Impact of different patent cooperation network models on innovation performance of technology-based SMEs

ABSTRACT

Patent cooperation network, an important way for technology-based SMEs to enhance innovation performance, has become a research hotspot in recent years. Different types of patent cooperation network models and different degree of SMEs embedding them will lead to different effects on enterprise innovation performance improvement. This research selected the ICT industry and the pharmaceutical industry technology-based SMEs with rich patent output as research objects. Based on binary structure perspective of network breadth and depth, the patent cooperation networks are divided into four types: ‘strong exploration’, ‘weak exploration’, ‘strong utilisation’ and ‘weak utilisation’. Through the multi-selection model and the negative binomial regression model, the general factors in the selection of patent cooperation network models and the impact of different models on enterprise innovation performance are analysed. This research provides path breakthroughs and development proposals for technology-based SMEs to access innovative resources and enhance their innovation capabilities on patent cooperation networks.     

An investigation over inbound open innovation in SMEs: insights from an Italian manufacturing sample

ABSTRACT

Building on the Open Innovation (OI) framework, the purpose of this paper is to examine the R&D inbound model of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, we focus on the impact of different horizontal R&D collaborations on product innovation and innovation performance. Hypotheses are tested using a Probit/Tobit regression on an Italian sample of 2591 manufacturing SMEs. Our analysis shows that collaborating with different horizontal R&D partners brings to different innovation outcomes. In particular, R&D collaboration with universities has a positive impact on product innovation, but not on innovation performance. Whereas, R&D collaboration with research centres and other private companies has a positive impact on both product innovation and innovation performance. Our findings provide implications for SMEs managers and entrepreneurs who have to decide between R&D partners for their innovation strategy. Avenues for future research are discussed.     

Next generation entrepreneur: innovation strategy through Web 2.0 technologies in SMEs

This essay studies the diffusion/adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)’ innovation strategies and particularly in research, development, design and other innovation activities. It looks at the effects of these technologies on the evolution and the dynamics of firm's innovation capabilities and the implications of entrepreneurial turnover on the adoption of said technologies. The study is based on original fieldwork with some 130 SMEs. The author finds that a consistent share of SMEs is actively trying to fill the knowledge gap and integrate Web 2.0 technologies in their innovation strategies. SMEs are managing this integration by progressively adjusting their behaviour in reaction to the opportunities offered by the technology and balancing the dependence of the business from the web. Barriers to the adoption of such technologies are also discussed.     

How knowledge flow affects Korean ICT manufacturing firm performance: a focus on open innovation strategy

The paper presents an integrated viewpoint of technological innovation strategy by considering both the firm and industry levels. Further, we provide a new open innovation framework by adopting a knowledge flow perspective using patent citation information. Finally, we consider a firm’s outbound open innovation performance using cites per patent information together with financial performance to look at both the practical and the potential effects of technological innovation strategy. Through these analyses, this study examines determinants of open technology innovation activity in the information and communication technology manufacturing industry in Korea and draws managerial and policy implications for effective industry promotion and improvement of technology innovation capability.     

Top management team social capital,exploration-based innovation,and exploitation-based innovation in SMEs

Despite increasing interest in ambidextrous innovations, mainstream literature has excluded discussions on developing and combining exploratory innovation (ERI) and exploitative innovation (EII) in the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. This issue from the SME perspective is worth addressing. Recent studies have conceptually argued the importance of the top management team (TMT) in managing ambidextrous innovations. Building on this argument, we explore how the top manager external social relationships foster ambidextrous innovations and whether internal social relationships among senior executives can be used to integrate such innovations. The results show that (a) distinct external managerial relationships cause differential innovations for SMEs, and (b) internal social capital among top managers could be used effectively to manage ambidextrous innovations. This research indicates that SMEs engaging in both high ERI and EII perform better when they focus on the balancing benefits of TMT internal social capital and the bridging benefits of TMT external social capital.     

Inbound open innovation in SMEs: indicators,non-financial outcomes and entry-timing

This study contributes to the literature on inbound open innovation in three ways. Firstly, it verifies the suitability of three groups of innovation activities (external information sources, cooperation and acquisition of machinery, knowledge or R&D) as indicators of open innovation, by modelling their relationship with the openness of the development of new products. Secondly, it relates these activities to three non-financial product-oriented outcomes of small and medium enterprises (SMEs): quality, product range and market share. When significant, the signs of the relationships are always positive. Thirdly, it is the first to link two streams of the literature on innovation within SMEs: open innovation and entry-timing. We distinguish between pioneers (the first to introduce innovations onto the market) and followers and find that most open innovation activities relate to the pioneering behaviour. This should be taken into consideration when designing public policies supporting innovation. Data include Spanish innovative SMEs from the Community Innovation Survey.     

Management innovation and core competitive advantages of SMEs

The paper first introduces the concept of core competence. Based on that, it proposes that small and medium enterprises （SMEs） should actively implement management innovation and describes the contents of management innovation. The conclusion is that SMEs should build the core competitive advantages through management innovation, in order to achieve better performance in the fierce market competition.     

Advanced technology,innovation, wages and productivity in the Canadian manufacturing sector

In this article, we used a two-step estimation procedure, where in the first stage, the number of advanced manufacturing technologies used in the firm was estimated using a negative binomial regression, and the expenditure on process and product innovation was estimated using a type II Tobit procedure. In the second stage, we used the predicted values from the first stage in wage and labour productivity equations. The data were from the 2009 Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy which was linked to the General Index of Financial Information (2004–2009) and the Longitudinal Employment Analysis Program (2004–2009). The implications for policy are that we should not expect large aggregate effects of innovation on productivity and employment. We should expect wage increases and productivity increases, with process innovation. We should also expect moderate wage increases with product innovation, and contrary to process innovation, the effect on productivity of product innovation was negative.     

Information technology and firm performance: mediation role of absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship in manufacturing SMEs

ABSTRACT

The success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) depends on dynamic capabilities, as it provides opportunities to remain competitive and perform well in the dynamic business environment. Although several studies show the significant positive impacts of dynamic capabilities on firm performance, our knowledge of the underlying mechanism through which IT capabilities affect the firm performance is not yet clear. Applying the dynamic capability view, this study investigates the intervening role of absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship. The data of 417 respondents is collected from medium-sized manufacturing sector SMEs in Punjab, Pakistan. The research hypotheses have been analysed through the structural equation modelling method by using the Smart-PLS software. The research findings show that absorptive capacity and corporate entrepreneurship partially mediates the relationship between IT capabilities and firm performance. Furthermore, the sequential path of IT technical skills, absorptive capacity, corporate entrepreneurship, and firm performance is highly significant as compared to other paths.     

Knowledge source strategy and enterprise innovation performance: dynamic analysis based on machine learning

By employing ergodic theory and applying the most advanced machine-leaning methods, this study exploits the rules of multi-dimensional, phased and non-linear dynamic evolution between the breadth and depth of knowledge sources and the innovation performance. The following conclusions are obtained. First, regarding explorative innovation, when both the breadth and depth of the knowledge source are at a low level, the enhancement of the breadth of the knowledge source may rapidly lift explorative innovation performance; when the knowledge source is at a high level, the theory of ‘ambidexterity balance’ is more applicable to find a balance between the breadth and the depth of the knowledge source for the enhancement of explorative innovation performance. Second, in terms of exploitative innovation, ‘ambidexterity balance’ theory can be applied at all levels. In other words, the balance of the breadth and the depth of the knowledge sources greatly enhances the exploitative innovation performance.     

Intellectual capital and university performance in Taiwan

Assessing university performance is an important yet complex issue. Knowing whether policy is effective in achieving its goal of advancing teaching and research is critical. Furthermore, at the level of implementation, it is necessary to understand if university resource allocation is sufficiently efficient for delivering expected results. To achieve this insight, this study utilizes a two-stage data envelopment analysis to evaluate the cost and teaching and research efficiencies of public universities in Taiwan. Additionally, this paper also employs a truncated-regression to discuss whether intellectual capital affects the operating efficiency of universities. The results demonstrate that the universities are much better at handling cost efficiencies than teaching and research efficiencies. The regression analysis indicates that intellectual capital does play an important role in influencing teaching and research efficiency. Finally, the conceptual roadmap to performance improvement strategies, which helps the manager and/or authorities to improve their operating efficiencies, also is presented.     

New product and service launching in new ventures: a multilevel approach to innovation antecedents

Macro-economic policies such as public financing seek to push the development and introduction of innovations; however, entrepreneurs also need support in their ‘day-to-day’ activities to improve their capability to launch innovations. As this micro-level perspective is rarely studied, we analyze both the micro and macro levels by examining the effects of the entrepreneurs’ individual intention to innovate and public financing. Additionally, we include the meso level, representing entrepreneurs’ network. Entrepreneurs are embedded in social spheres in which they capture resources and identify opportunities. But not all entrepreneurs are equally well supported, and some tend to be completely isolated. We thus focus on multilevel factors explaining new product or service launching in new ventures. Drawing on data of 48,251 French new ventures, we reveal that innovation intention and public financing positively impact new ventures’ product and service innovation launching, while entrepreneurs’ isolation has a negative effect. We also highlight two interaction effects that enhance the multilevel effects of innovation antecedents.     

Research technology organisations as leaders of R&D collaboration with SMEs: role,barriers and facilitators

Research technology organisations or RTOs have attracted academic interest in the last decade due to their role as technology transfer agents and R&D collaborative leaders for firms and especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although their role within the diversity of specialised structures in generating R&D for industry in National Innovation Systems is recognised, there are scarce publications in relation to their strategies, performance or characteristic, as leaders of R&D collaboration with SMEs. The aim of this work is to identify the role, barriers and facilitators for RTOs performance as well as to develop a contingency relationship between industry environment, strategy, organisational structure and other factors for successful technology transfer from technology organisations to SMEs. This research is based on a field study conducted on 14 technology organisations based in the Valencia region, working with various industry sectors.     

The impact of dual network structure on firm performance: the moderating effect of innovation strategy

ABSTRACT

Firm innovation is embedded in a collaboration network among researchers and a knowledge network composed of knowledge elements; the two networks are decoupled. Guided by social network theory, this study puts forward the definition and the classification of firm dual network structure, probes into the influence of dual network structure on firm performance, and explores the alignment between innovation strategy and firm dual network structure. We conduct an empirical study of 183 listed companies in China from 2004 to 2018. It is found that the four types of dual network structure all have positive impacts on firm performance, and the impact of a collaboration network is slightly higher than that of a knowledge network. Besides, innovation strategy plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between dual network structure and firm performance. Our findings provide new ideas for firms to identify and optimise knowledge and collaboration network structures and match them with innovation strategy to improve performance.     

主动还是被动：企业环保战略与绿色技术创新

以广东地区265家民营企业为样本,从利益相关者理论的视角考察了环保战略对绿色技术创新效益的影响以及企业议价能力与自然环境动荡的权变效应。主要结论包括:①企业制定主动型或被动型环保战略与绿色技术创新外部效益具有U型关系;②企业的议价能力可以正向调节被动型环保战略与绿色技术创新外部绩效的U型关系;③企业所处自然环境的动荡可以正向调节主动型环保战略与绿色技术创新外部绩效的U型关系。     

Knowledge,location, and internationalization: empirical evidence for manufacturing SMEs

This paper investigates the links between locational conditions, innovative capabilities, and internationalization of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Two modes of foreign market servicing are explored: exporting activity and relocating of selected business activities abroad. The analysis is based on the survey of about 3000 firms. The results reveal that the outputs of SMEs' innovative activities – product innovations and patent applications – enhance exporting propensity. Nevertheless, the input-side indicator – R&D intensity – appears to exert no impact. Furthermore, the locational factor proximity to research institutions promotes SMEs' exporting. Regarding the determinants of selective relocations abroad, the findings show that SMEs with a high degree of R&D are less likely to separate production from other operations and relocate it abroad. Moreover, manufacturing SMEs assessing the proximity to research facilities, as well as support from various regional authorities as important and good-quality locational conditions, exhibit a significantly lower likelihood to relocate selected activities abroad.     

Intellectual capital and new product development performance: The mediating role of organizational learning capability

Previous studies rarely examined the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational learning capability. Moreover, most studies neglect the mediating effect of organizational learning capability in the relationship between intellectual capital and new product development performance. This study uses interviews and the survey method to discuss the relationships governing intellectual capital, organizational learning capability, and new product development performance. Results are based on empirical data from Taiwan's IC design industry, and are generated by the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. Results show that human capital and relational capital actually improve new product development performance through organizational learning capability. Although structural capital positively affects organizational learning capability, managers should pay attention to possibly negative effects of structural capital on new product development performance. Relational capital is the greatest factor among these three types of intellectual capital in Taiwanese IC design companies, structural capital is second, and human capital is last. Comparing three types of intellectual capital of Taiwan's large enterprises with those of Taiwan's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reveals that the relational capital of Taiwan's SMEs is marginally less than that of large enterprises.     

中小企业资本结构与经营绩效关系研究——基于中小企业板的实证分析

以中小企业的佼佼者——在深交所中小企业板上市的公司为对象,研究其资本结构的现状,并从各公司2007年财务报告中选取盈利能力、营运能力等五方面共15个指标,采用主成分分析和线性回归,分析资本结构对其经营绩效的影响。经过分析,15个代表经营绩效的财务指标可以通过五个主成分表示,而且这五个主成分表示的经营绩效与代表资本结构的资产负债率和流动资产比率显著正相关,这说明我国中小企业上市公司资本结构与经营绩效的变动呈同向关系。     

China top brand strategy and innovation

The Chinese economy appears the double-restraint characteristic at present stage including mainly resources restraint and market restraint. With the policy of reform and opening up, and especially after accelerating the two fundamental changes put forward by central government, the transformation of the economic growth mode achieved positive progress in China. There was still no brand from China mainland belonging to the 100 top world valuable brands according to Business Weekly of America in 2006. By 2007, a total of 1957 China top brand, 10 world famous China top brand are awarded in china to form a powerful enterprise group. But how to assess a brand is still troublesome. This paper shows the evolution of the policy and discusses the dilemma expecting the advice from the domestic and abroad.     

Productivity,innovation strategies and industrial relations in SMEs. Empirical evidence for a local production system in northern Italy

The paper aims to provide an original contribution to evaluating several kinds of relations between four areas of innovation activities – training, technology, organization, ICT (information and communication technologies) – and industrial relations and firm’s economic performance. Quantitative evidence for a SME‐based local production system is provided by exploiting two datasets: the first is derived from a direct survey carried out in 2005 collecting data on innovations, labour flexibility and industrial relations; the second is represented by a panel of official balance sheets data for the period 1998–2004. The analysis is divided in two consequential parts. We first examine the drivers of different innovation strategies and subsequently we exploit innovation indicators as potential drivers of firm’s productivity. The results show that training activities and organizational changes have strong links with many industrial relations indicators, thus emerging as industrial relations driven innovations. On the contrary, ICT and technological innovation seem to be more influenced by firms’ past performances than by industrial relations. The analysis on labour productivity drivers shows that training activities are the most relevant factors; then, ranked consequently, technological innovation, organisational innovations and, finally, ICT also appear to impact on productivity levels. It is worth noting that the role of ICT emerges more robustly when endogeneity is specifically addressed. Finally, the role of firm size seems here to be overshadowed by other drivers.