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Managing innovation under competitive pressure from informal producers

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  • Mendi, Pedro
  • Costamagna, Rodrigo

Abstract

The existence of a large informal sector may be a factor constraining formal firms' choices of innovation strategies in many developing countries. This paper addresses this issue and studies the impact on innovation of competition against firms in the informal sector. Using the World Bank's Enterprise Survey data from a sample of African and Latin American countries, we find that the marginal impact of informality on innovation by formal firms decreases with the intensity of competitive pressure from informal firms, consistent with an inverted-U relationship between propensity to innovate and competitive pressure from firms in the informal sector. This pattern arises even after controlling for the number of competitors, suggesting that the pressure that informal firms exert on formal firms go beyond a mere increase in the number of competitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Mendi, Pedro & Costamagna, Rodrigo, 2017. "Managing innovation under competitive pressure from informal producers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 192-202.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:114:y:2017:i:c:p:192-202
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.013
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sam Njinyah & Simplice A. Asongu, 2022. "The relationship between firms that start operating as unregistered and firms’ innovation: the moderating effect of access to finance," Working Papers 22/099, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    2. Sam Z. Njinyah & Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "Unregistered Firms, Financial Access and Innovation," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(2), pages 307-346, July.
    3. Wen, Huwei & Li, Nuoyan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2021. "Energy intensity of manufacturing enterprises under competitive pressure from the informal sector: Evidence from developing and emerging countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    4. Dwibedy, Punyashlok, 2022. "Informal competition and product innovation decisions of new ventures and incumbents across developing and transitioning countries," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    5. Amin,Mohammad, 2021. "Does Competition from Informal Firms Hurt Job Creation by Formal Firms ? Evidence Using Firm-Level Survey Data," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9515, The World Bank.
    6. Fernando Barrios Aguirre & Sandra Yaneth Mora Malagón & Luis Carlos Castillo Téllez, 2023. "Innovation and Informality: An Analysis With the Colombian Manufacturing Industry 2007 to 2016," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, February.
    7. Samuel Kwesi Dunyo & Samuel Amponsah Odei, 2023. "Firm-Level Innovations in an Emerging Economy: Do Perceived Policy Instability and Legal Institutional Conditions Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-24, January.
    8. Abbas, Sadia & Adapa, Sujana & Sheridan, Alison & Azeem, Muhammad Masood, 2022. "Informal competition and firm level innovation in South Asia: The moderating role of innovation time off and R&D intensity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    9. Elvis Korku Avenyo & Maty Konte & Pierre Mohnen, 2021. "Product innovation and informal market competition in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 605-637, April.
    10. Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Hartwell, Christopher A. & Popova, Olga, 2023. "Energy efficiency, market competition, and quality certification: Lessons from Central Asia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    11. Mendi, Pedro & Mudida, Robert, 2018. "The effect on innovation of beginning informal: Empirical evidence from Kenya," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 326-335.
    12. Zhao, Nan & Liu, Xiaojie & Zhang, Zizhe, 2022. "Does competition from the informal sector affect firms’ energy intensity? Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 130-142.
    13. Liu, Yang & Deng, Ping & Wei, Jiang & Ying, Ying & Wu, Bing, 2021. "How to gain from international R&D alliances? A mutual dependence logic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 800-815.
    14. Mohammad Amin & Cedric Okou, 2020. "Casting a shadow: Productivity of formal firms and informality," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1610-1630, November.
    15. Sergio Daga & Pedro Mendi, 2022. "Informal input suppliers, quality choice and welfare," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 136(2), pages 149-176, July.
    16. Alvarez, Lourdes & Huamaní, Edson & Coronado, Yngrid, 2020. "How Does Competition by Informal and Formal Firms Affect the Innovation and Productivity Performance in Peru? A CDM Approach," MPRA Paper 105332, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Zaineb Hlioui & Mohamed Gabsi & Abdelwahed Omri, 2022. "Informal Competition Effect on SMEs’ Innovation: Do Credit Constraints Matter? Evidence from Eastern European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, October.
    18. Dorgyles C. M. Kouakou, 2023. "Competing against ‘invisibles’: the effect of competition from informal firms on formal firms’ R&D," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(1), pages 87-117, March.
    19. Ziyi Zhao & Banghao Zhou, 2022. "Latecomers’ Isomorphic R&D Strategy and the Relationship With Performance: A Study on Chinese Pharmaceutical Firms," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    20. Amin,Mohammad, 2021. "Does Competition from Informal Firms Impact R&D by Formal SMEs ? Evidence Using Firm-Level Survey Data," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9868, The World Bank.
    21. Heredia Pérez, Jorge A. & Kunc, Martin H. & Durst, Susanne & Flores, Alejandro & Geldes, Cristian, 2018. "Impact of competition from unregistered firms on R&D investment by industrial sectors in emerging economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 179-189.
    22. Maghrabie, Hesham F. & Beauregard, Yvan & Schiffauerova, Andrea, 2019. "Grey-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach: Addressing uncertainty at complex decision problems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 366-379.

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