scholarly journals Inter-firm inventor mobility and the role of co-inventor networks in producing high-impact innovation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergő Tóth ◽  
Balázs Lengyel
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Small World ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Collaboration Network ◽  
Collaboration Networks ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Inventor Networks ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Inter-firm mobility of inventors is a major source of embodied knowledge transfer and receiving firms enjoy additional benefits from the collaboration networks of mobile inventors. However, there is still limited understanding on how the firm can maximize the impact of incoming inventors and what structure of co-inventor networks is the most beneficial for that. To answer this question, we construct a weighted and time-decayed co-inventor network from all IT-related patents in the harmonized OECD PATSTAT 1977–2010 database and analyze events of inter-firm inventor mobility. We look at the future impact of firm innovation and isolate the effect of mobile inventors’ network characteristics from the characteristics of the collaboration network in the receiving firm. Our results imply that high-impact innovations are produced if the firm hires broker inventors who have diverse networks and thus has the potential to channel a wide pool of knowledge into the firm. We find evidence that cohesive networks within the firm, measured by small world characteristics, exaggerate the effect of incoming brokers and high-impact inventors.

The double-edged sword of external search in collaboration networks: embeddedness in knowledge networks as moderators

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2135-2160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Shi ◽  
Qingpu Zhang ◽  
Zuolong Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Network ◽  
Collaboration Network ◽  
Network Centrality ◽  
Collaboration Networks ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Embeddedness ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Innovation Outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the inverted U-shaped relationship between external search in the collaboration network and firm innovation outcomes. It also seeks to explore whether these curvilinear relationships are moderated by the network centrality and structural holes in the knowledge network. Design/methodology/approach In this empirical research, the authors collected a sample of patents in the smartphone industry over the period of 2000-2017. Then the authors examined the direct roles of external search breadth and depth in the collaboration network and the moderating role of network embeddedness in the knowledge network by using negative binomial regression. Findings Results found that external search in the collaboration network contributes more to firm innovation outcomes when the breadth and depth of the external search are moderate rather than high or low. Furthermore, both network centrality and structural holes in the knowledge network have positive effects on the external search breadth – innovation outcomes and external search depth – innovation outcomes relationships. Research limitations/implications The authors collected the patent data within the single industry and excluded other types of industries. This may limit the generalization of the findings. Practical implications The paper has practical implications for adopting appropriate search strategies in the collaboration network and developing a better understanding of the effect of network embeddedness in the knowledge network on firm innovation outcomes. The findings suggest future directions for technology-intensive industries to improve their innovation output. Originality/value This study adds value to open innovation literature by pointing out a curvilinear relationship (inverted U-shaped) between external search breadth/depth and innovation outcomes in collaboration networks, in contrast to studies focused on firms’ external collaboration strategies in a certain industry context. Furthermore, this study reinforces the key contingent role of embeddedness in knowledge networks. This study provides a valuable theoretical framework of innovation outcome determinants by connecting the network perspective of open innovation theory with an embeddedness view.

Scientific collaboration networks and firm innovation: the contingent impact of a dynamic environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yang ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Deming Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Collaboration ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Collaboration Network ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Market Dynamics ◽  
Collaboration Networks ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe environment in high-tech industries is highly dynamic, and after COVID-19, it has become even more unpredictable. Hence, it has become critical for firms to develop strategies to cope with a highly dynamic environment. This paper aims to analyze how the impact of the scientific collaboration networks with URIs (universities and research institutes) on firm innovation performance is contingent on technological and market dynamics.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 174 Chinese firms in the new-energy vehicle industry during 2004–2015, the authors applied a random-effects negative binomial modeling approach to model these relationships.FindingsA broad and strong scientific collaboration network promotes firm innovation network effects are contingent on technological and market dynamics. While technological dynamics strengthen the effect market dynamics weaken it due to the different purposes of collaboration for firms and URIs.Practical implicationsFirms should adjust the structure of scientific collaboration networks with URIs when facing different environments. The government should encourage firms to jointly research with diverse URIs and play an active role in stabilizing market environments.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the academic debate on university-industry scientific collaborations. Applying the temporary competitive advantage (TCA) framework, we provide nuances to the literature that studies the factors that condition the effects of networks. This study also adds to the research on firm scientific collaboration networks by measuring networks based on the coauthorship between firms and URIs.

The impact of firm resources on innovation

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 672-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irem Demirkan
Keyword(s):  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Slack Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Resources ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose that the resources that a firm owns and has full control (firm-level resources) and resources that a firm access through direct connection with other firms (network-level resources) will impact firm innovation when effectively deployed by the firm. While previous research examined these factors separately, the author takes a holistic view and looks into their effects on innovation simultaneously. The author also introduces the moderating effects, i.e. the variables that can enhance firm innovation through their interaction with internal and external resources.Design/methodology/approachThe author tested the role of financial resources and slack resources in the form of cash slack and human slack at the firm level, and network size, network tie strength, and network diversity at the network level on the firm innovation. Using generalized negative binomial model with Huber-White procedure, the author analyzed 306 firms from the biotechnology industry over a span of 17 years.FindingsThe analysis suggests that cash slack impact innovation negatively. However, this link is moderated by firm size such that for large firms cash slack affects innovation positively. Network-level resources all positively impact innovation and have more economic impact on firm innovation than firm-level resources. Furthermore, although human slack negatively affects innovation, its interaction with network size enhances innovation.Originality/valueThe research makes important contributions to both strategic management and innovation literatures especially when, the author considers the role of firm-level slack in driving firm innovation. Previous research reported conflicting findings about the availability of slack resources and firm performance. The results showed that the relationship between slack resources and firm innovation is negative and significant, both for available slack and human slack. This finding parallels with previous research which reported that constraints such as lack of slack resources can actually facilitate innovation. The author also contributes to the literature by introducing boundary conditions which can enhance firm innovation through their interaction with firm-level internal and network-level external resources. In this respect, to the author’s knowledge, this is among the first studies to combine the slack literature focusing on firm-level resources with the literature on network-level resources.

Patenting or not? The dilemma of academic spin-off founders

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Ferri ◽  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Adele Parmentola ◽  
Alessandro Sapio
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Econometric Methods ◽  
Parent University ◽  
Unexpected Findings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of patenting on the performance of academic spin-off firms (ASOs) in the post-creation stage. Specifically, our study analyses how the combination of knowledge transfer mechanisms by ASOs and patents can foster ASOs’ early growth performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored the relations between patenting processes and spin-off performance through econometric methods applied to a broad sample of Italian ASOs. The research adopts a deductive approach, and the hypotheses are tested using panel data models by considering the sales growth rate as the dependent variable regressed over measures of patenting activity and quality and assuming that firm-specific unobservable drivers of growth are captured by random effects.FindingsThe empirical analysis shows that the incorporation of knowledge transferred by the parent university and academic founders through patents affects the performance of ASOs. Specifically, the authors find that the number of patents is a positive driver of ASOs’ performance, whilst patent age does not have a significant impact on growth. Moreover, spin-offs with a larger endowment of patents obtained before foundation, surprisingly, grow less on average.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for ASO founders by suggesting that patenting processes reap benefits. However, in the trade-off of external knowledge access vs internal knowledge protection, it may be better to begin patenting after the foundation of ASOs.Originality/valueThe authors enrich the on-going debate about the connections between knowledge transfer and organizational performance. This paper combines the concepts of patents and ASOs by providing evidence on the role of patenting processes as a transfer mechanism of explicit knowledge in ASOs. Furthermore, the authors contribute to the literature on costs and benefits of patents by hinting at unexpected findings.

scholarly journals Exploring the topology and dynamic growth properties of co-invention networks and technology fields

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256956
Author(s):  
Pablo E. Pinto ◽  
Guillermo Honores ◽  
Andrés Vallone
Keyword(s):  
Preferential Attachment ◽  
Small World ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Collaboration Networks ◽  
Technological Diversification ◽  
Sudden Rise ◽  
Growth Properties ◽  
Dynamic Growth ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Inventor Networks

This study investigates the topology and dynamics of collaboration networks that exist between inventors and their patent co-authors for patents granted by the USPTO from 2007–2019 (2,241,201 patents and 1,879,037 inventors). We study changes in the configurations of different technology fields via the power-law, small-world, preferential attachment, shrinking diameter, densification law, and gelling point hypotheses. Similar to the existing literature, we obtain mixed results. Based on network statistics, we argue that the sudden rise of large networks in six technology sectors can be understood as a phase transition in which small, isolated networks form one giant component. In two other technology sectors, such a transition occurred much later and much less dramatically. The examination of inventor networks over time reveals the increased complexity of all technology sectors, regardless of the individual characteristics of the network. Therefore, we introduce ideas associated with the technological diversification of inventors to complement our analysis, and we find evidence that inventors tend to diversify into new fields that are less mature. This behavior appears to be correlated with the compliance of some of the expected network rules and has implications for the emerging patterns among the different collaboration networks under consideration here.

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