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Export Behaviour and Propensity to Innovate in a Developing Country: The Case of Tunisia

Author Info

  • Mohieddine Rahmouni

    ()

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - CNRS - Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux 4)

  • Murat Yildizoglu

    ()

    (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille 3 - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille 2 - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - AMU - Aix-Marseille Université)

  • Mohamed Ayadi

    ()

    (ISG - Institut supérieur de gestion - Université de Tunis, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales de Tunis - Université de Tunis)

Abstract

The relation between export behaviour and the propensity to innovate is an important question for a developing economy. This article dedicated to this question through the analysis of the first innovation survey of Tunisian firms. We analyze the relationship between the export behaviour and the innovation propensity of the firms as it can be qualified using econometric estimations (mainly probit models) and non-parametrical regression trees on the results of the first community innovation survey in Tunisia. Our results show that firms that address both the domestic and foreign demands (partial- exporters) have the highest propensity to innovate, and they better benefit from external knowledge sources, as well as a diversified demand. We find that external knowledge sources, internal R&D efforts and some types of cooperative agreements are complementary for product innovations, but the first play an essential role, in the sense that firms must benefit from at least one external knowledge source to attain a significant innovation propensity. We show that innovation behaviour of three subsets of firms are strongly contrasted: pure exporters who only address the foreign demand, pure domestic firms, and partial exporters.

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Date of creation: 12 Jul 2011
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Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00608239
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Keywords: Innovation; exports; openness; development; absorptive capacity;

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Cited by:

  1. Olfa KAMMOUN & Mohieddine RAHMOUNI, 2013. "Intellectual Property Rights, Appropriation Instruments and Innovation Activities: Evidence from Tunisian Firms," Cahiers du GREThA 2013-01, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée.
  2. Kiyohiro YAMAZAKI & Alexandru CAPATINAI & Rym BOUZAABIA & Ipek KOCOGLU, 2012. "Cross-Cultural Issues Related to Open Innovation in High-Tech Companies from Japan, Romania, Tunisia and Turkey," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 13(4), pages 561-573, October.

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