Preview

Voprosy Ekonomiki

Advanced search
Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Academics in manufacturing companies: Empirical analysis of publication activity and export quality

https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2020-2-125-140

Abstract

This paper shows, for the first time in empirical literature, that the presence of employees from academia in the firm, regardless of their participation in the firm’s research activities, reflects the skills of the firm to learn and acquire new knowledge or, put differently, its absorptive capacity. It is assumed that the higher absorptive capacity act as a mechanism that determines the impact of scientists on the productivity of the firm. The hypothesis that there is an inter-firm diffusion of knowledge in the commodity space is also being tested: firms with similar commodity structures are more likely to hire scientists. Hypotheses are tested on the example of a sample of small and medium-sized Russian firms-exporters, for which absorptive capacity is particularly important.

About the Authors

Anna A. Fedyunina
HSE University
Russian Federation
Moscow


Yana Y. Gerina
Bonn Graduate School of Economics
Germany
Bonn


Yuliya V. Averyanova
HSE University
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg


References

1. Vasiliev K., Roshchin S., Maltseva I., Travkin P., Luk’yanova A., Chugunov D., Shul’ga I., Rutkovski Ya., Kakhu P. M., Nellemann S. (2015). Skills development for innovative growth in Russia. Moscow: Aleks. (In Russian).

2. Simachev Yu. V., Daniltsev A. V., Fedyunina A. A., Glazatova M. K., Kuzyk M. G., Zudin N. N. (2019). Structural aspects of Russia’s trade policy: materials of XX April international academic conference on economic and social development. Moscow: HSE Publ. (In Russian).

3. Audretsch D. B., Feldman M. P. (1996). R&D spillovers and the geography of innovation and production. American Economic Review, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 630—640.

4. Alesina A., La Ferrara E. (2005). Ethnic diversity and economic performance. Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 762—800. https://doi.org/10.1257/002205105774431243

5. Bahar D., Hausmann R., Hidalgo C. A. (2014). Neighbors and the evolution of the comparative advantage of nations: Evidence of international knowledge diffusion? Journal of International Economics, Vol. 92, No. 1, pp. 111—123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2013.11.001

6. Bastos P., Silva J. (2010). The quality of a firm’s exports: Where you export to matters . Journal of International Economics, Vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 99—111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2010.07.001

7. Bernard A. B., Jensen J. B. (1999). Exceptional exporter performance: Cause, effect, or both? Journal of International Economics, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 1—25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1996(98)00027-0

8. Berliant M., Fujita M. (2008). Knowledge creation as a square dance on the Hilbert cube. International Economic Review, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 1251—1295. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2354.2008.00512.x

9. Cohen W. M., Levinthal D. A. (1990). Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 128—152. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393553

10. Crinò R., Ogliari L. (2017). Financial imperfections, product quality, and international trade. Journal of International Economics, Vol. 104, pp. 63—84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2016.10.005

11. Curral L. A., Forrester R. H., Dawson J. F., West M. A. (2001). It’s what you do and the way that you do it: Team task, team size, and innovation-related group processes. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 187—204. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320143000627

12. Dai M., Yu M. (2013). Firm R&D, absorptive capacity and learning by exporting: Firm-level evidence from China. The World Economy, Vol. 36, No. 9, pp. 1131—1145. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.12014

13. Fan H., Li Y. A., Yeaple S. R. (2018). On the relationship between quality and productivity: Evidence from China’s accession to the WTO. Journal of International Economics, Vol. 110, pp. 28—49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2017.10.001

14. Forbes D. P., Milliken F. J. (1999). Cognition and corporate governance: Understanding boards of directors as strategic decision-making groups. The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 489—505. https://doi.org/10.2307/259138

15. Golovko E., Valentini G. (2011). Exploring the complementarity between innovation and export for SMEs’ growth. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 42, pp. 362—380. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2011.2

16. Glaeser E., Laibson D., Scheinkman J. A., Soutter C. L. (2000). Measuring trust. Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 115, No. 3, pp. 811—846. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355300554926

17. Griffith R., Redding S., Reenen J. V. (2003). R&D and absorptive capacity: Theory and empirical evidence. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Vol. 105, No. 1, pp. 99—118. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9442.00007

18. Gunawan J., Rose E. L. (2014) Absorptive capacity development in Indonesian exporting firms: How do institutions matter? International Business Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 45—54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2013.08.005

19. Hallak J. C. (2006). Product quality and the direction of trade. Journal of International Economics, Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 238—265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2005.04.001

20. Hausmann R., Hidalgo C., Bustos S., Coscia M., Simoes A., Yildirim M. (2013). The Atlas of economic complexity: Mapping paths to prosperity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

21. Janhonen M., Johanson J. E. (2011). Role of knowledge conversion and social networks in team performance. International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 217—225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2010.06.007

22. Jiang B., Murphy P. (2007). Do business school professors make good executive managers ? Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 29—50. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2007.26421237

23. Lang M. (1986). Measuring economic benefits from gentrification. Journal of Urban Affairs, Vol. 8, pp. 27—39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9906.1986.tb00152.x

24. Lazear E. P. (1999). Globalisation and the market for team-mates. Economic Journal, Vol. 109, No. 454, pp. 15—40. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0297.00414

25. Love J. H., Roper S., Du J. (2009). Innovation, ownership and profitability. International Journal of Industrial Organization, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 424—434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijindorg.2008.11.001

26. Melitz M. J. (2003). The impact of trade on intra-industry reallocations and aggregate industry productivity. Econometrica, Vol. 71, No. 6, pp. 1695—1725. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0262.00467

27. Melitz M., Trefler D. (2012). Gains from trade when firms matter. Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 91—118. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.26.2.91

28. Parrotta P., Pozzoli D., Pytlikova M. (2012). Does labor diversity affect firm productivity? IZA Discussion Papers, No. 6973.

29. Rauch J. E., Casella A. (2003). Overcoming informational barriers to international resource allocation: Prices and ties. Economic Journal, Vol. 113, No. 484, pp. 21—42. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0297.00090

30. Roper S., Love J. H. (2002). Innovation and export performance: Evidence from the UK and German manufacturing plants. Research Policy, Vol. 31, No. 7, pp. 1087—1102. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(01)00175-5

31. Roper S., Du J., Love J. H. (2008). Modelling the innovation value chain. Research Policy, Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 961—977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.04.005

32. Schmidt T. (2005). What determines absorptive capacity. Paper presented at the DRUID Tenth Anniversary Summer Conference on Dynamics of Industry and Innovation: Organisations, Networks and Systems, Copenhagen, Denmark.

33. Wong K. Y., Aspinwall E. (2004). Characterizing knowledge management in the small business environment. Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 44—61. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270410541033


Review

For citations:


Fedyunina A.A., Gerina Ya.Y., Averyanova Yu.V. Academics in manufacturing companies: Empirical analysis of publication activity and export quality. Voprosy Ekonomiki. 2020;(2):125-140. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2020-2-125-140

Views: 1231


ISSN 0042-8736 (Print)