Drivers of R&D investment: The interaction of behavioral theory and managerial incentives

This research explores the interaction of behavioral theory and agency theory, investigating their joint effects on firm-level R&D investment. Based on the logic of organizational routines driving R&D investment, we rely on the effects of organizational slack, performance relative to aspirations and distance from bankruptcy as the foundation for our research model. We argue that managerial incentives moderate the relationships between these behavioral theory variables and R&D investment, albeit in contrasting directions. Specifically, we hypothesize that stock option pay positively moderates these relationships while managerial stock ownership has a negative moderating effect. Using panel data for 573 publicly-traded manufacturing firms, we find support for several of our hypotheses, highlighting the interdependence of these two perspectives on R&D investment.     

Internal Versus External R&D: A Study of R&D Choice with Sample Selection

This paper extends previous analyses of the choice between internal and external R&D to consider the costs of internal R&D. The Heckman two-stage estimator is used to estimate the determinants of internal R&D unit cost (i.e. cost per product innovation) allowing for sample selection effects. Theory indicates that R&D unit cost will be influenced by scale issues and by the technological opportunities faced by the firm. Transaction costs encountered in research activities are allowed for and, in addition, consideration is given to issues of market structure which influence the choice of R&D mode without affecting the unit cost of internal or external R&D. The model is tested on data from a sample of over 500 UK manufacturing plants which have engaged in product innovation. The key determinants of R&D mode are the scale of plant and R&D input, and market structure conditions. In terms of the R&D cost equation, scale factors are again important and have a non-linear relationship with R&D unit cost. Specificities in physical and human capital also affect unit cost, but have no clear impact on the choice of R&D mode. There is no evidence of technological opportunity affecting either R&D cost or the internal/external decision.     

Multilateral R&D alliances by new ventures

We examine the antecedents and outcomes of new ventures' formation of multilateral R&D alliances. Our results show an inverted U-shaped relationship between market uncertainty and a new venture's likelihood of forming multilateral R&D alliances. Top management team's social capital and ventures' technological capabilities are critical for new ventures to identify and capture alliance opportunities. Moreover, our analysis reveals value creation effects of multilateral R&D alliances for new ventures despite the challenges and difficulties associated. We further show that the value creation effect is a function of the type of exchange relationship (i.e., net- vs. chain-based) in the multilateral R&D alliance and that governance structure moderates this relationship.     

The role of firm-level and country-level antecedents in explaining emerging versus advanced economy multinationals' R&D internationalization strategies

We examined firm-level and country-level antecedents of R&D internationalization strategies, focusing on differences between enterprises in emerging and advanced economies. Previous research often focuses on the relative importance of home-base-exploiting versus home-base-augmenting knowledge transfer strategies. We suggest that country-level and firm-level effects differ for the two strategies, and hence, we examined each strategy independently. Collecting data in China, India, the United States, and Germany, we demonstrated that firms' relative technological position as a firm-level characteristic can explain differences in home-base-exploiting strategies between emerging and advanced economies. In contrast, home-base-augmenting is more closely related to exploratory institutional environments, a country-level factor. Thus, either firm- or country-level antecedents can gain a dominant role, depending on the strategy implemented.     

技术董事、研发投入与可持续增长

文章基于“特征——行为——经济后果”的研究范式,以2008-2015年中国披露了研发费用的上市公司为研究样本,采用中介变量方法对技术董事通过影响企业研发投入而作用于企业可持续增长的情况进行研究,并量化了这种中介作用的大小。研究结果显示：（1）技术董事对企业可持续增长的实现程度具有显著的正向影响;（2）技术董事对企业研发投入具有显著的正向影响;（3）技术董事对企业可持续增长的促进作用有一部分是通过研发投入实现的,企业研发投入是技术董事与企业可持续增长之间的部分中介变量。本文的研究对构建支持企业可持续发展的董事会治理结构具有重要启示,也为技术董事的创新驱动效应提供了经验证据。     

中国地区间研发资源错配测算与影响因素分析

随着中国的研发投入总量进入世界第一梯队,研发投入(资源)的配置状况成为决定研发产出效率的关键因素之一。本文基于一个包含研发资源价格扭曲的多部门竞争均衡模型,以2001—2016年各省份规模以上工业企业数据为样本,对中国地区间研发资源错配情况及其影响因素进行全面考察。研究发现:(1)各省份之间的研发劳动错配高于研发资本错配,多数省份倾向于过度配置研发资源,省份之间研发资源配置效率总体上呈逐步改善趋势,纠正错配可以使研发产出提升约16%;(2)东部各省份研发资源配置相对较为合理,但研发劳动配置略有不足,中部、西部和东北各省均存在不同程度的研发资源过度配置现象,东部和西部的研发资源配置效率一直在改善,东北和中部则没有表现出持续的改进态势;(3)市场发育程度、偏向性政策扶持、地区创新环境是研发资源错配的主要影响因素,在研发资源过度配置地区,这些因素的作用更为显著。本文的启示是,在当前全面实施创新驱动发展战略的大背景下,政府相关部门在积极引导全社会加大研发投入力度的同时,还应以市场为导向,进一步优化不同地区间的研发资源配置,实现研发效率的提升和经济的高质量发展。     

The Evolution of R&D Laboratories in the Brazilian Polymer Industry

ABSTRACT

Ronstadt observed that R&D laboratories in foreign subidiaries of American multinationals follow an evolutionary pattern of development. First, these laboratories adapt foreign technology to the local conditions and local raw materials. Later, laboratories focus their activity in obtaining product quality. In the last stage, these R&D units generate new technology of a long-term or exploratory nature for the corporate parent. Based on this theoretical background, this paper studies the evolution of R&D investments in polymer firms in Brazil. The methodology used was a case study conducted in 5 firms from the polymer area, complemented with secondary sources.

RESUMEN. Según Ronstadt, los laboratorios de I&D de las subsidiarias extranjeras de las multinacionales norteamericanas, cumplen un programa de desarrollo evolucionario. En primer lugar, estos laboratorios adaptan las tecnologías extranjeras a las condiciones locales y las materias primas existentes. A continuación, los laboratorios orientan sus actividades en obtener un producto de alta calidad. En la última etapa, estas unidades de I&D generan nueva tecnología de características a largo plazo o naturaleza exploratoria para la corporación matriz. Usando como base estos antecedentes teóricos, este documento estudia la evolución de las inversiones realizadas por las empresas de polímeros en el campo de la I&D en el Brasil. La metodología utilizada fue un estudio de caso realizado en 5 empresas fabricantes de polímeros, complementado con otras fuentes secundarias.

RESUMO. Ronstadt observou que os laboratórios de R&D em subsidiárias estrangeiras de multinacionais americanas seguem um padrão evolutivo de desenvolvimento. Primeiro, estes laboratórios adaptam a tecnologia estrangeira às condiç[otilde]es e às matérias-primas locais. Posteriormente, os laboratórios focalizam a sua atividade na obtenção da qualidade do produto. E, finalmente, estas unidades de R&D geram uma nova tecnologia para a matriz de natureza exploratória ou de longo prazo. Baseado nesta experiência teórica, este trabalho investiga a evolução dos investimentos de R&D em empresas de polímeros no Brasil. A metodologia usada foi um estudo de caso conduzido em cinco empresas da área de polímeros, complementada por fontes secundárias.     

The Effects of UK Pharmaceutical Policy on Government Drug Expenditure: Cost Control and Incentives for R&D

This paper investigates the impact of UK pharmaceutical policy on the level of NHS pharmaceutical expenditure. UK pharmaceutical policy is one which has managed to control costs, but at the same time, has not sacrificed the rewards for conducting long-term R&D in the UK. The analysis provides evidence that the government policies which encourage long-term R&D and the development of new drugs actually lead to lower overall pharmaceutical expenditure by the NHS. The reason for this is attributed to the savings associated with the replacement of new drugs for other less effective drugs. Additional results show that the UK receives positive spillovers from the R&D conducted by US firms and this R&D has a cost reducing impact on NHS pharmaceutical expenditure.     

R&D innovation and the value of cash in the biotech industry

This study investigates how the market pricing of an additional dollar of cash held by biotech firms is conditional upon the industry's typical performance, R&D innovation. Under the proposed R&D innovation regime, I find i) an additional dollar of cash is priced higher if held by a firm with higher R&D innovation; ii) the role of R&D innovation is asymmetric depending on whether R&D activities move the drug discovery and development forward or backward; and iii) R&D innovation also differentiates the association between investment opportunities and value of cash observed by prior studies.     

Effect of R&D and Market Concentration on Merger Outcomes – An Event Study of US Horizontal Mergers

This study examines the pattern of abnormal returns for merging companies and rivals, to determine investor expectations regarding the impact of horizontal mergers challenged by the government. Prior studies have indicated that the government may have challenged efficiency-enhancing mergers, as evidenced by the pattern of abnormal returns to rivals during merger events. This study uses a two-stage regression approach to examine those patterns, using challenged mergers from 1997 to 2007, and finds evidence of potential price effects from approved mergers. The results also show the mergers to have differential effects depending on the level of R&D, market concentration, and product sales.     

Globalization of R&D and China: An Introduction

In this introduction, we discuss the recent changes in multinational corporations' (MNCs) research and development (R&D) strategies and China's rising role in this new development. Significant changes include: 1) More and more corporations have started overseas R & D operations; 2) the missions of many overseas R&D facilities have shifted from the traditional supplementing and supporting roles to become critical and strategic components of MNCs' global R&D networks; and 3) MNC overseas R&D operations have expanded their geographic reach to carefully selected developing countries. China has benefited from such changes and has become one major attraction for such R&D facilities due to its rich endowment of low-cost and well- trained scientists and engineers as well as its fast growing domestic market and burgeoning foreign investment in manufacturing. The explosion of foreign R&D investment has also been accompanied by the rapid growth of China's domestic investment in R&D. The growth in both domestic and foreign investment in R&D implies that China will improve its position in global economic and technological competition. However, it is unclear to the rest of the world about the implications of China's rising R&D and whether or not China can capture the value from the presence of foreign R&D centres. We conclude that issues related to China's science and technology development in general and foreign R&D in China in particular warrant more research in the future.     

Horizontal Agreements and R&D Complementarities: Merger versus RJV

We study the decision of two firms within an oligopoly concerning whether to enter into a horizontal agreement to exploit complementarities between their R&D activities and if so, whether to merge or form a research joint venture (RJV). In contrast to horizontal merger and motivated by real-world evidence, we incorporate a probability that an RJV contract will fail to enforce R&D sharing. We find that a horizontal agreement always arises in equilibrium, which is consistent with empirical findings that R&D complementarities between firms positively influence the formation of horizontal agreements. The insiders’ merger/RJV choice involves a trade-off: While merger offers certainty that R&D complementarities will be exploited, it leads to a profit-reducing reaction by outsiders on the product market, where competition is Cournot. Greater contract enforceability (quality) and R&D investment costs both favour RJV. Interestingly, the insiders may choose to merge even when RJV contracts are always enforceable, and they may opt to form an RJV even when the likelihood of enforceability is negligible. We also explore the welfare implications of the firms’ merger/RJV choice.     

Cooperative and non-cooperative R&D and trade costs

We examine the effect of trade liberalization on the level and mode of R&D in an international duopoly setting. Firms have the choice to invest in R&D either independently or cooperatively. A reduction in trade cost increases R&D irrespective of the mode of R&D. However, an increase in spillovers has ambiguous effects on R&D. More precisely, we find that an increase in spillover leads to higher R&D activity under cooperation but lower R&D activity under non-cooperation. Concerning cooperation versus non-cooperation, we find that firms prefer cooperation only if trade costs are low. Consumers are better off under cooperation if spillovers are high. We find that there can be a mismatch between private and social incentives. If spillovers are low and trade costs are low then cooperation might be privately profitable but socially undesirable. On the other hand, if there are large spillovers and high trade costs then cooperation may be socially desirable but not privately profitable.     

Brand competitiveness and resilience to exogenous shock: Usage of smartphone apps during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examines the factors that affect brand competitiveness in an environment of uncertainty caused by exogenous shocks. In particular, this study focuses on smartphone apps and examines differences between “digital” brands that primarily do business online and “phygital” brands that have already established their brands offline. We also distinguished the highly uncertain environment into multiple phases and found non-linear changes in the magnitude of the parameters. We find that phygital brands have different factors affecting their competitiveness compared to digital brands. The results also provide insights into the online channel strategies of retail companies that already have brand value offline.     

Differential effects of pre- and post-acquisition R&D expenditures on post-acquisition performance

Drawing from the behavioral theory of the firm and the resource-based view, we argue that different types of R&D (explorative and exploitative) and the timing of R&D investments (pre- and post-acquisitions) have differential effects on post-acquisition performance. By using a sample of 396 technology acquisitions, we find that pre-acquisition explorative and post-acquisition R&D expenditures are more beneficial for post-acquisition performance than are pre-acquisition exploitative and post-acquisition explorative R&D expenditures. Our results also show that firms investing in explorative R&D in the pre-acquisition stage and then exploitative R&D in the post-acquisition stage have better post-acquisition performance than firms that do otherwise.     

Antecedents and financial impacts of building brand love

Brand love has garnered increasing interest among practitioners and scholars, but little is known about how marketing actions drive brand love, and whether and how brand love transmutes to firm profitability. Using longitudinal brand love data collected from more than 20,000 customers of 152 corporate brands and financial data of firms who own these brands during 2006–2017, the authors examine the antecedents and financial impacts of building brand love. The results show that advertising investments help firms build brand love with diminishing returns after reaching an optimal point, whereas R&D investments positively contribute to brand love. The analyses further show that although brand love does not affect firm profitability and market value in the short term, it increases firm profitability and market value in the long term. More important, the results indicate that the positive effect of brand love on firm performance is stronger for hedonic brands, for firms in product categories that matter greatly to consumers, and those operating in highly competitive markets. Overall, the findings have important implications for marketing theory and provide actionable insights for managers into how to build and manage brand love.     

China R&D: A High-Tech Field of Dreams1

This study highlights the rapid pace at which new commercial research and development (R&D) centres are being established by foreign investors in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It recounts the motivations behind this growing trend, subtle changes in this trend over time, some lessons learned, and asks what it could mean for future Asia-Pacific relations. The essay emphasizes China's distinct role in attracting R&D through its extensive investment in municipal services, infrastructure and regulatory reforms as well as policy incentives that have helped to spur ever-greater levels of foreign R&D investment over the past decade.     

审计师行业专长对研发活动盈余管理的监督效应

行业专长是审计师所具有的核心能力之一,具有行业专长的审计师具有更多行业知识和经验,有助于其发挥对研发活动中盈余管理的治理作用。本文以2008-2014年A股上市公司为研究对象,研究审计师行业专长对研发活动中盈余管理的监督效应,发现具有行业专长的审计师能够有效抑制企业异常研发支出削减的真实盈余管理,具有行业专长的审计师客户更不可能将不满足资本化条件的研发支出进行资本化,抑制了会计政策选择的盈余管理。因此,具有行业专长审计师的外部治理效应对研发活动的管理具有重要的积极作用。