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The knowledge spillover theory of intrapreneurship

Author

Listed:
  • Pontus Braunerhjelm

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology
    The Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum)

  • Ding Ding

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

  • Per Thulin

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology
    The Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum)

Abstract

Introducing the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Intrapreneurship, we examine how labour mobility impacts innovation distributed by firm size. A matched employer-employee dataset, pooled with firm-level patent application data, is implemented in the analysis. We provide new evidence that knowledge workers’ mobility has a positive and strongly significant impact on all firms’ innovation output, measured as patent applications. The patterns and effects do however differ between large and small firms. More precisely, for small firms, intraregional mobility of knowledge workers who have previously worked in a patenting firm (the learning-by-hiring effect) is shown to be statistically and economically highly significant, whereas only limited impact could be detected for firms losing knowledge workers (the learning-by-diaspora effect).

Suggested Citation

  • Pontus Braunerhjelm & Ding Ding & Per Thulin, 2018. "The knowledge spillover theory of intrapreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 1-30, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:51:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-017-9928-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-017-9928-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour mobility; Knowledge diffusion; Innovation; Social networks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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