Determinants of internal and external R&D offshoring: evidence from Spanish firms

This paper analyses the determinants of R&D offshoring of Spanish firms using information from the Panel of Technological Innovation. We find that being an exporter, international technological cooperation, continuous R&D engagement, applying for patents, being a foreign subsidiary, and firm size are factors that positively affect the decision to offshore R&D. In addition, we find that a lack of financing is an obstacle relatively more important for independent firms than for firms that belong to business groups. For these latter, we also obtain that the factors that influence the decision to offshore R&D differ depending on whether the firm purchases the R&D services within the group or through the market: a higher degree of importance assigned to internal sources of information for innovation as compared to market sources increases (decreases) the probability of R&D offshoring only through the group (market).     

Entrepreneurial acquisitions,open innovation and UK high growth SMEs

This paper examines the dynamics of entrepreneurial acquisitions undertaken by UK high growth small and medium enterprises (SMEs). While entrepreneurial acquisitions are increasingly deployed by SMEs, little is known about their antecedents, motivational drivers and organisational outcomes. Drawing on detailed case study evidence from Scotland, the key factor found to be driving these acquisitions was the desire to augment and exploit technological complementarities between the acquiring and acquired firms. Acquisition can therefore be conceptualised as an advanced stage of the outside-in ‘open innovation’ strategies proactively used within these innovative SMEs. Firms executing this strategy typically have an acute propensity for risk, a desire for close customer engagement, effective business models and strong external orientation. The work suggests that greater attention should be paid within M&A theory to the dynamics of these types of smaller scale entrepreneurial acquisitions.     

Firms’ willingness to invest in a water fund to improve water-related ecosystem services in the Lake Naivasha basin,Kenya

A valuation scenario was designed using a contingent-valuation approach and presented to decision makers in business firms in Kenya’s Lake Naivasha basin to test how applicable a water fund might be as a potential financing mechanism for a payment for water-related ecosystem services scheme. The findings indicate that measuring a firm’s willingness to invest in ecosystem services could help determine whether a firm would invest and engage with other stakeholders to pool their investments in ecosystem services. Linking the institutional decision-making behaviour of a firm and its willingness to invest in a water fund is the novelty of this article.     

基于DEA的会计师事务所运营效率研究

选用北京注册会计师协会公布的综合排名前二十的会计师事务所,运用数据包络分析法(DEA)从投入产出的角度对会计师事务所的运营效率进行了分析,寻求本土会计师事务所与国际会计师事务所在运营效率上的差距,探寻提高本土会计师事务所运营管理效率的途径。     

Enablers That Help Foreign Architectural, Engineering, and Construction Firms Win Construction Contracts in China

With China’s fast economic growth and entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), more foreign architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms are expected to venture into this huge and attractive market. This paper explores the important strategies to help foreign AEC firms clinch construction projects in China. Using a questionnaire survey approach complemented by in-depth interviews, it was found that firms need to pay more attention to the market and working conditions in China and to strengthen their own capabilities. To win projects in China, foreign AEC firms should also be able to offer project financing services. The findings are useful to foreign AEC firms because it may help them win projects in the Chinese construction industry.     

Superior–Subordinate Relationships in Korean Civil Engineering Companies

The Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) relationship quality between superiors and subordinates in Korean civil engineering companies were empirically examined for superiors’ feedback-seeking behaviors. The results showed that for superiors, affect, loyalty, and contribution toward subordinates were positively related to seeking negative as well as positive feedback from subordinates. From subordinates’ point of view, affect, contribution, and professional respect toward their superiors were positively related to superiors’ negative feedback seeking, but affect was negatively related to superiors’ positive feedback seeking. It was also found that superiors and subordinates were not consensual in LMX and superiors’ feedback-seeking behaviors. For example, for superiors, all of the four LMX dimensions were positively related to superiors’ asking subordinates directly for feedback, whereas for subordinates, none of the LMX dimensions were significantly related to superiors’ asking subordinates directly for feedback. These and other findings are discussed in detail, and implications for the findings are provided.     

Application and success of R&D subsidies: what is the role of firm age?

This article evaluates the propensity of firms to apply for R&D public grants, their capacity for obtaining subsides and how these relate to the firm age. This analysis is particularly relevant in understanding why young firms may be more or less successful in their application for public subsidies. Using data from an extensive database of 19,236 firms in Catalonia, we estimate a maximum likelihood probit model with sample selection. Our results show that firm age does not exert a significant direct impact on the application propensity in R&D public call, but younger firms tend to show a larger propensity to receive an R&D subsidy. They also show that firm age exerts a moderating role through different internal resources. They highlight the need to design R&D public policies that explicitly favour applications by young firms to help overcome their obstacles to innovation.     

Efficiency analysis of information technology and online social networks management: An integrated DEA-model assessment

This paper analyses the relationship between productive efficiency and online-social-networks (OSN) in Spanish telecommunications firms. A data-envelopment-analysis (DEA) is used and several indicators of business “social Media” activities are incorporated. A super-efficiency analysis and bootstrapping techniques are performed to increase the model's robustness and accuracy. Then, a logistic regression model is applied to characterise factors and drivers of good performance in OSN. Results reveal the company's ability to absorb and utilise OSNs as a key factor in improving the productive efficiency. This paper presents a model for assessing the strategic performance of the presence and activity in OSN.     

State-led technological innovation of domestic firms in Shenzhen,China: Evidence from liquid crystal display (LCD) industry

Since 2000, particularly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, there has emerged revisit of the role of the state in technological upgrading of latecomer cities and regions in developing countries, including China. The effectiveness of a technological innovation strategy driven by transnational corporations (TNCs) has been questioned, despite its significant contribution to rapid industrialization via strategic coupling in the global production networks (GPNs). There has been a paradigm shift of innovation policy towards indigenous innovation through state-led explicit coupling of designated domestic firms and lead firms in the GPNs. The practice of this remains understudied, however. By examining the development of the liquid crystal display (LCD) industry, one of the strategic emerging industries (SEIs) in Shenzhen, this paper sheds light on the collective roles of various state authorities ranging from the central to provincial and municipal governments in fostering technological innovation of domestic firms (e.g. CSOT) through explicit coupling with global lead firms (e.g. Samsung). The empirical experience in Shenzhen indicates that indigenous innovation focused on domestic firms may unnecessarily exclude the participation of TNCs. This study urges more research to examine the changing dynamics of technological catch-up of domestic firms in an increasingly globalized and uncertain world economy.