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The effects of economic status and recent experience on innovative behavior under environmental variability: An experimental approach

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  • van Rijnsoever, Frank J.
  • Meeus, Marius T.H.
  • Donders, A. Rogier T.

Abstract

We build and empirically test a model that predicts the display of innovative behavior as a function of environmental change, with recent experience and economic status acting as moderators. We start with the model developed by Slevin (1971), which evolved from the so-called innovation boundary. This is the threshold beyond which the display of innovative behavior becomes attractive. We show how environmental change creates uncertainty about the position of the innovation boundary; however, this uncertainty is reduced by recent experiences. Furthermore, economic status serves as both an enhancer and an inhibitor of innovation. Our model was tested and largely confirmed in two experiments: one conducted in a laboratory setting and one conducted as a discrete choice experiment. Currently experiments are rarely conducted in the field of innovation studies. By presenting this evidence we also hope to encourage more authors to conduct experiments in their work.

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  • van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & Meeus, Marius T.H. & Donders, A. Rogier T., 2012. "The effects of economic status and recent experience on innovative behavior under environmental variability: An experimental approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 833-847.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:41:y:2012:i:5:p:833-847
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2012.02.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Frank Rijnsoever & Leon Welle & Sjoerd Bakker, 2014. "Credibility and legitimacy in policy-driven innovation networks: resource dependencies and expectations in Dutch electric vehicle subsidies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 635-661, August.
    2. A. Alventosa & Y. Gómez & V. Martínez-Molés & J. Vila, 2016. "Location and Innovation Optimism: a Behavioral-Experimental Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 7(4), pages 890-904, December.
    3. van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & Kempkes, Sander N. & Chappin, Maryse M.H., 2017. "Seduced into collaboration: A resource-based choice experiment to explain make, buy or ally strategies of SMEs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 284-297.
    4. van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & Eveleens, Chris P., 2021. "Money Don't matter? How incubation experience affects start-up entrepreneurs' resource valuation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Tu, Gengyang & Faure, Corinne & Schleich, Joachim & Guetlein, Marie-Charlotte, 2021. "The heat is off! The role of technology attributes and individual attitudes in the diffusion of Smart thermostats – findings from a multi-country survey," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Mittone, Luigi & Morreale, Azzurra & Vu, Thi-Thanh-Tam, 2022. "What drives innovative behavior?- An experimental analysis on risk attitudes, creativity and performance," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    7. van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & van den Berg, Jesse & Koch, Joost & Hekkert, Marko P., 2015. "Smart innovation policy: How network position and project composition affect the diversity of an emerging technology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(5), pages 1094-1107.
    8. Larissa Shnayder & Frank J. Van Rijnsoever, 2018. "How expected outcomes, stakeholders, and institutions influence corporate social responsibility at different levels of large basic needs firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1689-1707, December.
    9. Frank J. Rijnsoever & Laurens K. Hessels, 2021. "How academic researchers select collaborative research projects: a choice experiment," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1917-1948, December.
    10. Kim Wang, 2017. "Technology Deployment By Late Movers," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(04), pages 1-25, May.
    11. Marijn A. Weele & Frank J. Rijnsoever & Menno Groen & Ellen H. M. Moors, 2020. "Gimme shelter? Heterogeneous preferences for tangible and intangible resources when choosing an incubator," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 984-1015, August.
    12. van Rijnsoever, Frank J. & van Mossel, Allard & Broecks, Kevin P.F., 2015. "Public acceptance of energy technologies: The effects of labeling, time, and heterogeneity in a discrete choice experiment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 817-829.
    13. Brueggemann, Julia & Meub, Lukas, 2015. "Experimental evidence on the effects of innovation contests," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 251, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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