productivity, Production function estimation, Semiparametric estimator, Laggard firm dynamics |
| JEL: | C13 C14 C23 D24 D40 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcb:wpaper:2511 |