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on Small Business Management |
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Issue of 2012‒09‒16
six papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao University of Beira Interior and Technical University of Lisbon |
| By: | Esther Goya (Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona); Esther Vayá (Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona); Jordi Suriñach (Faculty of Economics, University of Barcelona) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses a structural model to analyse the impact of innovation activities, including intra- and inter-industry externalities, on the productivity of Spanish firms. To the best of our knowledge, no previous paper has examined spillover effects by adopting such an approach. Here, therefore, we seek to determine the extent to which the innovations carried out by others affect a firm’s productivity. Additionally, firm’s technology level is taken into account in order to ascertain whether there are any differences in this regard between high-tech and low-tech firms both in industrial and service sectors. The database used is the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) which includes 8,611 firms for the year 2009. We find that low-tech firms make the most of a range of factors, including funding and belonging to a group, to increase their investment in R&D. As expected, R&D intensity has a positive impact on the probability of achieving both product and, more especially, process innovations. Finally, innovation output has a positive impact on firm’s productivity, being greater in more advanced firms in the case of process innovations. Both intra- and inter-industry spillovers have a positive impact on firm’s productivity, but this varies with the firm’s level of technology. Thus, innovations made by firms from the same sector are more important for low-tech firms than they are for their high-tech counterparts, while innovations made by the rest of the sectors have a greater impact on high-tech firms. |
| Keywords: | Productivity, innovation, industry spillovers. JEL classification: D24, O33. |
| Date: | 2012–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ira:wpaper:201214&r=sbm |
| By: | Vivas-Augier, Carlos; Barge-Gil, Andrés |
| Abstract: | This study summarizes the main conclusions from a systematic review of the empirical literature regarding the impact on firms of the use of knowledge providers, including universities, technology institutes or knowledge intensive business firms. We use a criteria to classify the literature according to the research question addressed: (i) Which firms use knowledge providers?; (ii) Do firms using them achieve better results?; (iii) Which firms benefit more from using knowledge providers? Stylized facts are that larger, more R&D intensive and high tech firms are more likely to use knowledge providers and that use of knowledge providers is associated to firms higher technical results. Less attention has been paid to the third question so that no stylized facts can be developed on it. Three important recommendations for future research emerge. First, to pay more attention to methodological issues, such as sample selection and endogeneity, which may potentially bias the results. Second, to develop comparative analysis of the differential features of different knowledge providers. Third, to take depth and breadth of collaborations into account. |
| Keywords: | Impact Assessment; Firms; Knowledge Providers; Collaboration; Innovation; R&D; Industry; Literature Review |
| JEL: | O30 I20 L10 |
| Date: | 2012–07–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:41042&r=sbm |
| By: | P. Brighi; R. Patuelli; G. Torluccio |
| Abstract: | Self-financing has often been seen as an important source for research-and-development (R&D) funding. However, an in-depth comparison between the determinants of self-financing in the case of traditional investments versus those in R&D has not been provided yet. We use a comprehensive data set of Italian manufacturing firms to investigate this issue. We analyse the role of a wide number of financial variables in driving the rate of self-financing of firms, in both traditional and R&D investments, and we focus on public subsidies and firm size as critical factors explaining heterogeneity. First, we perform logit and logistic regressions separately for traditional and R&D self-financing, finding that they are positively correlated, and that the availability of public subsidies reduces self-financing. Subsequent poolability tests show that public subsidies and firm size are crucial discriminating factors for self-financing behaviour. Our main finding is that, in the absence of public subsidies, no internal or external market variable is able to explain the firms’ financing decisions. Furthermore, our analyses generally show that credit constraints and banking relationship variables are relevant in determining traditional investment self-financing, while no clear statistical evidence is found in the R&D case. Credit rationing is not significant for R&D selffinancing, which may be explained by rationed firms being left out of our sample. |
| JEL: | D45 D82 E51 G21 G32 O32 |
| Date: | 2012–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp845&r=sbm |
| By: | Rani Jeanne Dang (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR7321 - Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS), IIE - Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Université de Gothenburg, Suède - Université de Gothenburg, Suède); Catherine Thomas (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR7321 - Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the mechanisms underlying territorial dynamics of inter-organizational innovation, focusing specifically on the combinative capabilities of clusters. We analyse the front-end process of inter-organizational innovation, which is the stage when partners negotiate and establish Collaborative localised innovation projects (CLIPs). While most research focus on how clusters facilitate access to new knowledge, this paper rather focuses on how clusters facilitate the combination of knowledge among heterogeneous actors. We apply a qualitative methodology based on an exploratory case study research design to two high-tech clusters in the microelectronics and information and communication technology sectors. Our findings suggest that a specific underlying mechanism significantly influence knowledge creation through successful CLIPs that is: architectural knowledge at the cluster level. The results also precise the role of architectural knowledge, which varies depending on whether it is technical, relational or commercial, and on its distribution among the actors, involved. The combination of the results helped elaborating a model of successful integration of cluster members' into CLIPs, which contribute to research developments on inter-organizational innovation. |
| Keywords: | Cluster, Knowledge Base, Interactive Innovation, Collaborative R&D Project, Architectural Knowledge |
| Date: | 2012–04–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00727529&r=sbm |
| By: | Jonas Debrulle |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how business owner human and social capital affect start-up absorptive capacity under different environmental conditions. From our analysis of a sample of 199 Flemish start-ups, we observe that the owner’s start-up experience and bridging social capital are positively and significantly related to the new venture’s ability to acquire, assimilate and exploit external information. In addition, our findings reveal a positive but decreasing effect of owner specific human capital as a function of environmental turbulence. Furthermore, we find that management experience significantly stimulates start-up absorptive capacity within highly dynamic environments, whereas it hinders it within stable environments. Finally, implications and opportunities for future research are provided. |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ete:vivwps:30&r=sbm |
| By: | Hakim Hammadou (EQUIPPE, University of Lille, France); Sonia Paty (Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69007, France ; CNRS, GATE Lyon St Etienne,F-69130 Ecully, France); Maria Savona (SPRU, Science and Technology Policy Research, Freeman Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer Brighton BN1 9QE, UK and Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Lille 1, France) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to test the presence of strategic interactions in government spending on Research and Development (R&D), among EU-15 countries. We add to the literature on public choice strategic interactions in general, and to work on R&D spending in particular. We take account of traditional and some rather overlooked factors related to countries’ public R&D spending, including (i) the international context – i.e. Lisbon strategy ; (ii) country characteristics - the National System of Innovation ; (iii) national similarities in relation to (a) trade and economic size and (b) sectoral specialization. Sectoral specialization is likely to affect government spending, depending on the mechanisms of complementarity or substitution between public and private R&D. Using a dynamic spatial panel model in which spatial matrices are specified in terms of traditional Euclidean distance, and sectoral specialization proximity, we confirm the existence of strategic interactions in relation to R&D spending among European countries with similar economic, international trade and sectoral structure perspectives. Unlike the results for strategic interactions in public choice, geographic proximity seems not to affect interactions related to public spending on R&D. |
| Keywords: | Public R&D expenditures, National Systems of Innovation, complementarity public and private R&D, spatial interactions, EU countries, spatial dynamic panel data |
| JEL: | H5 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gat:wpaper:1223&r=sbm |