The transformation of national patents for high-technology exports: Moderating effects of national cultures

National culture as an informal institution influences the national absorptive capacity (NAC) measured in patents per capita in the upstream and entrepreneurial activity in the downstream. Does national culture moderate the link between NAC and high-technology exports? We explored this question in a comprehensive study design. Based on a panel of 101 countries over 21 years, first, we assessed the direct effect of NAC on high-technology exports in the baseline hypothesis. Then, we analysed the moderating role of national culture between the country’s NAC and high-technology exports. The results show several insights from the comparison between the literature and our evidence. (i) We proposed that power distance negatively moderates patent and high-tech exports; the results show a positive correlation of the interaction. (ii) We proposed that individualist culture positively moderates patent and high-technology exports; the results show a positive correlation of the interaction. (iii) We proposed that high masculinity has no moderating effects; the results show a positive interaction effect. (iv) We proposed that uncertainty avoidance negatively moderates the link between NAC and high-technology exports; the results show negative and significant moderation without the introduction of long-term orientation; however, it is non-significant after the introduction of long-term orientation. Last, (v) we proposed that long-term orientation positively moderates the link between NAC and high-technology exports; the results are positive and significant without uncertainty avoidance, and they are non-significant with uncertainty avoidance in the analysis. Uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation neutralise each other’s effects. Based on these insights, we contribute to the literature in three ways. First, we address the issue of high-technology exports in international business at the national level and link it to the vertical transformation of national science in patents per capita. Second, we contribute to the institutional theory encompassing informal norms (culture) and formal rules (policy) in the flow of NAC to commercial performance. Third, we make several policy-related suggestions.     

Do co-opted boards increase insider profitability?

Using a sample of U.S. firms over the period 1996–2014, this paper examines whether insider trading profitability increases with high board co-option. Indeed, we find that firms with a higher level of co-opted directors exhibit higher insider trading profitability, largely due to a lower level of managerial ability and analyst coverage. Co-opted boards are also unlikely to implement self-imposed insider trading restrictions, exacerbating this relationship. This positive association is mitigated by a higher level of external monitoring by institutional investors and if the CEO receives more performance-based incentives. Overall, co-opted directors demonstrate aligned interests with CEOs and corporate insiders rather than performing their role as monitors. As a result, a more co-opted board is positively associated with exploitative behaviour of insiders.     

Principal Features of Building Social Accounts Matrix and Improving Statistical Database for Eco-countries

With common borders of the population, total area, and GDP （PPP-based） of Economic Cooperation Organization （ECO） member states are estimated as 416 million persons, 7.9 million m2, and US$2.7 trillion respectively （2010 data）. Although heterogeneous in the extent, there is economic development, overall, with serious energy and transport-transit relations among countries that is reflected in growing trade turnover year-by-year. However, there are still rather unused resources and capacity in such areas of cooperation among countries as exchange of energy, transport services, agricultural and industrial goods, use of opportunities for tourism, promoting investment and innovation processes and other areas. Certainly, maximum and optimal use of these resources calls for availability of analytical means capable of accounting for relations both within member states and among them. The implementation of computable general equilibrium （CGE） modeling in each member state would thus be of great significance in resolution of these problems both in terms of accounting for input-output linkages within the countries as well as enabling impact of main trading partners and goods and services among countries. The analysis carried out indicates that there are a number of problems in application of CGE model in most of the member states. As such, input-output tables are not compiled in some countries, while in others despite the fact that these tables are compiled, there are no attempts to build the model, yet in other countries, even if the CGE model is implemented, there are difficulties in taking into account the real results in the face of serious problems related to improving national accounts system database. Summarizing these problems, it is possible to conclude that to ensure the application of a CGE model,there is a great need to work out procedures of compilation of a social accounts matrix （SAM） that lies on the basis of this model, for which the relevant statistics of a member state must be improved     

Dynamic Capabilities, Government Policies, and Performance in Firms from Emerging Economies: Evidence from India and Pakistan

In this study we developed a model of the dynamic capability development mechanisms in Emerging Market manufacturing Firms (EMF). We identified three dynamic capability development mechanisms: organizational learning, reverse engineering, and manufacturing flexibility. We generated hypotheses based on this framework, linking these mechanisms with firm performance. We also modelled the roles played by managerial use of two types of government policies: input supporting policies and marketing supporting policies. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of Indian and Pakistani manufacturing firms. Results showed that organizational learning, reverse engineering and manufacturing flexibility had significant impacts on EMF performance. Additionally, organizational learning combined with input supporting government policies enhanced performance, and the combination of manufacturing flexibility and marketing supporting government policies had an insignificant influence on performance.     

Japan's fifth generation computer project

The Japanese Fifth Generation project is aimed at increasing computing power by around three orders of magnitude over 15 years. Motives are political and social as well as commercial. The Japanese have sought international cooperation in this attempt to beat IBM (in particular) by ignoring compatibility with existing systems. Although there is not even an embryonic Vth generation system yet, final success looks likely. One goal is to be able to process knowledge (rather than data), in a user-friendly manner.     

A stochastic dynamic model of trade and growth: Convergence and diversification

There is a growing literature that studies the properties of models that combine international trade and neoclassical growth theory, but mostly in a deterministic setting. In this paper we introduce uncertainty in a dynamic Heckscher-Ohlin model and characterize the equilibrium of a small open economy in such an environment. We show that, when trade is balanced period-by-period, the per capita output and consumption of a small open economy converge to an invariant distribution that is independent of the initial wealth. Further, at the invariant distribution, there are periods in which the small economy diversifies. Numerical simulations show that the speed of convergence increases with the size of the shocks. In the limit, when there is no uncertainty, there is no convergence and countries may specialize permanently. The paper highlights the role of market incompleteness, as a result of the period-by-period trade balance, in this setup. Through an analytical example we also illustrate the importance of country specific risk in delivering our results.     

Is gold the best hedge and a safe haven under changing stock market volatility?

We evaluate the role of gold and other precious metals relative to volatility (Volatility Index (VIX)) as a hedge (negatively correlated with stocks) and safe haven (negatively correlated with stocks in extreme stock market declines) using data from the US stock market. Using daily data from November 1995 to November 2010, we find that gold, unlike other precious metals, serves as a hedge and a weak safe haven for US stock market. However, we find that VIX serves as a very strong hedge and a strong safe haven during our sample period. We also find that in periods of extremely low or high volatility, gold does not have a negative correlation with the US stock market. Our results show that VIX is a superior hedging tool and serves as a better safe haven than gold during our sample period. We highlight the practical significance of our results for financial market participants by conducting a portfolio analysis.     

Real option as strategic technology uncertainty reduction mechanism: inter-firm investment strategy by pharmaceuticals

Whether pharmaceutical firms use the real option (RO) mechanism for strategic technology uncertainty reduction and whether the role of RO decreases when industrial technology progresses from research and development (R&D) to commercial activities in a product life cycle is discussed. The evidence confirms that pharmaceutical firms enter different in the external technology sourcing. Moreover, RO-based entry coefficients differ in sizes at different levels in the industrial value chain. The R&D entry stage is relatively greater than the clinical trials entry stage. However, contrary to the proposition that the commercial entry coefficient will be relatively lower; the results indicate that the commercial RO-entry stage appears to be relatively greater than both the R&D entry stage and the clinical trials entry stage. The overall RO-based entry in external technology sourcing appears to be a U-shaped curve along the product life cycle. The article highlights some theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

Vertical alliance and vertical integration for the inflow of technology and new product development in the pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical firms are increasingly seeking vertical alliance (licensing and joint venture) or bridges and vertical integration (merger and acquisition, M&A) or buffers. However, the question remains whether alliance and integration modes of organisation contribute to the clinical trials activities for a new product development. Using data on 250 pharmaceutical firms, this study examines the linkage between the external technology-sourcing modes and an increase in clinical trials activities, advancing new product development. The findings indicate that licensing mode may not be an effective in comparison to joint ventures and M&A modes of the organisation. Comparing the two modes – vertical joint venture (bridges) and vertical integration (buffer) – the former appears to be effective than the latter (M&A) in sourcing external technology acquisition in the pharmaceutical industry. Implications of these findings are addressed in terms of strategy and structure in a broader context.