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Firms' R&D dilemma: to undertake or not to undertake R&D

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  • Xulia Gonzalez
  • Consuelo Pazo

Abstract

It is well known that in most industries a significant proportion of firms do not perform innovative activities. Although empirical studies on the determinants of R&D often have taken this fact into account by considering the dependent variable as a censured one, there is not an explicit theoretical model to explain the zeros. The concern of this letter is to discuss a simple theoretical model where firms simultaneously decide whether to undertake or not R&D activities jointly with the level of the R&D investment. It is shown that a firm performs R&D activities only when its optimal level of R&D expenditure is higher than a threshold. Additionally, it is shown that both the probability of undertaking R&D activities and the R&D expenditure increase with market power, with the elasticity of demand with respect to quality and with the elasticity of quality with respect to R&D. Finally, from this simple theoretical framework we discuss a suitable econometric model that threats these decisions simultaneously.

Suggested Citation

  • Xulia Gonzalez & Consuelo Pazo, 2004. "Firms' R&D dilemma: to undertake or not to undertake R&D," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 55-59.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:apeclt:v:11:y:2004:i:1:p:55-59
    DOI: 10.1080/1350485042000187471
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    Cited by:

    1. Elena Cefis, 2010. "The impact of M&A on technology sourcing strategies," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 27-51.
    2. Juana Sanchez, 2014. "Innovation Output Choices And Characteristics Of Firms In The U.S," Working Papers 14-42, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    3. Sandro Montresor & Antonio Vezzani, 2015. "On the R&D giants’ shoulders: do FDI help to stand on them?," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(1), pages 33-60, March.
    4. Christos Bilanakos & John S. Heywood & John Sessions & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2014. "Worker Training and Competing on Product Quality," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 08-2014, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    5. Cefis, Elena & Marsili, Orietta, 2015. "Crossing the innovation threshold through mergers and acquisitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 698-710.
    6. E. Cefis & M. Ghita, 2008. "Post Merger Innovative Patterns in Small and Medium Firms," Working Papers 08-09, Utrecht School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • C24 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Truncated and Censored Models; Switching Regression Models; Threshold Regression Models

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