IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/empeco/v49y2015i3p1045-1069.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effects of firms’ R&D and innovation activities on their survival: a competing risks analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Pål Børing

Abstract

Using a data set of Norwegian firms, an examination is made of the relationship between firms’ R&D activities and their survival. A firm may exit the market through closure, or merger and acquisition (M&A). The analysis is based on a discrete time competing risks model with unobserved heterogeneity. We find that product-innovative firms have a higher probability of exit due to M&A, but only if they also introduce new products into their market. This highlights the importance of differentiating between different groups of product-innovative firms. None of the R&D and innovation activities considered has significant effects on the probability of firm closure. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Pål Børing, 2015. "The effects of firms’ R&D and innovation activities on their survival: a competing risks analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 49(3), pages 1045-1069, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:49:y:2015:i:3:p:1045-1069
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-014-0901-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00181-014-0901-z
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00181-014-0901-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christian Helmers & Mark Rogers, 2010. "Innovation and the Survival of New Firms in the UK," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 36(3), pages 227-248, May.
    2. Jorgenson, Dale W, 1988. "Productivity and Postwar U.S. Economic Growth," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 23-41, Fall.
    3. Michael Kopel & Clemens Löffler, 2008. "Commitment, first-mover-, and second-mover advantage," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 94(2), pages 143-166, July.
    4. Matthias Almus, 2004. "The Shadow of Death -- An Emperical Analysis of the Pre-Exit Performance of New German Firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 189-201, October.
    5. Roberto Fontana & Lionel Nesta, 2009. "Product Innovation and Survival in a High-Tech Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 34(4), pages 287-306, June.
    6. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7186 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Elena Cefis & Orietta Marsili, 2005. "A matter of life and death: innovation and firm survival," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 1167-1192, December.
    8. Klaus Desmet & Stephen Parente, 2012. "The evolution of markets and the revolution of industry: a unified theory of growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 205-234, September.
    9. 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.
    10. Carlos Carreira & Paulino Teixeira, 2011. "The shadow of death: analysing the pre-exit productivity of Portuguese manufacturing firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 337-351, April.
    11. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2006. "Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(1), pages 37-74, March.
    12. Eric Bartelsman & Stefano Scarpetta & Fabiano Schivardi, 2005. "Comparative analysis of firm demographics and survival: evidence from micro-level sources in OECD countries," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 365-391, June.
    13. Era Dabla-Norris & Erasmus K. Kersting & Geneviève Verdier, 2012. "Firm Productivity, Innovation, and Financial Development," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(2), pages 422-449, October.
    14. Silviano Esteve-Pérez & Amparo Sanchis-Llopis & Juan Sanchis-Llopis, 2010. "A competing risks analysis of firms’ exit," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 281-304, April.
    15. Lucia Foster & John C. Haltiwanger & C. J. Krizan, 2001. "Aggregate Productivity Growth: Lessons from Microeconomic Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: New Developments in Productivity Analysis, pages 303-372, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Bruno Crepon & Emmanuel Duguet & Jacques Mairesse, 1998. "Research, Innovation And Productivity: An Econometric Analysis At The Firm Level," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 115-158.
    17. Klepper, Steven, 1996. "Entry, Exit, Growth, and Innovation over the Product Life Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 562-583, June.
    18. Cefis, Elena & Marsili, Orietta, 2012. "Going, going, gone. Exit forms and the innovative capabilities of firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 795-807.
    19. Paul H. Jensen & Elizabeth Webster & Hielke Buddelmeyer, 2008. "Innovation, Technological Conditions and New Firm Survival," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(267), pages 434-448, December.
    20. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Michel Quéré & Lionel Nesta, 2006. "Productivity and Market Selection of French Manufacturing Firms in the Nineties," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 97(5), pages 319-349.
    21. Charles R. Hulten & Edwin R. Dean & Michael J. Harper, 2001. "New Developments in Productivity Analysis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number hult01-1, August.
    22. Giorgia Giovannetti & Giorgio Ricchiuti & Margherita Velucchi, 2011. "Size, innovation and internationalization: a survival analysis of Italian firms," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(12), pages 1511-1520.
    23. Stefan Lachenmaier & Ludger Wößmann, 2006. "Does innovation cause exports? Evidence from exogenous innovation impulses and obstacles using German micro data," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 58(2), pages 317-350, April.
    24. Colombelli, Alessandra & Krafft, Jackie & Quatraro, Francesco, 2013. "Properties of knowledge base and firm survival: Evidence from a sample of French manufacturing firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(8), pages 1469-1483.
    25. Ilke Van Beveren, 2012. "Total Factor Productivity Estimation: A Practical Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 98-128, February.
    26. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/7185 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Audretsch, David B & Mahmood, Talat, 1995. "New Firm Survival: New Results Using a Hazard Function," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 77(1), pages 97-103, February.
    28. Hauknes, Johan & Knell, Mark, 2009. "Embodied knowledge and sectoral linkages: An input-output approach to the interaction of high- and low-tech industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 459-469, April.
    29. Audretsch, David B, 1991. "New-Firm Survival and the Technological Regime," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(3), pages 441-450, August.
    30. Ana M. Fernandes & Caroline Paunov, 2015. "The Risks of Innovation: Are Innovating Firms Less Likely to Die?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(3), pages 638-653, July.
    31. Heckman, James & Singer, Burton, 1984. "A Method for Minimizing the Impact of Distributional Assumptions in Econometric Models for Duration Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(2), pages 271-320, March.
    32. Audretsch, David B., 1995. "Innovation, growth and survival," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 441-457, December.
    33. Crepon, B. & Duguet, E. & Mairesse, J., 1998. "Research Investment, Innovation and Productivity: An Econometric Analysis at the Firm Level," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 98.15, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    34. Zhang, Tao, 2003. "A Monte Carlo study on non-parametric estimation of duration models with unobserved heterogeneity," Memorandum 25/2003, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    35. Jovanovic, Boyan, 1982. "Selection and the Evolution of Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(3), pages 649-670, May.
    36. Era Dabla-Norris & Erasmus K. Kersting & Geneviève Verdier, 2012. "Firm Productivity, Innovation, and Financial Development," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(2), pages 422-449, October.
    37. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7185 is not listed on IDEAS
    38. Catherine M. Banbury & Will Mitchell, 1995. "The effect of introducing important incremental innovations on market share and business survival," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(S1), pages 161-182.
    39. Matthias Kelm, 1997. "Schumpeter's theory of economic evolution: a Darwinian interpretation (*)," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 97-130.
    40. Sharif, Naubahar & Huang, Can, 2012. "Innovation strategy, firm survival and relocation: The case of Hong Kong-owned manufacturing in Guangdong Province, China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 69-78.
    41. Juan A. Máñez & María E. Rochina‐Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis & Juan A. Sanchis, 2009. "The Role Of Sunk Costs In The Decision To Invest In R&D," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(4), pages 712-735, December.
    42. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/7186 is not listed on IDEAS
    43. Fredrik Heyman, 2007. "Firm Size or Firm Age? The Effect on Wages Using Matched Employer–Employee Data," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 21(2), pages 237-263, June.
    44. Hopenhayn, Hugo A, 1992. "Entry, Exit, and Firm Dynamics in Long Run Equilibrium," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(5), pages 1127-1150, September.
    45. Griliches, Zvi & Regev, Haim, 1995. "Firm productivity in Israeli industry 1979-1988," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 175-203, January.
    46. Hielke Buddelmeyer & Paul H. Jensen & Elizabeth Webster, 2010. "Innovation and the determinants of company survival," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 62(2), pages 261-285, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ugur, Mehment & Vivarelli, Marco, 2020. "The role of innovation in industrial dynamics and productivity growth: a survey of the literature," GLO Discussion Paper Series 648, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Juha‐Antti Lamberg & Mirva Peltoniemi, 2020. "The nanoeconomics of firm‐level decision‐making and industry evolution: Evidence from 200 years of paper and pulp making," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 499-529, March.
    3. Mehmet Ugur & Marco Vivarelli, 2021. "Innovation, firm survival and productivity: the state of the art," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(5), pages 433-467, July.
    4. Ugur, Mehmet & Trushin, Eshref & Solomon, Edna, 2016. "Inverted-U relationship between R&D intensity and survival: Evidence on scale and complementarity effects in UK data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1474-1492.
    5. Ortiz-Villajos, José M. & Sotoca, Sonia, 2018. "Innovation and business survival: A long-term approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8), pages 1418-1436.
    6. Cefis, Elena & Bartoloni, Eleonora & Bonati, Marco, 2020. "Show me how to live: Firms' financial conditions and innovation during the crisis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 63-81.
    7. Bai, Qing & Tian, Shaonan, 2020. "Innovate or die: Corporate innovation and bankruptcy forecasts," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 88-108.
    8. Mehmet Ugur & Marco Vivarelli, 2020. "Technology, industrial dynamics and productivity: a critical survey," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0011, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    9. Zhang, Dongyang & Zheng, Wenping & Ning, Lutao, 2018. "Does innovation facilitate firm survival? Evidence from Chinese high-tech firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 458-468.
    10. Mingqian Zhang & Pierre Mohnen, 2022. "R&D, innovation and firm survival in Chinese manufacturing, 2000–2006," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(1), pages 59-95, March.

    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. Ugur, Mehmet & Vivarelli, Marco, 2020. "The role of innovation in industrial dynamics and productivity growth: a survey of the literature," MERIT Working Papers 2020-038, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Mehmet Ugur & Marco Vivarelli, 2021. "Innovation, firm survival and productivity: the state of the art," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(5), pages 433-467, July.
    3. Mehmet Ugur & Marco Vivarelli, 2020. "Technology, industrial dynamics and productivity: a critical survey," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0011, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    4. Ugur, Mehmet & Trushin, Eshref & Solomon, Edna, 2016. "Inverted-U relationship between R&D intensity and survival: Evidence on scale and complementarity effects in UK data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1474-1492.
    5. Ortiz-Villajos, José M. & Sotoca, Sonia, 2018. "Innovation and business survival: A long-term approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8), pages 1418-1436.
    6. Masatoshi Kato & Koichiro Onishi & Yuji Honjo, 2022. "Does patenting always help new firm survival? Understanding heterogeneity among exit routes," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 449-475, August.
    7. Silvia Muzi & Filip Jolevski & Kohei Ueda & Domenico Viganola, 2023. "Productivity and firm exit during the COVID-19 crisis: cross-country evidence," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1719-1760, April.
    8. Ugur, Mehmet & Trushin, Eshref & Solomon, Edna, 2015. "Inverted-U relationship between innovation and survival: Evidence from firm-level UK data," MPRA Paper 68010, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Nov 2015.
    9. Mingqian Zhang & Pierre Mohnen, 2022. "R&D, innovation and firm survival in Chinese manufacturing, 2000–2006," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(1), pages 59-95, March.
    10. Marco Grazzi & Chiara Piccardo & Cecilia Vergari, 2022. "Turmoil over the crisis: innovation capabilities and firm exit," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 537-564, August.
    11. Cefis, Elena & Marsili, Orietta, 2012. "Going, going, gone. Exit forms and the innovative capabilities of firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 795-807.
    12. Ornella Wanda Maietta & Fernanda Mazzotta, 2018. "Firm Survival and Innovation: Knowledge Context Matters!," CSEF Working Papers 496, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    13. Zhang M. & Mohnen P., 2013. "Innovation and survival of new firms in Chinese manufacturing, 2000-2006," MERIT Working Papers 2013-057, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Michele Cincera, 2004. "Impact of market entry and exit on EU productivity and growth performance," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/921, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    15. Masatoshi Kato & Koichiro Onishi & Yuji Honjo, 2017. "Does patenting always help new-firm survival?," Discussion Paper Series 159, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised May 2017.
    16. Marco Mariani & Elena Pirani & Elena Radicchi, 2013. "La sopravvivenza delle imprese negli anni della crisi: prime evidenze empiriche dalla Toscana," ECONOMIA E POLITICA INDUSTRIALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(1), pages 25-52.
    17. Christos Genakos & Ioannis Kaplanis & Maria Theano Tagaraki & Aggelos Tsakanikas, 2023. "Firm Resilience and Growth during the Economics Crisis: lessons from the Greek depression," GreeSE – Hellenic Observatory Papers on Greece and Southeast Europe 186, Hellenic Observatory, LSE.
    18. Colombelli, Alessandra & Krafft, Jackie & Vivarelli, Marco, 2016. "New Firms and Post-Entry Performance: The Role of Innovation," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201602, University of Turin.
    19. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Marco Vivarelli, 2016. "Entrepreneurship and Innovation: New Entries, Survival, Growth," GREDEG Working Papers 2016-04, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    20. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Marco Vivarelli, 2016. "To be born is not enough: the key role of innovative start-ups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 277-291, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competing risks model; Firm closure versus M&A; Firm survival; Innovation; Unobserved heterogeneity; C14; C41; O31;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

    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:spr:empeco:v:49:y:2015:i:3:p:1045-1069. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.