IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rdg/emxxdp/em-dp2014-07.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

How Important Are Internal Knowledge Flows for Firms' Innovative Performance in Spain?

Author

Listed:
  • Esther Goya

    (AQR-IREA Research Group, University of Barcelona)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the extent to which internal knowledge flows may have an impact on firms' innovative performance. As most of innovation literature has focused its attention on external knowledge transfers, internal knowledge flows have faded into the background. However, transference of information and experience within firms can improve their technological performance impacting positively on their innovativeness leading to higher innovative sales. Voluntary and involuntary knowledge flows are taken under consideration as well as firm's absorptive capacity. The dataset used is Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for Spain over the period 2004-2011. The results indicate that internal knowledge flows have a positive and significant influence on innovative sales. In particular, voluntary knowledge flows have a greater impact than involuntary knowledge transfers. Interestingly, internal knowledge flows increase innovative sales to a greater extent than their external counterparts. This finding highlights the importance of internal information which, as it was mentioned previously, usually remains in the shadows. Finally, absorptive capacity only seems to enhance efficiency in exploiting involuntary knowledge flows.

Suggested Citation

  • Esther Goya, 2014. "How Important Are Internal Knowledge Flows for Firms' Innovative Performance in Spain?," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2014-07, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    • Handle: RePEc:rdg:emxxdp:em-dp2014-07
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/economics/emdp2014112.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hans Lööf & Anders Broström, 2008. "Does knowledge diffusion between university and industry increase innovativeness?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 73-90, February.
    2. Birgit Aschhoff & Tobias Schmidt, 2008. "Empirical Evidence on the Success of R&D Cooperation—Happy Together?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 33(1), pages 41-62, August.
    3. Pierre Mohnen & Jacques Mairesse & Marcel Dagenais, 2006. "Innovativity: A comparison across seven European countries," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4-5), pages 391-413.
    4. Rachel Griffith & Elena Huergo & Jacques Mairesse & Bettina Peters, 2006. "Innovation and Productivity Across Four European Countries," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 22(4), pages 483-498, Winter.
    5. Alexandre Trigo, 2013. "The Nature of Innovation in R&D- and Non-R&D-Intensive Service Firms: Evidence from Firm-Level Latent Class Analysis," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 48-68, January.
    6. Tsai, Kuen-Hung & Wang, Jiann-Chyuan, 2009. "External technology sourcing and innovation performance in LMT sectors: An analysis based on the Taiwanese Technological Innovation Survey," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 518-526, April.
    7. Stéphane Lhuillery, 2011. "Absorptive capacity, efficiency effect and competitors’ spillovers," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 649-663, October.
    8. Monjon, Stephanie & Waelbroeck, Patrick, 2003. "Assessing spillovers from universities to firms: evidence from French firm-level data," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 21(9), pages 1255-1270, November.
    9. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    10. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
    11. Robin, Stéphane & Schubert, Torben, 2013. "Cooperation with public research institutions and success in innovation: Evidence from France and Germany," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 149-166.
    12. Raymond Van Wijk & Justin J. P. Jansen & Marjorie A. Lyles, 2008. "Inter‐ and Intra‐Organizational Knowledge Transfer: A Meta‐Analytic Review and Assessment of its Antecedents and Consequences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 830-853, June.
    13. María Jesús Nieto & Alicia Rodríguez, 2011. "Offshoring of R&D: Looking abroad to improve innovation performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(3), pages 345-361, April.
    14. Julio Raffo & Stephane Lhuillery & Luis Miotti, 2008. "Northern and southern innovativity: a comparison across European and Latin American countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 219-239.
    15. Peters, Bettina & Lööf, Hans & Janz, Norbert, 2003. "Firm Level Innovation and Productivity: Is there a Common Story Across Countries?," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-26, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    16. Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 1995. "Selection corrections for panel data models under conditional mean independence assumptions," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 115-132, July.
    17. Jaan Masso & Priit Vahter, 2008. "Technological innovation and productivity in late-transition Estonia: econometric evidence from innovation surveys," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 240-261.
    18. Trigo, Alexandre & Vence, Xavier, 2012. "Scope and patterns of innovation cooperation in Spanish service enterprises," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 602-613.
    19. Stéphane Robin & Torben Schubert, 2013. "Cooperation with public research institutions and success in innovation: Evidence from France and Germany," Post-Print hal-03691900, HAL.
    20. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13785 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Roberto Antonietti & Giulio Cainelli, 2011. "The role of spatial agglomeration in a structural model of innovation, productivity and export: a firm-level analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 577-600, June.
    22. René Belderbos & Elissavet Lykogianni & Reinhilde Veugelers, 2008. "Strategic R&D Location by Multinational Firms: Spillovers, Technology Sourcing, and Competition," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(3), pages 759-779, September.
    23. Frenz, Marion & Ietto-Gillies, Grazia, 2009. "The impact on innovation performance of different sources of knowledge: Evidence from the UK Community Innovation Survey," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 1125-1135, September.
    24. Loof, Hans & Heshmati, Almas, 2002. "Knowledge capital and performance heterogeneity: : A firm-level innovation study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 61-85, March.
    25. Argote, Linda & Ingram, Paul & Levine, John M. & Moreland, Richard L., 2000. "Knowledge Transfer in Organizations: Learning from the Experience of Others," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 1-8, May.
    26. Luuk Klomp & George Van Leeuwen, 2001. "Linking Innovation and Firm Performance: A New Approach," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 343-364.
    27. Escribano, Alvaro & Fosfuri, Andrea & Tribó, Josep A., 2009. "Managing external knowledge flows: The moderating role of absorptive capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 96-105, February.
    28. María García‐Vega & Elena Huergo, 2011. "Determinants of International R&D Outsourcing: The Role of Trade," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(1), pages 93-107, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Damián Tojeiro-Rivero & Rosina Moreno & Erika Raquel Badillo, 2019. "Radical Innovations: The Role of Knowledge Acquisition from Abroad," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 55(2), pages 173-207, September.
    2. Erika Raquel Badillo & Rosina Moreno, 2018. "Does absorptive capacity determine collaboration returns to innovation? A geographical dimension," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 60(3), pages 473-499, May.
    3. Fedyunina, Anna & Radosevic, Slavo, 2022. "The relationship between R&D, innovation and productivity in emerging economies: CDM model and alternatives," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(3).
    4. Erika Raquel Badillo & Rosina Moreno, 2014. "“Does absorptive capacity determine collaborative research returns to innovation? A geographical dimension”," AQR Working Papers 201416, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Oct 2014.
    5. Bronwyn Hall & Francesca Lotti & Jacques Mairesse, 2009. "Innovation and productivity in SMEs: empirical evidence for Italy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 13-33, June.
    6. Karbowski, Adam, 2016. "Współpraca badawczo-rozwojowa przedsiębiorstw: przegląd prac empirycznych [R&D Cooperation of Firms: Empirical literature review]," MPRA Paper 77698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Mairesse, Jacques & Mohnen, Pierre, 2010. "Using Innovation Surveys for Econometric Analysis," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1129-1155, Elsevier.
    8. Son Thi Kim Le, 2019. "Innovation efforts in developing countries: The case of Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-7, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Lopez-Rodriguez, Jesus & Martinez-Lopez, Diego, 2017. "Looking beyond the R&D effects on innovation: The contribution of non-R&D activities to total factor productivity growth in the EU," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 37-45.
    10. Spyros Arvanitis, 2009. "How do different motives for R&D cooperation affect firm performance?," KOF Working papers 09-233, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    11. Małgorzata Stefania Lewandowska, 2014. "Innowacje otwarte polskich przedsiębiorstw," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 2, pages 53-80.
    12. Crespi, Gustavo & Zuniga, Pluvia, 2012. "Innovation and Productivity: Evidence from Six Latin American Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 273-290.
    13. Erika & Rosina, 2016. "“Technological cooperation in Spanish firms”," IREA Working Papers 201601, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Jan 2016.
    14. Cassoni, Adriana & Ramada, Magdalena, 2010. "Innovation, R&D Investment and Productivity: Uruguayan Manufacturing Firms," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1973, Inter-American Development Bank.
    15. Alejandro García-Pozo & Juan Antonio Campos-Soria & J. Aníbal Núñez-Carrasco, 2021. "Technological innovation and productivity across Spanish regions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 67(1), pages 167-187, August.
    16. Jože P. Damijan & Črt Kostevc & Matija Rojec, 2011. "Innovation and Firms’ Productivity Growth in Slovenia: Sensitivity of Results to Sectoral Heterogeneity and to Estimation Method," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Peter Nijkamp & Iulia Siedschlag (ed.), Innovation, Growth and Competitiveness, chapter 0, pages 165-193, Springer.
    17. Andræs Barge-Gil, 2013. "Open Strategies and Innovation Performance," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(7), pages 585-610, October.
    18. Esther Goya & Esther Vayá & Jordi Suriñach, 2012. "“Do intra- and inter-industry spillovers matter? CDM model estimates for Spain”," IREA Working Papers 201214, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Sep 2012.
    19. Christian Rammer & Dirk Czarnitzki & Alfred Spielkamp, 2009. "Innovation success of non-R&D-performers: substituting technology by management in SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 35-58, June.
    20. Paola Cardamone, 2018. "Firm innovation and spillovers in Italy: Does geographical proximity matter?," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    innovation performance; internal knowledge flows; absorptive capacity; Spain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rdg:emxxdp:em-dp2014-07. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Alexander Mihailov (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/derdguk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.