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Imitative innovation and financial distress risk: The moderating role of executive foreign experience

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  • Liu, Bai
  • Ju, Tao
  • Bai, Min
  • Yu, Chia-Feng (Jeffrey)

Abstract

This paper investigates how imitative innovation affects firms’ financial distress risk and how executive foreign experience moderates this relationship. Using the 2008–2017 patent application data for Chinese listed firms, we find robust evidence that imitative innovation increases firms’ financial distress risk and that executives’ foreign experience can mitigate this adverse impact. Additional tests reveal that firms conduct imitative innovation to gain competitive advantage, but this also tightens their financial constraints, leading to greater financial distress risk. Overall, our results highlight the dark side of imitative innovation and the value of executives’ foreign experience for firms operating in emerging markets that rely on imitative innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Bai & Ju, Tao & Bai, Min & Yu, Chia-Feng (Jeffrey), 2021. "Imitative innovation and financial distress risk: The moderating role of executive foreign experience," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 526-548.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:71:y:2021:i:c:p:526-548
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2020.09.021
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    4. Maogang Tang & Silu Cheng & Wenqing Guo & Weibiao Ma & Fengxia Hu, 2023. "Relationship between carbon emission trading schemes and companies’ total factor productivity: evidence from listed companies in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 11735-11767, October.
    5. Mi Zou & Peng Liu & Xuan Wu & Wei Zhou & Yuan Jin & Meiqi Xu, 2023. "Cognitive Characteristics of an Innovation Team and Collaborative Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Cooperative Behavior and the Moderating Role of Team Innovation Efficacy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-23, July.
    6. Sisi Zheng & Shanyue Jin, 2023. "Can Enterprises in China Achieve Sustainable Development through Green Investment?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-25, January.
    7. Bai, Min & Pan, Maomao, 2023. "The economic independence of supervisory boards and corporate innovation: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    8. Sun, Xiaojun & Lei, Yalin, 2021. "Research on financial early warning of mining listed companies based on BP neural network model," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Zhao, Liange & Wang, Dongmei & Wang, Xueyuan & Zhang, Zhijian, 2023. "Impact of green finance on total factor productivity of heavily polluting enterprises: Evidence from green finance reform and innovation pilot zone," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 765-785.
    10. Jiaming Liu & Chengzhang Li & Peng Ouyang & Jiajia Liu & Chong Wu, 2023. "Interpreting the prediction results of the tree‐based gradient boosting models for financial distress prediction with an explainable machine learning approach," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(5), pages 1112-1137, August.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Imitative innovation; Financial distress risk; Executives’ foreign experience;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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