Technological knowledge base, R&D organization structure and alliance formation: Evidence from the biopharmaceutical industry

We explore how an incumbent firm's internal knowledge and organization structure influences its strategic alliance formation. We propose that the firm's knowledge breadth and the centrality of its R&D organization structure positively influence its absorptive capacity, and consequently, its propensity to form strategic alliances. We also argue that the centrality of the R&D organization structure may be a substitute for the breadth of the knowledge base. We validate our ideas using data on 2647 strategic alliances formed over the period of 1993-2002 by 43 major biopharmaceutical firms in the U.S. and Europe. Our discussion focuses on the application of the knowledge-based view of the firm to strategic alliance research. The implications for public policy in the biopharmaceutical industry are also emphasized.     

Selective revealing in open innovation processes: The case of embedded Linux

This paper provides a quantitative study (N = 268) of patterns of free revealing of firm-developed innovations within embedded Linux, a type of open source software (OSS). I find that firms, without being obliged to do so, contribute many of their own developments back to public embedded Linux code, eliciting and indeed receiving informal development support from other firms. That is, they perform a part of their product development open to the public—an unthinkable idea for traditionally minded managers. Such openness obviously entails the challenge of protecting one's intellectual property. I find that firms address this issue by revealing selectively. They reveal, on average, about half of the code they have developed, while protecting the other half by various means. Revealing is strongly heterogeneous among firms. Multivariate analysis can partly explain this heterogeneity by firm characteristics and the firm's purpose behind revealing. An analysis of reasons for revealing and of the type of revealed code shows that different types of firms have different rationales for openness. Implications for management are that the conflict between downsides and benefits of openness appears manageable. Provided selective revealing is practiced deliberately, the opportunities of open development dominate.     

黄枝油杉和矩鳞油杉的核型研究

本文研究了黄枝油杉Keteleeria calcarea Cheng et L．K．Fu．和矩鳞油杉Keteleeria   oblonga Cheng et L. K. Fu. 的核型。  并与江南油杉 K．cyclolepis Flous．和台湾油杉  K.   formosana Mast. 的核型比较，讨论四种油杉核型进化趋势。  黄枝油杉核型公式K(2n)=   24＝16m+8sm;矩鳞油杉核型公式K(2n)=24＝18m+6sm。  黄枝油杉在第1、3、6号   染色体短臂上具次缢痕;而矩鳞油杉在第2、4、6号染色体短臂上具次缢痕。二者均属较对称  的“2A“核型。  四种油杉核型进化趋势是江南油杉→矩鳞油杉→黄枝油杉→台湾油杉。     

Founders’ human capital and the growth of new technology-based firms: A competence-based view

In this paper, we analyze empirically the relation between the growth of new technology-based firms and the human capital of founders, with the aim of teasing out the “wealth” and “capability” effects of human capital. For this purpose, we take advantage of a new data set relating to a sample composed of 506 Italian young firms that operate in high-tech industries in both manufacturing and services. In accordance with competence-based theories, the econometric estimates show that the nature of the education and of the prior work experience of founders exerts a key influence on growth. In fact, founders’ years of university education in economic and managerial fields and to a lesser extent in scientific and technical fields positively affect growth while education in other fields does not. Similarly prior work experience in the same industry of the new firm is positively associated with growth while prior work experience in other industries is not. Furthermore, it is the technical work experience of founders as opposed to their commercial work experience that determines growth. The fact that within the founding team there are individuals with prior entrepreneurial experiences also results in superior growth. Lastly, we provide evidence that there are synergistic gains from the combination of the complementary capabilities of founders relating to (i) economic-managerial and scientific-technical education and (ii) technical and commercial industry-specific work experiences. We conclude that the human capital of founders of new technology-based firms is not just a proxy for personal wealth.     

The role of technological management as a source of innovation: Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms

The objective of this study is to amplify the scarce empirical evidence about the effect of technological management on innovation. At the same time, the investigation is intended to examine whether the scale of production by itself stimulates technological activity and/or it acts as a proxy of other determinants of innovation. The estimation of an innovation production function with a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms shows that the planning and monitoring of the innovation process and the hiring of personnel with special skills for technological activities are significant sources of innovation, although with important differences regarding the type of innovation (process versus product). In addition, the evidence suggests that large firms’ advantages for the generation of product innovations are related to a different use and effectiveness of technological management mechanisms.     

Entrepreneurial orientation, technology transfer and spinoff performance of U.S. universities

This paper adopts a resource-based perspective to understand why some universities are more successful than others at generating technology-based spinoff companies. In this respect, we derive eight hypotheses that link attributes of resources and capabilities, institutional, financial, commercial and human capital, to university spinoff outcomes. Using panel data from 1980 to 2001, our econometric estimators reveal evidence of history dependence for successful technology transfer to occur although faculty quality, size and orientation of science and engineering funding and commercial capability were also found to be predictors of university spinoff activity. We conclude by drawing implications for policy makers and university heads.     

国产毛茛属11种及其4个近缘属5种植物的细胞学研究

研究了国产毛茛属Ranunculus L.11种及其4个近缘属——美花草属Callianthemum C．A．Meyer、   侧金盏花属Adonis L．、碱毛茛属Halerpestes E．Greene、水毛茛属Batrachium S．F．Gray 5种植物的染色体   数目和形态。发现美花草C.pimpinelloides(D．Don)Hook．f.et Thoms.、川滇毛茛R．potaninii Kom．、深   齿毛茛R．popovii var．stracheyanus(Maxim．)W．T. Wang、高原毛茛R．tanguticus(Maxim．)Ovcz．、石龙   芮R．sceleratus L．、西南毛茛R．ficariifolius Lévl．et Vant．、褐鞘毛茛R．sinovaginatus W．T. Wang、三裂碱毛茛H．tricuspis(Maxim．)Hand．-Mazz．和碱毛茛H．sarmentosa (Adams) Kom．9种植物为染色体基数x   ＝8的四倍体(2n=4x＝32)；短柱侧金盏花A．brevistyla Franch．、丝叶毛茛R．nematolobus Hand.-Mazz．、   棱喙毛茛R．trigonus Hand．-Mazz．、茴茴蒜R．chinensis Bunge 4种植物为染色体基数x＝8的二倍体(2n＝   2x＝16)；毛茛B．japonicus Thunb．、黄毛茛R．laetus Wall．2种植物为染色体基数x=7的二倍体(2n＝2x   ＝14)；水毛茛R．bungei (Steud．) L. Liou  有二倍体(2n＝2x=16)和三倍体(2n＝3x=24)两种细胞型。根  据染色体资料，讨论了上述5属的属间关系和毛茛属中一些种的种间关系。     

Assessing the impact of organizational practices on the relative productivity of university technology transfer offices: an exploratory study

We present quantitative and qualitative evidence on the relative productivity of university technology transfer offices (TTOs). Our empirical results suggest that TTO activity is characterized by constant returns to scale and that environmental and institutional factors explain some of the variation in performance. Productivity may also depend on organizational practices. Unfortunately, there are no quantitative measures available on such practices, so we rely on inductive, qualitative methods to identify them. Based on 55 interviews of 98 entrepreneurs, scientists, and administrators at five research universities, we conclude that the most critical organizational factors are faculty reward systems, TTO staffing/compensation practices, and cultural barriers between universities and firms.     

The incidence of cross-licensing: A theory and new evidence on the firm and contract level determinants

This paper examines the firm and contract level determinants of the incidence of cross-licensing among manufacturing firms. It develops a simple stochastic theory explaining such incidence, which implies that cross-licensing, compared with unilateral licensing, is more prevalent between large and symmetric firms under a reasonable set of assumptions. We find strong empirical support to these implications, based on a new dataset of more than 1100 licensing contracts by Japanese manufacturing firms. We also find that the incidence of cross-licensing is higher when the contract covers only patent than when it covers only know-how, consistent with the theory. The licensing probability between two firms depends primarily on the size of a potential licensor, which, according to the theory, is consistent with the fact that a licensor is larger than a licensee on the average.