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Sources of innovation and innovation type: firm-level evidence from the United States

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  • Mehmet Akif Demircioglu
  • David B Audretsch
  • Timothy F Slaper

Abstract

Only a handful of studies on innovation empirically analyze the links between firm innovation and the sources of that innovative activity of sources of innovation on types of innovation. To fill this gap in the literature, this study provides one of the first tests to identify how important sources of new information (suppliers, customers, other business people in the industry, workers, and university) are associated with types of innovations (product, process, and marketing). Data come from the 2014 National Survey of Business Competitiveness sponsored by the Economic Research Service at the United States Department of Agriculture (n = 10,952). The results show that innovation ideas emanating from customers, workers, and universities are positively associated with all types of innovations, suggesting that these sources are critical for developing different types of innovation. In particular, universities as a source of innovation activity are especially important. In contrast, other sources, such as suppliers and people in industry do not seem to be as important as a source of innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Mehmet Akif Demircioglu & David B Audretsch & Timothy F Slaper, 2019. "Sources of innovation and innovation type: firm-level evidence from the United States," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(6), pages 1365-1379.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:28:y:2019:i:6:p:1365-1379.
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    Cited by:

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    2. 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.
    3. D’Amico, Elettra & Belitski, Maksim & Colombelli, Alessandra, 2023. "Evaluating Internal and External Knowledge Sources in Adopting Artificial Intelligence," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 202303, University of Turin.
    4. Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello & Nicola Grassano, 2022. "The EU vs US corporate R&D intensity gap: investigating key sectors and firms [A primer on innovation and growth]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(1), pages 19-38.
    5. Hana Urbancová & Pavla Vrabcová, 2023. "Sustainability-oriented Innovation: Crucial Sources to Achieve Competitiveness," Journal of Economics / Ekonomicky casopis, Institute of Economic Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, vol. 71(1), pages 46-64, January.
    6. Paschal B. Nade, 2022. "Crafting Innovativeness for Graduate Entrepreneurship Development in East Africa: Are Graduates Innovators or Imitators?," Management & Economics Research Journal, Faculty of Economics, Commercial and Management Sciences, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa, vol. 4(2), pages 45-62, September.
    7. Hugo Pinto & Jorge André Guerreiro & Manuel Fernández-Esquinas, 2023. "Sources of knowledge in the firm: a review on influential, internal and contextual factors in innovation dynamics," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 1-32, February.
    8. Sebastiano Cattaruzzo & Agustí Segarra-Blasco & Mercedes Teruel, 2024. "Firm-level contributions to the R&D intensity distribution: evidence and policy implications," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 45-65, January.
    9. Christian Omobhude & Shih-Hsin Chen, 2019. "Social Innovation for Sustainability: The Case of Oil Producing Communities in the Niger Delta region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, November.
    10. D’Amico, Elettra & Belitski, Maksim & Colombelli, Alessandra, 2023. "Evaluating Internal and External Knowledge Sources in Adopting Artificial Intelligence," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202315, University of Turin.
    11. Luca Farè, 2022. "Exploring the contribution of micro firms to innovation: does competition matter?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1081-1113, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C18 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Methodolical Issues: General
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • 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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