Change in factor endowment, technological innovation and export: evidence from China’s manufacturing sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Rauf ◽  
Ying Ma ◽  
Abdul Jalil

PurposeWhile previous studies find innovation to be an essential driver of export growth, the existing literature has neglected the role of different dimensions of technological innovation in export performance, especially in emerging countries. In particular, much less attention has been provided to investigate how enhancing innovation activities in more technical industries influence the relationship between technological innovation and export. Purpose of this paper is to present a unified framework to empirically investigate the integrated impact of the various technological innovation dimensions on export performance of industrial enterprises in China.Design/methodology/approachUsing a panel dataset of enterprise-level data classified into China’s two-digit capital- and technology-intensive manufacturing industries for the 1998–2016 period and applying system-GMM regressions to control for the problem of endogeneity, the authors empirically investigate the integrated impact of a variety of the dimensions of technological innovation on export.FindingsThe authors find that: (1) Domestic R&D efforts and technology spillovers from foreign investment are critical determinants for capital- and technology-intensive exports. (2) External technology may not automatically contribute to export success whereas the interaction of external technology with domestic skill and expertise is a necessary condition for global competitiveness. (3) There exists complementarity between domestic and foreign innovation efforts when they jointly determine export. (4) Chinese government’s trade and innovation policies have significantly contributed to its export growth. Also, the authors examine that the extent of the effect of innovation on export depends upon the type of industry and it is found to be greater in capital- and technology-intensive industries.Originality/valueThis paper fills the research gap in existing literature by distinguishing between different dimensions of technological innovation and integrating them into a unified framework to empirically investigate their impact on export performance of industrial enterprises in emerging countries. The study provides important insights for policymakers.

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik ◽  
Evelyn S. Devadason ◽  
Chandran Govindaraju

PurposeThis study examines the influence of human capital, overall and by dimensions, on the export performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The study also investigates the role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between human capital dimensions and export performance.Design/methodology/approachData from 586 manufacturing sector SMEs were collected for analysis. The study applied covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate the hypothesized relationships.FindingsAs a whole, human capital was found to exert a direct and indirect impact on export performance, particularly for the medium-sized firms and for firms with medium to high levels of export intensities. Nevertheless, not all dimensions of human capital mattered for export performance. Education and training were found to pose the greatest influence on export performance of those firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe results suggest that when devising appropriate policies for SMEs, the impact of different dimensions of human capital need to be considered for addressing challenges related to the internationalization of firms. In short, developing the right human capital is essential for SMEs to compete at the international level.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies, this study decomposed the influence of different dimensions of human capital on export performance and assessed the mediating role of absorptive capacity. The study is also among the pioneering studies in SMEs sector of Pakistan to analyze the role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between various dimensions of human capital and export performance.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2019-0198


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Opazo-Basáez ◽  
Ferran Vendrell-Herrero ◽  
Oscar F. Bustinza

PurposeExisting innovation frameworks suggest that manufacturing firms have traditionally developed a complementary model of technological innovations comprising process and product innovations (e.g. Oslo Manual). This article presents digital service innovation as a novel form of technological innovation that is capable of enhancing the performance of firms in certain manufacturing industries.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on technological innovation and digital servitization fields of research, this study argues that digital service innovation, in manufacturing contexts, complements traditional sources of technological innovation, so increasing the profit margins of firms. This effect is significant in industries characterized by business-to-business contexts, high presence of link channels and long product life spans (e.g. manufacturing and computer-based industries). Predictions are tested on a unique sample of 423 Spanish manufacturing firms using parametric (t-test) and nonparametric (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, fsQCA) approaches.FindingsThe results of this analysis show that a necessary condition so that manufacturing firms can increase profits is the deployment of simultaneous process and product innovations. It also reveals that optimal configuration requires that digital service innovation be undertaken, particularly in machinery and computer-based manufacturing industries. Hence, all three sources of technological innovation are brought together in order to reach the highest levels of company performance. The evidence suggests that technological innovation and digital servitization are closely interrelated in highly innovative manufacturing contexts.Originality/valueThis study's originality and value reside in the fact that it reveals the existence of firms incorporating digital service innovation – a new, technological innovation dimension that challenges existing innovation frameworks – to complement traditional technological innovation sources, namely process and product innovation. Moreover, the study conceptualizes and empirically tests the value-adding role of digital services in firms' technological innovation portfolio.


Author(s):  
David McHardy Reid ◽  
Guotai Chi ◽  
Zhi Chong Zhao ◽  
Ilan Alon

Purpose Performed over a five-year time horizon, this paper aims to analyze the progression rates of technological innovation across 15 sub-provincial Chinese cities. The authors quantify and rate innovation performance, then rank the cities based on a purpose-built index designed to gauge the rate of technological progress. Design/methodology/approach Using the inferior constraint method, and a variety of national sources of data, the authors construct an innovation index based in part on new product sales revenue, proportion of college students, research and development expenditure of industrial enterprises in relation to gross industrial output value, contract deals in technical markets per capita, hazard-free treatment rate of waste, enterprises with technical development agencies accounts for industrial enterprises, number of high-tech enterprises and invention patent ownership per million population. Findings The findings provide a methodology for indexing cities, with 15 Chinese provincial cities as examples. Among the top five cities with the highest technological innovation index were Shenzhen, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Wuhan. In the bottom were Shenyang, Changchun, Dalian, Xi’an and Harbin. Research limitations/implications This study applied a new model of innovation at the city level for China. Application to other industries (real estate, manufacturing, etc.) and countries will extend boundaries of this model and show its wider applicability. Practical implications Companies can use this research and methodology when seeking new investments in high tech and innovative products. Locations offering more hospitable environments should be prioritized ceteris paribus. Originality/value One weakness of much of the international business and competitiveness literature is that it often views the country as the primary unit of analysis. In this way, nuanced views of the institutional environments within countries are often overlooked. This paper proposes a measure of regional rates of innovativeness across China.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Silupu ◽  
Belen Usero ◽  
Ángeles Montoro-Sánchez

PurposeThe formalization of a company is a process that requires compliance with standards established by government institutions. In developing countries, many businesses start this process, but do not finish it, with different levels of formality. The objective of this research is to analyze how the perception of entrepreneurs about bureaucratic procedures and the sector determine the level of formality regarding an established company that has taken the first step to formality.Design/methodology/approachThe National Survey of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) is used with a sample of 4,619 Peruvian MSEs with more than three years of operation within the manufacturing and services sector. The data are analyzed with the ordered logistic regression technique.FindingsThe results show that the more favorable the perception of entrepreneurs about the ease of bureaucratic procedures, the higher the level of business formality; and companies in the manufacturing sector are less formal than those in the services sector. In addition, the perceptions of entrepreneurs positively moderate the level of formality in the case of companies in the manufacturing sector.Originality/valueLevels of formality in established companies are analyzed, defined by the compliance degree with the requirements to be a formal company. The literature on business informality in emerging countries is expanded, particularly in Latin America, incorporating the analysis of the formalization process.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1088-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Obiora G. Okechukwu ◽  
Glauco De Vita ◽  
Yun Luo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the foreign direct investment (FDI)–exports relationship in Nigeria using disaggregated FDI and export data. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies the autoregressive distributed lag cointegration approach in examining the long-run relationship between FDI and exports. Findings The results suggest that aggregate FDI has a positive and statistically significant long-run impact on total exports. Once exports are disaggregated into oil and non-oil exports, the positive, cointegrating relationship holds only for oil exports. When disaggregated by sector, primary sector and manufacturing sector FDI have a positive and significant long-run relationship with both total exports and oil exports but service sector FDI does not appear to have any significant influence on Nigerian exports. Originality/value This is the first paper that employs both sectoral FDI and disaggregated export data to examine the FDI–exports nexus in Nigeria.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Wan ◽  
Biao Luo ◽  
Tieshan Li ◽  
Shanyong Wang ◽  
Liang Liang

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the relation between technological innovation modes and their impact on eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in China. Design/methodology/approach – This paper first constructs a model to evaluate and measure the eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in China from 2006 to 2010. Second, this paper compares the role of technological innovation modes – specifically, domestic independent innovation, foreign technology import and domestic technology transfer – in improving eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in the Eastern, Central and Western regions of China by logarithmic regression. Findings – The study finds that domestic independent innovation has a positive significant influence in improving eco-efficiency of industrial enterprises in the Eastern region; domestic technology transfer has a positive significant role in the Central region; and foreign technology import and domestic technology transfer positively affect the Western region. Originality/value – This paper is the first to identify the role of technological innovation modes in improving eco-efficiency. The findings can help enterprises in the three regions adopt the most effective technological innovation mode. In addition, the results provide valuable insights into policy development to improve China’s overall eco-efficiency and to balance economic and industrial development among the three regions.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxue Zhou ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Yao Zhang

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the threshold effect of firm size on technological innovation using panel data from 2007 to 2012 for listed enterprises in China's manufacturing sector.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the aim of research question is to examine the nonlinear relationship, this paper utilizes the threshold regression proposed by Hansen's (2000).FindingsBased on a threshold regression model using panel data from 2007 to 2012 for listed enterprises in China's manufacturing sector, we find a series of new results. This nonlinear relationship is under the restrictions and impacts of various factors, such as industry characteristics and government subsidies. The results suggest that the threshold regression model well explains the complicated nonlinear relationship and transition process, and it can also shed light on management practice and policy.Originality/valueThere are categorical arguments regarding why firm size is not as effective as before in explaining the monotonic principle of industrial innovation, especially for establishing an effective industrial policy in a particular situation. One of the important reasons is that we have begun to adopt a new perspective from the nonlinear view on the relationship between firm size and industrial innovation. In this study, we have examined the threshold effect of firm size on industrial technological innovation, which is the most representative nonlinear relationship.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Mintah Oware ◽  
T. Mallikarjunappa

Purpose Technological innovation (TI) has become a competitive advantage to firm sustainability and survival; however, stakeholders struggle to embrace this revolution. There is a fear that technology innovation leads to massive job loss. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate TI, employee disability (EDI) and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach Using the Indian stock market as a testing ground, the authors used panel regression to analyse 80 sustainability-reporting firms (640 firm-year observations) between 2010 and 2017. Findings The findings show that technology innovation has a positive association with EDI. It further indicates EDI with TI improves the financial performance (return on assets and return on equity) of firms. Also, the study shows that EDI in the service and manufacturing sector are the critical contributors when combined with TI towards an increase in financial performance. Practical implications The implication for the study allows firms to increase employment of people with disabilities in the workplace because TI has a positive effect on EDI. The results from the study confirm the service sector as the highest contributor to financial performance in the emergence of TI. Originality/value The novelty of this research provides empirical evidence that the service sector contributes more to financial performance when EDI combines with TI.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (05) ◽  
pp. 1349-1366
Author(s):  
YING MA ◽  
ABDUL RAUF

Although a well-established link is observable in the existing literature on innovation–export interplay, there is a lack of research investigating the distinct impact of a variety of channels for domestic innovation and foreign technology spillovers on export performance in a unified framework. This paper uses a two-digit 1998–2013 panel dataset to empirically investigate the impact of domestic innovation efforts, innovation capability, foreign knowledge spillovers and technology transfer on export performance of large-and-medium-sized industrial enterprises (LMEs) in China. We find that: First, domestic innovation efforts significantly promote industrial export performance, while there is lack of highly-skilled human capital in China which restricts the favorable impact of innovation on exports; Second, technology imported from foreign countries have increased export competitiveness in China. Furthermore, innovative activities of foreign enterprises have led to export boom and this spillover channel experience has a stronger effect on export than one emanating from imported technology; Third, on the whole, foreign knowledge spillover channels have been more effective drivers of export performance than domestic innovation efforts. Fourth, calculations based on contribution to trade balance indicator witness a recent increase in the domestic content of industrial exports in China.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-21

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Small- and medium-sized enterprises can improve their export performance through innovation. Different innovation types can be considered, but success is much likelier when small firms operating in the manufacturing sector focus most strongly on product innovation as opposed to innovation of services, processes, or business models. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


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