Post-Catch-Up Strategy for Medium-Sized South Korean Firms: Improving Technological Capabilities by Balancing R&D Intensity and Open Innovation

Abstract

This study examines how R&D intensity and open innovation affect the technological capabilities of firms in newly-developed countries, such as South Korea. East Asian latecomers are transitioning from a catch-up phase toward becoming leaders, and they are engaging in open innovation activities to drive this transition. This research quantitatively analyzes three kinds of open innovation activities—outside-in, inside-out, and coupled—to investigate their influence upon technological capabilities, while also considering the effect of R&D intensity. Data from 75 South Korean medium-sized firms were analyzed, and two major findings are reported. First, technological capabilities are enhanced by some open innovation activities and by R&D intensity. Second, R&D intensity negatively moderates the impact of open innovation activities on technological capabilities. Therefore, it may be concluded that firms with relatively low R&D intensity will gain the most benefit from increasing their open innovation activities.     

近代中国私营建筑设计事务所历史回顾

职业建筑师作为一个新行业在中国出现是19世纪下半叶以后,起初都是由外籍作奄开设的,到20世纪20年代开始大量出现由归国留学生创立的建筑事务所。本文对自19世纪末以来我国私营建筑事务所作了全面的历史回顾。     

上海现象--对建筑设计公司的调研

本文关注的是转型期里上海的一些新兴建筑设计公司。首先,阐述了它们的生存与发展前提,其中包括国家政策、市场要求及上海特有的历史文化与经济条件等几方面因素;其次,通过对一系列采访数据的比较,列举了它们在经营中的十个现象并逐一分析,主要涉及1、公司规模、运作方式与市场定位,2、设计资质与专业间合作,3、设计收费与服务,4、项目来源及实施,5、公司人员构成等五个方面;再次,提到如何提升优秀建筑设计公司的知名度。文末,展望并期待建筑界走向“中国设计”。     

Fostering SME's co-development of innovative projects in biotech clusters: Extending the sets of enablers for the knowledge creation process

We explore the linkage of specific sets of enablers for the knowledge-creation process (KCP) mobilized in innovative projects co-developed by biotech SMEs and the role of industrial clusters in easing the access to enablers. Two French and one Brazilian high-tech SMEs belonging to two biotechnological clusters were investigated. Deductive and inductive approaches were applied in a complementary manner. Findings revealed a larger set of enablers at the company's level than predicted in the literature. We identified two sets of KCP enablers at the cluster's level, classified as open access and restricted access, which are used for different purposes and simultaneously. These dynamics enabled the studied SMEs to improve their co-developed innovative projects in a more effective way. Data also revealed that the enablers that benefit SMEs are more likely provided by the cluster organisations.     

中国产业集聚演进和转移现象研究——基于广东东莞等地方企业的经验

产业的空间分布和发展是非均衡的,其集聚与扩散是有规律可循的。近几个月广东东莞等地出现的企业迁出潮预示着我国产业分布梯度转移与升级的时机可能正在到来。未来一段时期,东部沿海地区原制造业聚集地应该积极引导企业的优化升级,而作为产业转移承接地的中西部地区则应该抓住有利时机,吸引更多企业进入。     

当代中国建筑设计事务所评析

本文人国家的经济体制、国家政策和社会环境等宏观层面及事务所内部所有制形式、经营模式、管理方法等微观层面,对20世纪90年代新生的中国私营建筑设计事务所进行了系统的分析和评价。作者认为中国的设计事务所制符合国际惯例,符合市场经济要求,在经营、创新机制上顺应建筑设计的内在规律,是中国设计体制转轨的方向。但目前的事务所也存在人才培养、行为规范、个性化创作等问题。     

The financial and operating performance of Chinese family-owned listed firms

Abstract and Key Results

Patenting Behaviour and the Survival of Newly Listed European Software Firms

We test whether patenting activity impacts on software companies' likelihood of survival after going public in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and Spain. Our database covers all software companies undertaking IPOs in these six countries between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2005, and includes data from various sources (the Bureau van Dijk Zephyr database, the Questel-Orbit QPAT patent database, financial documents available on the company websites and specialised websites). Survival analysis follows a semi-parametric approach, based on the stratified Cox competing risk model, controlling for other determinants of survival. We find that, after controlling for the firms' main entry characteristics (experience, size, sales, profitability and solvency, together with market conditions), the influence of the size and the quality of the firms' patent portfolios is different according to the type of exit and the type of software firm. In particular, the number of patents reduces the risk of failure and acquisition for software developers, while quality increases their attractiveness as an acquisition target.     

Risk management in software projects through Knowledge Management techniques: Cases in Brazilian Incubated Technology-Based Firms

In businesses such as the software industry, which uses knowledge as a resource, activities are knowledge intensive, requiring constant adoption of new technologies and practices. Another feature of this environment is that the industry is particularly susceptible to failure; with this in mind, the objective of this research is to analyze the integration of Knowledge Management techniques into the activity of risk management as it applies to software development projects of micro and small Brazilian incubated technology-based firms. Research methods chosen were the Multiple Case Study. The main risk factor for managers and developers is that scope or goals are often unclear or misinterpreted. For risk management, firms have found that Knowledge Management techniques of conversion “combination” would be the most applicable for use; however, those most commonly used refer to the conversion mode as “internalization.”