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Outside Board Directors and Start-Up Firms’ Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Baum, Christopher F

    () (Boston College and DIW Berlin)

  • Lööf, Hans

    () (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology)

  • Stephan, Andreas

    () (Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) & Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies (CESIS))

  • Viklund-Ros, Ingrid

    () (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology)

Abstract

We exploit increased access to detailed employer-employee data to assess whether outside board members affect innovation performance among start-up firms. Using data for all new limited companies in Sweden born during 1999–2013 which have no more then 10 employees when formed, we provide structural equation estimates that deal with the endogenous selection of board directors. Our empirical findings show that an increase in the board’s expertise, measured by the relative productivity of the firms where outsiders are employed, has a significant and positive impact on the new firm’s propensity to apply for both patents and trademarks.

Suggested Citation

  • Baum, Christopher F & Lööf, Hans & Stephan, Andreas & Viklund-Ros, Ingrid, 2018. "Outside Board Directors and Start-Up Firms’ Innovation," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 468, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0468
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. Newey, Whitney K., 1987. "Efficient estimation of limited dependent variable models with endogenous explanatory variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 231-250, November.
    3. Andersson Joona, Pernilla & Wadensjö, Eskil, 2006. "Do the Unemployed Become Successful Entrepreneurs? A Comparison between the Unemployed, Inactive and Wage-Earners," IZA Discussion Papers 2402, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Eliezer M. Fich, 2005. "Are Some Outside Directors Better than Others? Evidence from Director Appointments by Fortune 1000 Firms," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(5), pages 1943-1972, September.
    5. Martin Andersson & Steven Klepper, 2013. "Characteristics and performance of new firms and spinoffs in Sweden," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 22(1), pages 245-280, February.
    6. M. Andrew Fields & Phyllis Y. Keys, 2003. "The Emergence of Corporate Governance from Wall St. to Main St.: Outside Directors, Board Diversity, Earnings Management, and Managerial Incentives to Bear Risk," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 38(1), pages 1-24, February.
    7. Mark L. Defond & Rebecca N. Hann & Xuesong Hu, 2005. "Does the Market Value Financial Expertise on Audit Committees of Boards of Directors?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, May.
    8. Thomas Dalziel & Richard J. Gentry & Michael Bowerman, 2011. "An Integrated Agency–Resource Dependence View of the Influence of Directors' Human and Relational Capital on Firms' R&D Spending," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48, pages 1217-1242, September.
    9. Alessandro Arrighetti & Marco Vivarelli, 1999. "The Role of Innovation in the Postentry Performance of New Small Firms: Evidence from Italy," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 65(4), pages 927-939, April.
    10. Benjamin E. Hermalin & Michael S. Weisbach, 2003. "Boards of directors as an endogenously determined institution: a survey of the economic literature," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, issue Apr, pages 7-26.
    11. Vivarelli, Marco & Audretsch, David, 1998. "The Link between the Entry Decision and Post-Entry Performance: Evidence from Italy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 485-500, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Start-ups; outside directors; innovation; patents; trademarks; productivity; endogeneity;

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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