Can Intellectual Property Rights Affect Multinational Enterprises’ Entry Modes? The Chilean Case

Abstract

Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) can choose between exporting, introducing foreign direct investment (FDI), and licensing to a domestic firm among other modes of entry to a new market. Yet, this decision may be affected by the strength of intellectual property rights (IPR). Thus, this paper analyzes the effect of stronger IPR on the entry modes chosen by MNEs. We propose a theoretical model that predicts that in the presence of stronger IPR, MNEs would choose licensing instead of FDI as an entry mode. We test the predictions of the model using plant-level data for Chile for the period 2001–2007. We exploit the exogenous reform of IPR in 2005, controlling for the activities of industries where high levels of technology transfer and imitation are important factors. The main results show that stronger IPR change the mode of entry chosen by MNEs. In this case, FDI is replaced by licensing. This is explained by Chile’s high absorptive capacity during this period. We test whether this effect differs across high- and low-tech industries and conclude that the displacement of FDI is less severe in high-tech industries.     

Licensing versus direct investment: implications for economic growth

We develop a symmetric two country model of foreign direct investment (FDI) that captures the internalization decision and its implications for both the rate and magnitude of innovations. When mode choice (licensing versus FDI) is fixed, a subsidy to multinational production increases the rate but decreases the size of innovations. When mode can switch, the rate and size of innovations both increase, provided the subsidy is not too large. Although innovation size decreases for industries where firms already were choosing FDI, innovation size increases for industries where firms switch from licensing to FDI because multinationals choose larger innovations than licensors.     

研发国际化趋势下我国技术创新模式的选择

技术创新能力一直是制约发展中国家经济增长和提升企业国际竞争力的关键因素。目前绝大多数发展中国家都在尝试通过吸引跨国公司研发投资来实现自身的技术跨越式发展。然而，跨国公司的研发国际化对东道国技术创新是一把“双刃剑”，选择怎样的技术创新模式来实现东道国利益的最大化就成为重要的研究课题。本文认为，在研发国际化趋势下我国应采取自主创新为主、模仿与合作创新为辅的组合模式。     

Technology adoption: Amplifying versus simplifying innovations

A conceptual distinction is offered between amplifying versus simplifying technological innovations. This distinction is shown to have value in explaining intended adoption. The results of the study indicate the need for further conceptualization and research regarding the role of innovation characteristics in adoption-decision processes.     

Network configuration and innovation success: An empirical analysis in German high-tech industries

Based on the assumption that intensity and structure are the most important dimensions of a firm's technological network, the authors identity seven different types of technology-oriented network configurations. Drawing upon a database of 321 high-tech companies, they show that innovation success is significantly correlated with a firm's technological network. Product and process innovations are shown to demand different types of network configurations.     

Demand pull and technology push perspective in technology-based innovations for the points of sale: The retailers evaluation

Despite the consumers' increasing demand of technology-based innovations for making stores more appealing and the huge availability of advanced technologies, there is still a lack of research on the retailers' and employees' points of views towards the introduction of these systems. In fact, an efficient innovation should take care of both the final users/consumers' and the retailers/employees' needs and expectations. Hence, the aim of this study is to advance our knowledge on retailers' pull of new technologies for improving their job in accordance with the most recent systems, as well as on the main characteristics of these innovations for defining a new integrative framework of analysis and development.     

Industry Heterogeneity of Technology Innovation of Export Firm in China： Empirical Evidence from Listed Firms

技术创新是出口企业提高国际竞争力的重要战略,而技术创新的关键在于对其特性和形成原因的科学把握。本文利用高技术制造业、非高技术制造业、采掘业和建筑业出口上市企业数据,在出口企业技术创新理论分析的基础上,运用多元统计和面板数据模型,研究了中国出口企业技术创新差异性。研究发现,中国出口企业技术创新具有明显的行业差异性;研发资本投入、研发人力投入、企业冗余资源、技术装备程度、国有股权比例、股权集中度和企业出口额对出口企业技术创新产出的作用也具有行业差异性。本文的研究结果可为中国出口企业针对本行业特性科学地做出技术创新决策提供参考。     

技术差距与跨国公司的技术转移——基于我国制造业行业面板数据的实证研究

现有的理论与实证研究表明,技术差距对跨国公司技术转移的影响是非线性的。通过对我国制造业行业面板数据的实证分析表明,在整体上,技术差距的缩小、市场需求的提高促进了跨国公司对华技术转移。并进一步发现技术差距对跨国公司技术转移的影响只体现在技术差距较小的行业,在技术差距较大的行业,跨国公司更注重市场需求因素的影响。     

Technology,science and American innovation

This article offers for consideration four propositions about business, government, and innovation in the post-World War Two United States, points which may have a wider resonance as well. They concern the long term role of continuous innovation, technology–science relationships, state-led problem setting for innovation, and the ‘permanent uncertainties’ that arise from Cold War-era technological advance. Each of these has implications for the practice of business history, for conceptualizing innovation, and for our understanding of post-war science–technology trajectories.     

日本综合科技创新会议（CSTI）中的科技外交工具研究

当前,世界各国纷纷立足科技创新,以科技外交为触手参与国际竞争和规则重构。日本综合科技创新会议（CSTI）是日本最高科技政策咨询决策部门,其重要职能之一便是促进日本科技外交发展。本文基于中国学者张冀燕对科技外交工具的分类,以CSTI的发展、产出成果中展现的工具性为切入点,分析日本科技外交发展特点,为我国发展科技外交提供策略建议。     

Divergent diffusion: Understanding the interaction between institutions,firms, networks and knowledge in the international adoption of technology

Why do certain technologies diffuse globally while others spread only within certain areas of the world? I analyze the uneven process of international technology diffusion by focusing on how institutions moderate the impact of firm, network, and knowledge characteristics on the adoption of technology. The study shows that better economic institutions lower transformation costs; that similarities across social institutions minimize transmission costs; and that effective political institutions reduce transaction costs for technology diffusion. The impact of each institution-type on the diffusion process is based on the relative weight of the three different knowledge dimensions embedded in the technology. Complex technologies are most affected by economic institutions; tacit technologies are most dependent on social institutions; and systemic technologies are most influenced by political institutions.     

The technology transfer paradox

This paper examines whether a country that enjoys a superior technology in all commodities in a two-country, multi-commodity Ricardian setting could actually gain if its technology in which it possesses its greatest comparative advantage is stolen or transferred to the other country without any compensation. Such a paradoxical possibility is shown always to exist with a finite number of commodities and equal-shared Cobb-Douglas demand conditions for certain ranges of relative country size.     

Does innovation-orientation lead to retail industry growth? Empirical evidence from patent analysis

Competitiveness and complexity in the retail industry are increasing due to rapid technological changes and diffusion. Patent analysis is largely used in innovation studies to assess and monitor technological changes in different sectors. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive view of the innovative forces affecting the retailing sector, by focusing on the evaluation of innovation levels through the classification and analysis of patented innovations. The findings show that retailers might shift to more innovation-oriented strategies in order to propose innovative consumer solutions, due to the support of the technology advancements highlighted by the strong patent track record. Our study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of critical areas for innovation in retailing and by offering bibliometric and patent analytical methods measures relative to the innovative forces affecting retailing, which might push the sector to be increasingly an innovation-oriented one. Finally, the high level of property rights (defined by the huge amount of patents) pushes retailers to invest more on acquiring patented technologies to achieve advantages over competitors or to adopt novel management practices as substitutes for patents.     

Technology competencies in competitive environment

Although prior studies suggest that technology competencies play a significant role in firm innovation and competitiveness, what and how technology competencies interacted with competitive environment affect firm innovation has not been fully understood. This paper fills this research gap through a questionnaire survey of 165 firms together with a number of interviews drawn from the Taiwan's information and communication technology (ICT) industry. The results suggest that capabilities of exploring or exploiting technological opportunities, core technology capability, and autonomy of R&D decisions are particularly important to firm innovation in a highly competitive environment, whereas over commitments to existing technologies may constrain a firm's innovation especially in such environment. Moreover, different types of competitive environment require different types of technological competencies to enhance firm innovativeness. This paper contributes to the existing theory by examining the joint effect of technology competency and competitive environment on a firm's innovation.     

A process model of academic entrepreneurship

Innovations stemming from research conducted on university campuses are a growing source for the ideas and core technologies that drive entrepreneurial endeavors. This trend has led to development of the term academic entrepreneurship, which refers to the efforts and activities that universities and their industry partners undertake in hopes of commercializing the outcomes of faculty research. Because it is a relatively new phenomenon, the process of academic entrepreneurship has not been as well articulated as one might hope. As such, the objective of this article is to draw on a range of academic entrepreneurship literature to develop a multi-stage process model of academic entrepreneurship. This model is intended to guide potential stakeholders through the application of academic entrepreneurship, with a focus on improving the odds of success. The advantage of this approach is identification of the activities, actors, and key success factors associated with each stage of the academic entrepreneurship process. We conclude our discussion by highlighting the benefits of engaging in academic entrepreneurship for a variety of potential stakeholders.     

外商投资的技术转移、技术外溢及其结构差异--以福建外商直接投资计量模型分析为例

外商投资的技术外溢程度与其技术转移水平呈现倒U型函数关系,只有在一定阀值范围之内,跨国公司所转移技术对东道国的外溢效应才是积极的、正向的,否则就会产生负外溢效应或外溢效应减弱。福建三资企业技术外溢的计量模型分析也表明,由于技术转移阀值的存在,造成来自不同国家或地区外商直接投资的外溢效应具有明显的结构差异性。因此积极调整利用外资结构,提升外资企业的技术转移水平,对于增强外商直接投资的外溢效应具有重要意义。