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Management characteristics, collaboration and innovative efficiency: evidence from UK survey data

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  • Andy Cosh
  • Xiaolan Fu
  • Alan Hughes

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of management characteristics and patterns of collaboration on a firmÕs innovation performance in transforming innovation resources into commercially successful outputs. These questions are investigated using a recent firm level survey database for 465 innovative British small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over the years 1998-2001. Both Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) are employed to benchmark a firmÕs innovative efficiency against best practice. Quality and the variety of innovations are taken into account by combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with DEA. We find evidence suggesting that the innovative efficiency of SMEs is significantly affected by their management characteristics and collaboration behaviour. Collaboration, organisational flexibility, formality in management systems and incentive schemes are found to contribute significantly to a firmÕs innovative efficiency. Managerial share-ownership also shows some positive effect. The importance of these effects, however, varies across different sectors. WE find that innovative efficiency in high-tech SMEs is significantly enhanced by collaboration, formal management structure and training; and that in medium- and low-tech SMEs is significantly associated with managerial ownership, incentive schemes and organisational flexibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Andy Cosh & Xiaolan Fu & Alan Hughes, 2005. "Management characteristics, collaboration and innovative efficiency: evidence from UK survey data," Working Papers wp311, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cbr:cbrwps:wp311
    Note: PRO-1
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    File URL: https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/cbrwp311/
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    Cited by:

    1. Oluseyi Moses Ajayi & Susan C. Morton, 2015. "Exploring the Enablers of Organizational and Marketing Innovations in SMEs," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(1), pages 21582440155, February.
    2. Alexopoulos, Michelle & Tombe, Trevor, 2012. "Management matters," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 269-285.
    3. Fu, Xiaolan & Yang, Qing Gong, 2009. "Exploring the cross-country gap in patenting: A Stochastic Frontier Approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 1203-1213, September.
    4. Giovanni Cerulli & Bianca Potì, 2013. "Managerial capacity in the innovation process and firm profitability," CERIS Working Paper 201301, CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    management characteristics; collaboration; innovative efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management

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