IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/chinae/v22y2014i4p60-82.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Role of Institutional Quality in Determining the R&D Investment of Chinese Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Yixiao Zhou

Abstract

This study adds to the understanding of China's innovation prospects by examining how variations in institutional quality within China impact on the R&D efforts of firms located in different provincial regions. In the process of identifying the effect of institutional quality, the roles of other factors such as ownership types and market structures are revealed, which provides interesting insight into firms' R&D behavior. The key findings suggest that institutional quality positively affects the decision of firms to engage in R&D activities. Once firms start to engage in R&D, the subsequent expansion of firm-level R&D intensity depends on factors such as market structure. Therefore, strengthening domestic institutional quality is the first critical step towards the goal of building a knowledge-intensive economy in China. Efforts to nurture market development are also important for achieving this goal.

Suggested Citation

  • Yixiao Zhou, 2014. "Role of Institutional Quality in Determining the R&D Investment of Chinese Firms," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 22(4), pages 60-82, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:chinae:v:22:y:2014:i:4:p:60-82
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1749-124X.2014.12075.x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Furukawa, Yuichi, 2007. "The protection of intellectual property rights and endogenous growth: Is stronger always better?," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 31(11), pages 3644-3670, November.
    2. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2001. "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1369-1401, December.
    3. Gernot Hutschenreiter & Gang Zhang, 2007. "China’s Quest for Innovation-Driven Growth—The Policy Dimension," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 245-254, December.
    4. Wang, Yongjin & Wang, Yanling & Li, Kunwang, 2014. "Judicial quality, contract intensity and exports: Firm-level evidence," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 32-42.
    5. La Porta, Rafael & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1997. "Legal Determinants of External Finance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1131-1150, July.
    6. Cull, Robert & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2005. "Institutions, ownership, and finance: the determinants of profit reinvestment among Chinese firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 117-146, July.
    7. Justin Yifu Lin, 2011. "China and the global economy," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov, pages 213-229.
    8. Huw McKay & Ligang Song, 2010. "China as a Global Manufacturing Powerhouse: Strategic Considerations and Structural Adjustment," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 18(1), pages 1-32, January.
    9. Liu, Xiaohui & Buck, Trevor, 2007. "Innovation performance and channels for international technology spillovers: Evidence from Chinese high-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 355-366, April.
    10. Mi Dai & Miaojie Yu, 2013. "Firm R&D, Absorptive Capacity and Learning by Exporting: Firm-level Evidence from China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(9), pages 1131-1145, September.
    11. Jorde, Thomas M & Teece, David J, 1990. "Innovation and Cooperation: Implications for Competition and Antitrust," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 75-96, Summer.
    12. Trina Larsen Andras & Srini S. Srinivasan, 2003. "Advertising Intensity and R&D Intensity: Differences across Industries and Their Impact on Firm's Performance," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 2(2), pages 167-176, August.
    13. Maskus, Keith E. & Neumann, Rebecca & Seidel, Tobias, 2012. "How national and international financial development affect industrial R&D," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 72-83.
    14. Huang,Yasheng, 2008. "Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521898102.
    15. Ekaterini Kyriazidou, 1997. "Estimation of a Panel Data Sample Selection Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(6), pages 1335-1364, November.
    16. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson, 2005. "Unbundling Institutions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(5), pages 949-995, October.
    17. Vinod Mishra & Russell Smyth, 2014. "Technological Change and Wages in China: Evidence from Matched Employer–Employee Data," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(1), pages 123-138, February.
    18. Nee, Victor & Opper, Sonja, 2012. "Capitalism from Below: Markets and Institutional Change in China," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674050204, Spring.
    19. Cassiman, Bruno & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2002. "Complementarity in the innovation strategy: Internal R&D, external technology acquisition, and cooperation in R&D," IESE Research Papers D/457, IESE Business School.
    20. Albert G. Z. Hu & Gary H. Jefferson & Qian Jinchang, 2005. "R&D and Technology Transfer: Firm-Level Evidence from Chinese Industry," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(4), pages 780-786, November.
    21. James R. Brown & Steven M. Fazzari & Bruce C. Petersen, 2009. "Financing Innovation and Growth: Cash Flow, External Equity, and the 1990s R&D Boom," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(1), pages 151-185, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Douglas A. Schuler & Wei Shi & Robert E. Hoskisson & Tao Chen, 2017. "Windfalls of emperors' sojourns: Stock market reactions to Chinese firms hosting high-ranking government officials," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(8), pages 1668-1687, August.
    2. Yixiao Zhou & Runyang Zhang & Ligang Song, 2019. "How Funding Structure Affects Efficiency Of R&D Investment By Large- And Medium-Sized Industrial Firms In China? Evidence From Province-Level Panel Data," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(04), pages 921-938, September.
    3. Linda Glawe & Helmut Wagner, 2019. "The deep determinants of economic development in China—a provincial perspective," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 484-514, October.
    4. Shi, Xing & Wu, Yanrui, 2017. "The effect of internal and external factors on innovative behaviour of Chinese manufacturing firms," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(S), pages 50-64.
    5. Zhidong Liu & Yang Cai & Xiaojing Hao, 2020. "The Agglomeration of Manufacturing Industry, Innovation and Haze Pollution in China: Theory and Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-28, March.
    6. Shenglang Yang & Yixiao Zhou & Ligang Song, 2018. "Determinants of Intangible Investment and Its Impacts on Firms' Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Private Manufacturing Firms," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(6), pages 1-26, November.
    7. Yixiao Zhou & Ligang Song, 2016. "International Trade and R&D Investment: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Firms," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 24(1), pages 63-84, January.
    8. Li, Guoxing & Yeh, Yin-Hua, 2023. "Western cultural influence on corporate innovation: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    9. Linda Glawe & Helmut Wagner, 2023. "The “Double Trap” in China—Multiple Equilibria in Institutions and Income and their Causal Relationship," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 703-757, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lu, Yi & Png, Ivan P.L. & Tao, Zhigang, 2013. "Do institutions not matter in China? Evidence from manufacturing enterprises," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 74-90.
    2. Fan, Joseph P.H. & Gillan, Stuart L. & Yu, Xin, 2013. "Innovation or imitation?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 208-234.
    3. Knack, Steve & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2017. "Unbundling institutions for external finance: Worldwide firm-level evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 215-232.
    4. Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2009. "Contract enforcement and family control of business: Evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 597-609, December.
    5. Cull, Robert & Li, Wei & Sun, Bo & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2015. "Government connections and financial constraints: Evidence from a large representative sample of Chinese firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 271-294.
    6. Du, Julan & Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2012. "Contracting institutions and vertical integration: Evidence from China’s manufacturing firms," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 89-107.
    7. Liu, Yu & Sah, Nilesh & Ullah, Barkat & Wei, Zuobao, 2020. "Financing patterns in transition economies: Privatized former SOEs versus ab initio private firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    8. Zhang, Qiong & Shi, Yupeng & He, Angda & Wen, Xueting, 2017. "Property rights security and firm survival: Micro-data evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 296-310.
    9. Zhou, Wubiao, 2017. "Institutional environment, public-private hybrid forms, and entrepreneurial reinvestment in a transition economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 197-214.
    10. Zhou, Wubiao, 2013. "Political connections and entrepreneurial investment: Evidence from China's transition economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 299-315.
    11. Ng, Travis & Yu, Linhui, 2014. "Which types of institutions hinder productivity among private manufacturing firms in China?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 17-31.
    12. Wubiao Zhou, 2014. "Regional institutional development, political connections, and entrepreneurial performance in China’s transition economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 161-181, June.
    13. Andrea Asoni, 2008. "Protection Of Property Rights And Growth As Political Equilibria," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 953-987, December.
    14. Harrison, Ann E. & Lin, Justin Yifu & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2014. "Explaining Africa’s (Dis)advantage," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 59-77.
    15. Alvaro Aguirre, 2017. "Contracting Institutions and Economic Growth," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 24, pages 192-217, March.
    16. Boschini, Anne & Pettersson, Jan & Roine, Jesper, 2013. "The Resource Curse and its Potential Reversal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 19-41.
    17. Cull, Robert & Xu, Lixin Colin & Zhu, Tian, 2009. "Formal finance and trade credit during China's transition," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 173-192, April.
    18. Cassey Lee, 2007. "Legal Traditions and Competition Policy," Chapters, in: Paul Cook & Raul Fabella & Cassey Lee (ed.), Competitive Advantage and Competition Policy in Developing Countries, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Luigi Pascali, 2017. "The Wind of Change: Maritime Technology, Trade, and Economic Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(9), pages 2821-2854, September.
    20. Chen, Tao, 2015. "Institutions, board structure, and corporate performance: Evidence from Chinese firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 217-237.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:chinae:v:22:y:2014:i:4:p:60-82. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iwepacn.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.