IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v86y2011i1d10.1007_s11192-010-0247-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What determines how long an innovative spell will last?

Author

Listed:
  • Show-Ling Jang

    (National Taiwan University)

  • Jennifer H. Chen

    (Nanhua University)

Abstract

This paper is set out to examine the temporal pattern of innovative activities: what might have affected a firm’s patenting from one period to the next. Based upon data on ‘information technology’ (IT) manufacturing firms in Taiwan covering the years 1990–2001, we develop a survival model to analyze the underlying drivers of patenting duration. Our results indicate that the level of the patent stock at the onset of the patent spell, defined as the number of successive years during which a firm produced at least one patent per year, has a non-linear effect on spell duration. Other factors, such as industrial growth, firm size and firm profitability, have a positive effect on patenting duration, while firm age and spell sequence affect negatively to spell duration. We conclude that state dependence is demonstrated by innovative behavior, yet the advantages gained from such creative accumulation can easily be dissipated, thereby illustrating the transient nature of dynamic capabilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Show-Ling Jang & Jennifer H. Chen, 2011. "What determines how long an innovative spell will last?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 86(1), pages 65-76, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:86:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-010-0247-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-010-0247-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-010-0247-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-010-0247-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. Cefis, Elena & Orsenigo, Luigi, 2001. "The persistence of innovative activities: A cross-countries and cross-sectors comparative analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1139-1158, August.
    2. Bronwyn H. Hall & Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg, 2001. "The NBER Patent Citation Data File: Lessons, Insights and Methodological Tools," NBER Working Papers 8498, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Bettina Peters, 2009. "Persistence of innovation: stylised facts and panel data evidence," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 226-243, April.
    4. William Collier, 2005. "Unemployment duration and individual heterogeneity: a regional study," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 133-153.
    5. Malerba, Franco & Orsenigo, Luigi, 1999. "Technological entry, exit and survival: an empirical analysis of patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 643-660, August.
    6. Quintana-Garci­a, Cristina & Benavides-Velasco, Carlos A., 2008. "Innovative competence, exploration and exploitation: The influence of technological diversification," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 492-507, April.
    7. 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.
    8. Sanjeev Gupta & Benedict Clements & Emanuele Baldacci & Carlos Mulas-Granados, 2004. "The persistence of fiscal adjustments in developing countries," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 209-212.
    9. Yong-Gil Lee, 2008. "Patent licensability and life: A study of U.S. patents registered by South Korean public research institutes," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 75(3), pages 463-471, June.
    10. Yang, Chih-Hai & Motohashi, Kazuyuki & Chen, Jong-Rong, 2009. "Are new technology-based firms located on science parks really more innovative?: Evidence from Taiwan," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 77-85, February.
    11. Robert C.W. Fok & Yuan-Chen Chang & Wen-Tuz Lee, 2004. "Bank Relationships and Their Effects on Firm Performance Around the Asian Financial Crisis: Evidence from Taiwan," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 33(2), Summer.
    12. Yi-Chia Chiu & Hsien-Che Lai & Yi-Ching Liaw & Tai-Yu Lee, 2010. "Technological scope: diversified or specialized," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 82(1), pages 37-58, January.
    13. Roper, Stephen & Hewitt-Dundas, Nola, 2008. "Innovation persistence: Survey and case-study evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 149-162, February.
    14. Oscar Alfranca & Ruth Rama & Nicholas von Tunzelmann, 2002. "A patent analysis of global food and beverage firms: The persistence of innovation," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(3), pages 349-368.
    15. Geroski, P. A. & Van Reenen, J. & Walters, C. F., 1997. "How persistently do firms innovate?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 33-48, March.
    16. Fred Y. Ye, 2007. "A quantitative relationship between per capita GDP and scientometric criteria," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 71(3), pages 407-413, June.
    17. Aw, Bee Yan & Chen, Xiaomin & Roberts, Mark J., 2001. "Firm-level evidence on productivity differentials and turnover in Taiwanese manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 51-86, October.
    18. Malerba, Franco & Orsenigo, Luigi & Peretto, Pietro, 1997. "Persistence of innovative activities, sectoral patterns of innovation and international technological specialization," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 801-826, October.
    19. Cefis, Elena, 2003. "Is there persistence in innovative activities?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 489-515, April.
    20. Clark, Kim B., 1985. "The interaction of design hierarchies and market concepts in technological evolution," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 235-251, October.
    21. Gong, Shang-Chi & Lee, Tsong-Pei & Chen, Yea-Mow, 2004. "Crisis transmission: Some evidence from the Asian financial crisis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 463-478.
    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. Cristiano Antonelli & Francesco Crespi & Giuseppe Scellato, 2013. "Internal and external factors in innovation persistence," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 256-280, April.
    2. Córcoles, David & Triguero, Ángela & Cuerva, María Carmen, 2016. "Comparing persistence of product and process innovation: A discrete-time duration analysis of innovation spells," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 10, pages 1-35.
    3. Yagi, Michiyuki & Managi, Shunsuke, 2018. "Shadow price of patent stock as knowledge stock: Time and country heterogeneity," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 43-61.
    4. Fontana, Roberto & Vezzulli, Andrea, 2016. "Technological leadership and persistence in product innovation in the Local Area Network industry 1990–1999," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1604-1619.
    5. Rammer, Christian & Schubert, Torben, 2016. "Concentration on the few? R&D and innovation in German firms 2001 to 2013," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-005, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Juan Máñez & María Rochina-Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis-Llopis & Juan Sanchis-Llopis, 2015. "The determinants of R&D persistence in SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 505-528, March.
    7. Jinlou Zhao & Hongyu Gao & Yongli Li & Jiaguo Liu, 2017. "Which factors affect the duration of hot topics on social media platforms?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(5), pages 2395-2407, September.

    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. Juan Máñez & María Rochina-Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis-Llopis & Juan Sanchis-Llopis, 2015. "The determinants of R&D persistence in SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 505-528, March.
    2. Mañez, J.A. & Love, J.H., 2020. "Quantifying sunk costs and learning effects in R&D persistence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(7).
    3. Christian Le Bas & Nicolas Poussing, 2014. "Are Complex Innovators More Persistent Than Single Innovators? An Empirical Analysis Of Innovation Persistence Drivers," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(01), pages 1-21.
    4. Antonelli, Cristiano & Crespi, Francesco & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2012. "Inside innovation persistence: New evidence from Italian micro-data," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 341-353.
    5. Rammer, Christian & Schubert, Torben, 2016. "Concentration on the few? R&D and innovation in German firms 2001 to 2013," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-005, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Alessandra Colombelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2014. "The persistence of firms' knowledge base: a quantile approach to Italian data," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7), pages 585-610, October.
    7. Colombelli Alessandra & Quatraro Francesco, 2012. "Persistence of innovation and knowledge structure: Evidence from a sample of Italian firms," 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 201205, University of Turin.
    8. Triguero, Ángela & Córcoles, David, 2013. "Understanding innovation: An analysis of persistence for Spanish manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 340-352.
    9. Antonelli, Cristiano & Crespi, Francesco & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2010. "Universities look beyond the patent policy discourse in their intellectual property strategies," 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 201010, University of Turin.
    10. Bianchini, Stefano & Pellegrino, Gabriele, 2019. "Innovation persistence and employment dynamics," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1171-1186.
    11. Alessandra Colombelli & Nick von Tunzelmann, 2011. "The Persistence of Innovation and Path Dependence," Chapters, in: Cristiano Antonelli (ed.), Handbook on the Economic Complexity of Technological Change, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Cristiano Antonelli & Francesco Crespi & Giuseppe Scellato, 2013. "Internal and external factors in innovation persistence," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 256-280, April.
    13. Cefis, Elena & Marsili, Orietta, 2015. "Crossing the innovation threshold through mergers and acquisitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 698-710.
    14. Pere Arqué-Castells, 2013. "Persistence in R&D Performance and its Implications for the Granting of Subsidies," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 43(3), pages 193-220, November.
    15. Labeaga, José M. & Martínez-Ros, Ester & Sanchis, Amparo & Sanchis, Juan A., 2021. "Does persistence in using R&D tax credits help to achieve product innovations?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    16. Antonelli Cristiano & Crespi, Francesco & Scellato, Giuseppe, 2013. "Path Dependent Patterns of Persistence in Productivity Growth," 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 201310, University of Turin.
    17. Ganter, Alois & Hecker, Achim, 2013. "Persistence of innovation: Discriminating between types of innovation and sources of state dependence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(8), pages 1431-1445.
    18. Salge, Torsten Oliver, 2012. "The temporal trajectories of innovative search: Insights from public hospital services," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 720-733.
    19. Fontana, Roberto & Vezzulli, Andrea, 2016. "Technological leadership and persistence in product innovation in the Local Area Network industry 1990–1999," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1604-1619.
    20. Tavassoli, Sam & Karlsson, Charlie, 2015. "Persistence of various types of innovation analyzed and explained," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 1887-1901.

    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:scient:v:86:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-010-0247-z. 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.