Market Concentration and Innovation in Transnational Corporations: Evidence from Foreign Affiliates in Central and Eastern Europe
Liviu Voinea, Johannes Stephan
Research on Knowledge, Innovation and Internationalization (Progress in International Business Research, Volume 4),
2009
Abstract
Purpose – The main research question of this contribution is whether local market concentration influences R&D and innovation activities of foreign affiliates of transnational companies.
Methodology/approach – We focus on transition economies and use discriminant function analysis to investigate differences in the innovation activity of foreign affiliates operating in concentrated markets, compared to firms operating in nonconcentrated markets. The database consists of the results of a questionnaire administered to a representative sample of foreign affiliates in a selection of five transition economies.
Findings – We find that foreign affiliates in more concentrated markets, when compared to foreign affiliates in less concentrated markets, export more to their own foreign investor's network, do more basic and applied research, use more of the existing technology already incorporated in the products of their own foreign investor's network, do less process innovation, and acquire less knowledge from abroad.
Research limitations/implications – The results may be specific to transition economies only.
Practical implications – The main implications of these results are that host country market concentration stimulates intranetwork knowledge diffusion (with a risk of transfer pricing), while more intense competition stimulates knowledge creation (at least as far as process innovation is concerned) and knowledge absorption from outside the affiliates' own network. Policy makers should focus their support policies on companies in more competitive sectors, as they are more likely to transfer new technologies.
Originality/value – It contributes to the literature on the relationship between market concentration and innovation, based on a unique survey database of foreign affiliates of transnational corporations operating in Eastern Europe.
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The Role of the Intellectual Property Rights Regime for Foreign Investors in Post-Socialist Economies
Benedikt Schnellbächer, Johannes Stephan
IWH Discussion Papers,
Nr. 4,
2009
Abstract
We integrate international business theory on foreign direct investment (FDI) with institutional theory on intellectual property rights (IPR) to explain characteristics and behaviour of foreign investment subsidiaries in Central East Europe, a region with an IPR regime-gap vis-à-vis West European countries. We start from the premise that FDI may play a crucial role for technological catch-up development in Central East Europe via technology and knowledge transfer. By use of a unique dataset generated at the IWH in collaboration with a European consortium in the framework of an EU-project, we assess the role played by the IPR regimes in a selection of CEE countries as a factor for corporate governance and control of foreign invested subsidiaries, for their own technological activity, their trade relationships, and networking partners for technological activity. As a specific novelty to the literature, we assess the in influence of the strength of IPR regimes on corporate control of subsidiaries and conclude that IPR-sensitive foreign investments tend to have lower functional autonomy, tend to cooperate more intensively within their transnational network and yet are still technologically more active than less IPR-sensitive subsidiaries. In terms of economic policy, this leads to the conclusion that the FDI will have a larger developmental impact if the IPR regime in the host economy is sufficiently strict.
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Getting out of the ivory tower – New perspectives on the entrepreneurial university
Jutta Günther, Kerstin Wagner
European Journal of International Management,
2008
Abstract
Based on theoretical considerations about the ‘third mission’ of
universities and the discussion of different types of university-industry relations, we conclude that the entrepreneurial university is a manifold institution with direct
mechanisms to support the transfer of technology from academia to industry
as well as indirect mechanisms in support of new business activities via
entrepreneurship education. While existing literature usually deals with one or
another linking mechanism separately, our central hypothesis is that direct and
indirect mechanisms should be interrelated and mutually complementary. We
emphasise the importance of a more holistic view of the entrepreneurial university
and empirically investigate the scope and interrelatedness of direct technology
transfer mechanisms and indirect mechanisms, such as entrepreneurship education
at German universities. We find a variety of activities in both fields and most
universities’ technology transfer facilities and the providers of entrepreneurship
education co-operate in support of innovative start-ups.
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Getting out of the Ivory Tower - New Perspectives on the Entrepreneurial University
Jutta Günther, Kerstin Wagner
Discussion Papers on Entrepreneurship and Innovation,
Nr. 2,
2007
Abstract
Based on theoretical considerations about the “third mission” of universities and the discussion of the nature of different university-industry relations, we conclude that the entrepreneurial university is a manifold institution with direct ways to transfer technology from academia to industry as well as indirect connections to industry via entrepreneurship education and training. While existing literature usually deals with one or another linking mechanism separately, our central hypothesises is that direct and indirect mechanisms should be interrelated and mutually complementary. We emphasize the importance of a more holistic view and empirically investigate the scope and interrelatedness of entrepreneurship education and direct technology transfer mechanisms at German universities. We find a variety of activities in both fields and evidence for an identification of HEI with the mission of knowledge commercialisation. Furthermore, it shows that the HEIs’ technology transfer facilities and the entrepreneurship education providers co-operate in support of the creation of spin-offs and innovative start-ups.
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Comparative Study of Multinational Companies in the Enlarged EU - A Technology Transfer Perspective
Johannes Stephan, Björn Jindra, I. Klugert
Conference Proceedings of „Comparing International Competitiveness of Manufacturing Companies in the EU with Special Emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe“,
2007
Abstract
Die Untersuchung liefert einen Beitrag zur Analyse des Zusammenhangs zwischen der Heterogenität von multinationalen Unternehmen und internationalem Technologietransfer. Dabei konzentrieren wir uns auf den internen Technologietransfer, also den Transfer vom Mutter- zum Tochterunternehmen. Wir schätzen hierbei den Einfluß von Corporate Governance, Zielstellungen und absorptiver Kapazität des Tochterunternehmens sowie etwaige Effekte der kulturellen und geographischen Distanz als potentielle Determinanten des internen Technologietransfers. Dabei kontrollieren wir für andere firmen- und industriespezifische Effekte als auch unbeobachtete Spezifika des Investitionslandes. Die Hypothesen werden an einem Datensatz mit 434 ausländischen Tochterunternehmen aus einer Umfrage in Polen, Ungarn, Estland, der Slowakei und Slowenien aus dem Jahre 2002/2003 getestet. Die Ergebnisse scheinen zu zeigen, daß die Art der Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung in multinationalen Unternehmen von institutionellen Faktoren, den Zielstellungen der Investition und den verbundenen Risiken für den ausländischen Investor abhängen. Diese Faktoren wiederum haben einen Einfluß auf die Intensität des internen Technologietransfers. Absorptive Kapazität des Tochterunternehmens hat einen positiven Einfluß auf die Intensität des Technologietransfers, geographische Distanz hingegen scheint diese zu behindern. Schlußendlich scheint die Herkunft des ausländischen Investors keinen statistischen Einfluß auf die Intensität des internen Technologietransfers zu haben, wenn wir für Firmen-, Industrie- und Landesspezifika kontrollieren.
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Foreign Direct Investment and Technology Transfer in Transition Countries: Theory - Method of Research - Empirical Evidence
Johannes Stephan
Studies in Economic Transition. Series edited by J. Hölscher and H. Tomann,
2005
Abstract
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The Potentials for Technology Transfer via Foreign Direct Investement in Central and East Europe - Results of a Field Study
Judit Hamar, Johannes Stephan
East-West Journal of Economics and Business,
1 & 2
2005
Abstract
Foreign direct investment plays a particularly crucial role for the processes of technological catch-up in Central East Europe. Whilst most countries of this region have received considerable direct investments, the composition of kinds of subsidiaries is different between countries and hence will the prospects for intense technology transfer also differ between countries. This contribution aims to compare the potentials for internal and external technology transfer across countries of Central East Europe by analysing the management-relationship between subsidiaries and their parents and the market-relationships between subsidiaries and their host economy. For this, a firm-level database of some 458 subsidiaries in Estonia, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia is analysed empirically.
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Technology Transfer via Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe: Theory, Method of Research and Empirical Evidence
Johannes Stephan
Technology Transfer via Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe: Theory, Method of Research and Empirical Evidence,
2005
Abstract
Foreign subsidiaries of multinational companies are suggested as one of the main channels of technology transfer to less developed economies. In Central East Europe their presence proved to be a decisive factor to economic restructuring and development. This volume is a unique guide to theory, method of research, and empirical evidence, for technology transfer via foreign subsidiaries of multinational companies. It combines the merits of a core text on technology transfer via FDI with up-to-date empirical evidence.
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Comment on A. Bley's article on 'Monetary Aspects of European Eastern Enlargement and CEE participation in ERM and EMU'
Johannes Stephan
Technology Transfer via Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe. Theory, Method of Research and Empirical Evidence. Studies in Economic Transition. Series edited by J. Hölscher and H. Tomann,
2005
Abstract
Foreign subsidiaries of multinational companies are suggested as one of the main channels of technology transfer to less developed economies. In Central East Europe their presence proved to be a decisive factor to economic restructuring and development. This volume is a unique guide to theory, method of research, and empirical evidence for technology transfer via foreign subsidiaries of multinational companies. It combines the merits of a core text on technology transfer via FDI with up-to-date empirical evidence.
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Technology spillovers from foreign investors in transition economies - are the effects still expected?
Jutta Günther
Economic and business review,
Nr. 1,
2005
Abstract
While it is widely acknowledged that there is a technology transfer from parent companies to foreign subsidiaries in central East European countries, there is no clear cut evidence for technology spillovers in favour of domestic companies so far. The paper presents a theoretical framework for how spillover mechanisms are turned into a reality and outlines empirical findings on technology spillovers for transition economies based on a comprehensive literature review. Against the background of an empirical qualitative study, the paper provides firm level explanations for the obvious lack of technology spillovers. Policy oriented issues will be discussed in the conclusions.
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