nep-cse New Economics Papers
on Economics of Strategic Management
Issue of 2026–03–16
seven papers chosen by
João José de Matos Ferreira, Universidade da Beira Interior


  1. M&As, Innovation and Market Power By Martinez Cillero Maria; Napolitano Lorenzo; Rentocchini Francesco; Seri Cecilia; Zaurino Elena
  2. Connecting the Characteristic Elements in the Accounting Profession - from the Perspective of New Technological Changes By Carmen E. Stoenoiu
  3. Systems mapping, social innovation and socio-ecological transformations across scales By Domenico Dentoni; Marija Roglic
  4. Design Right Commercialization by Public Technology Transfer Organizations: Disseminating design knowledge in regional innovation systems By Nobuya FUKUGAWA
  5. The antecedents and consequences of coopetition within international joint ventures: Evidence from China By J. Lu Jin; X. Lai Xiaopeng; L. Wang; K. Wang Kunyi
  6. Western Balkans participation in GVCs and FDI potential in the context of Smart Specialisation By Resmini Laura; Fabbri Emanuele; Calogero Vieri
  7. From Credentials to Capabilities: Mapping the Future of Education By Mamoon, Dawood

  1. By: Martinez Cillero Maria (European Commission - JRC); Napolitano Lorenzo (European Commission - JRC); Rentocchini Francesco (European Commission - JRC); Seri Cecilia; Zaurino Elena (European Commission - JRC)
    Abstract: HIGHLIGHTS ‣ Technological mergers and acquisitions (M&As) increase investors' market power by around 2% beyond standard M&As, with stronger effects concentrated among top R&D investors, US-based investors, and high-tech manufacturing investors. ‣ The increase in market power seems primarily driven by the consolidation of control over existing patents, limiting knowledge diffusion and making it harder for competitors to catch up. ‣ These findings support ongoing policy discussions on updating merger review regulations, as traditional concentration metrics may not fully capture competition risks posed by large technology firms. ‣ Technological assets and innovations are often embedded and masked within larger M&A deals. Separating the technology component of patents would allow regulators to assess competition concerns related to innovation while still allowing the acquisition to proceed. ‣ The analysis draws on a newly constructed firm-level dataset to provide a more systematic picture of technological M&As and market power.
    Date: 2026–02
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc145729
  2. By: Carmen E. Stoenoiu (Memorandumului st., no. 28, 400114, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Author-2-Name: Author-2-Workplace-Name: Author-3-Name: Author-3-Workplace-Name: 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 current research focuses on existing studies from 2015-2024, which investigate 5 elements, such as competence, skills, knowledge, abilities, and attitudes, regarding the accounting field, in the context of structural changes related to activities in the economy. Methodology/Technique - At the level of the accounting field, the study reveals strong interconnections among economic and business aspects and technical and professional skills. Findings - The originality of the study lies in the fact that it creates an image of the progress of the accounting profession, showing the synergy that exists in education and the development of skills, and then between the application of knowledge and the achievement of performance. Type of Paper - Review"
    Keywords: employability, accounting, economics, business, technical, and professional skills.
    JEL: M40 M41
    Date: 2026–03–31
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:afr246
  3. By: Domenico Dentoni (MBS - MBS School of Business); Marija Roglic (MBS - MBS School of Business)
    Abstract: This chapter clarifies the meaning and role of systems mapping in supporting social innovators as they confront complex societal challenges. While recognized for its capacity to visually represent intricate relationships between interconnected elements, systems mapping remains underutilized in management and organization theory and practice. Moreover, ambiguity in the definitions and uses of systems mapping endure also in other scientific fields – such as ecological economics, innovation studies, and sustainability science. Hence, this chapter redefined and highlights the multiple roles of systems mapping in strategizing for social innovation. We distinguish between the meanings of systems mapping as tool, event and process, and between its roles for making sense of complex issues, for deliberating where and how to address them, and for strategizing novel partnerships that address them. From the literature on participatory social innovation processes and the nexus with visual approaches of representing systems, we therefore shed light on the affordances and limitations of systems mapping in fostering multiple pathways of social-ecological transformation across scales.
    Date: 2025–01–30
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05525573
  4. By: Nobuya FUKUGAWA
    Abstract: This study examines the commercialization of design rights owned by Japan’s public technology centers, Kohsetsushi, focusing on the factors associated with their subsequent implementation by firms. This study conceptualizes commercialization as a translation process in which protected designs are converted into executable specifications and realized through firm implementation. Using an unbalanced panel of Kohsetsushi, the empirical analysis incorporates regional industrial conditions and treats consultation activity as a key explanatory factor. Because consultation may be endogenous to local demand conditions, this study applies a two-stage control-function approach that first relates consultation intensity to organizational resources and local industrial conditions and then estimates its association with implementation outcomes. The results indicate that consultation is positively associated with subsequent implementation in many industries, although the strength of this association varies across sectors. They also show that industrial agglomeration matters: denser ecosystems tend to raise baseline implementation capacity but often weaken the marginal association of consultation, likely because firms can rely on alternative coordination and problem-solving channels. These findings suggest that public support for design right commercialization is likely to be more effective when consultation capacity is allocated selectively and organized through functional specialization.
    Date: 2026–03
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:26021
  5. By: J. Lu Jin; X. Lai Xiaopeng; L. Wang (Audencia Business School); K. Wang Kunyi
    Abstract: While prior literature has emphasized that coopetition is a critical strategic choice that can enhance a firm's competitive advantage, the antecedents and consequences of the strategy in the international context remain underexplored. Based on the relational view, this study examines whether resource complementarity and goal compatibility foster coopetition between foreign and local partners in international joint ventures (IJVs) and in turn improve performance outcomes.Drawing on the empirical analyses of coopetition between partners in 165 IJVs in China, this study finds that partner resource complementarity and partner goal compatibility are positively associated with coopetition, which in turn correlates with improved IJV performance.Institutional and industrial environments are associated with the effectiveness of resource complementarity and goal compatibility. These findings offer valuable insights for IJV managers seeking to manage cooperation and competition between partners.
    Keywords: Market competition, Legal inadequacy, Goal compatibility, Resource complementarity, International joint venture, Coopetition, Coopetition International joint venture Resource complementarity Goal compatibility Legal inadequacy Market competition, CoopetitionInternational joint ventureResource complementarityGoal compatibilityLegal inadequacyMarket competition
    Date: 2025–08
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05460936
  6. By: Resmini Laura; Fabbri Emanuele (European Commission - JRC); Calogero Vieri
    Abstract: This study examines the position of Western Balkan economies within global value chains (GVCs) and their capacity to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), linking the analysis with the broader framework of Smart Specialisation as a key pillar of the EU accession process and a strategic instrument for strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and deepening integration into the European Research Area. The results point to a steady increase in FDI between 2007 and 2022, accompanied by a growing role for services and knowledge-intensive activities, alongside differentiated trajectories of functional upgrading. Across multiple econometric specifications, the analysis shows that: (i) economic size, institutional proximity, EU integration and social connectedness are key drivers of international investment; (ii) obtaining EU candidate status increases FDI from EU countries by approximately 25–35% compared with non-EU sources; and (iii) while overall alignment with Smart Specialisation domains remains limited, it is more strongly driven by EU investors and reinforced by host-country R&D intensity and social connectedness. From a policy perspective, these findings suggest that more sophisticated economies - those more deeply embedded institutionally and relationally - are better positioned to attract strategic investment and support processes of functional upgrading and leverage Smart Specialisation as a mechanism for convergence within the EU integration process.
    Date: 2026–02
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc145544
  7. By: Mamoon, Dawood
    Abstract: The paper provides a detailed discussion on different aspects of University Education and University Research. The author had various administrative positions at GIK, Superior University and UMT and thereby role of Director Research and Director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) in development of research culture at university level is in-detailed covered to provide understanding of performance of private sector universities in Pakistan and their overtime evolution to become higher education institutions of excellence. The paper further provides the discussion on the importance of international education by providing his personal account towards international enrollment at Erasmus university for a PhD program and its academic and policy aspects that contribute towards economic development of nation states.
    Keywords: Education HIgher Education Innovation Policy Commercialization Policy Economics Pedagogy
    JEL: A2 A22 A23 A33 L1 L11 L16 L6 Z13
    Date: 2026–01–14
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:127727

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