nep-ent New Economics Papers
on Entrepreneurship
Issue of 2007‒05‒04
three papers chosen by
Marcus Dejardin
Notre-Dame de la Paix University

  1. What do we really know about when technological innovation improves performance (and when it does not)? By Adegbesan, Tunji; Ricart, Joan E.
  2. Science linkages and innovation performance: An analysis on CIS-3 firms in Belgium By Cassiman, Bruno; Veugelers, Reinhilde; Zuniga, Pluvia
  3. Offshoring as a Survival Strategy in Globalizing Industries: New Evidence from Belgian Manufacturing By Coucke, K.; Sleuwaegen, L.

  1. By: Adegbesan, Tunji (IESE Business School); Ricart, Joan E. (IESE Business School)
    Abstract: Most approaches to innovation bear the implicit assumption that increased innovativeness leads to improved organizational performance. Thus, more attention has been focused on innovativeness than on innovation performance; on novelty than on value. However, recent empirical evidence calls into question the unqualified optimism surrounding innovation, and leads us to ask what we really know about when technological innovation improves performance. In this paper, we seek to make a contribution by presenting the results of an exhaustive review of extant knowledge on the outcomes of technological innovation. Our synthesis of the literature allows us to relate in one parsimonious model the drivers and moderators of the antecedents, technical outcomes, and performance outcomes of technological innovation and technological change. We also make sense of the proliferation of terms, and consequent terminological ambiguity, which characterizes a lot of work on technological innovation. Finally, in the light of the model presented and recent developments in work on firm capabilities, we indicate possible avenues for further development of this critical area of research.
    Keywords: Technological innovation; organizational performance; innovation and innovativeness;
    Date: 2007–01–15
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0668&r=ent
  2. By: Cassiman, Bruno (IESE Business School); Veugelers, Reinhilde (Katholike Universiteit Leuven); Zuniga, Pluvia (Katholike Universiteit Leuven)
    Abstract: This paper examines the diversity of linkages of firms to science and their effect on innovation performance for a sample of Belgian firms (CIS-3). While at the sectoral level links to science are highly related to the R&D intensity of the sector, we show that there is considerable heterogeneity in the type of links to science at the firm level. Overall, firms with a science linkage -which can be of various sorts- have superior innovation performance, in particular with respect to innovations new to the market. At the invention level, our findings confirm that patents from firms engaged in science are more frequently cited and have a broader technological and geographical impact, but we show that it is crucial to distinguish between direct science links at the invention level and indirect science links at the firm level to encounter these distinct positive effects of science links. Therefore, Science & Technology indicators should control for both invention-level and firm-level science links to really account for the effect of these industry-science links.
    Keywords: Innovation; patents; forward citation; science; industrial innovation;
    JEL: L13 O32 O34
    Date: 2007–01–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0671&r=ent
  3. By: Coucke, K.; Sleuwaegen, L.
    Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of globalization on the exit behavior of manufacturing firms in one of the world’s most open economies: Belgium. We find that imports from low-wage countries exert a strong competitive effect that lowers a firm’s chances of survival. This competitive effect is found to arise mainly in industries where intra-industry trade, an indicator of product differentiation, is relatively low. As an offensive strategy to cope with the rising competitive pressure from imports, we find that firms exploiting opportunities afforded by globalization, in particular the off-shoring of activities, are able to improve their chances of survival. Making a distinction between domestic firms and subsidiaries of multinational firms, we also find that domestic firms face a higher risk of exit when multinational firms compete in their relevant input and output markets. Finally, we show that subsidiaries of multinational firms are better adapted to cope with globalization forces, and we find them to be less sensitive to domestic market conditions in the host country.
    Keywords: Exit, Off-shoring, Sourcing, Globalization
    JEL: F1 F23 L2
    Date: 2007–04–23
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vlg:vlgwps:2007-13&r=ent

This nep-ent issue is ©2007 by Marcus Dejardin. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at http://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.