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Inventor Productivity And Firm Size: Evidence From Panel Data On Inventors

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  • Jinyoung Kim
  • Sangjoon John Lee
  • Gerald Marschke

Abstract

It has long been recognized that worker wages and productivity are higher in large firms. Moreover, economists have been interested in the efficiency of large firms in R&D enterprises. This paper uses inventor panel data to examine the relationship between inventor productivity and firm size in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. In both industries, we find that inventors' productivity increases with firm size even after controlling for inventors' experience, education and other firm characteristics. We find evidence in the pharmaceutical industry that this is partly accounted for by differences in the way in which large and small firms organize R&D activities.

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  • Jinyoung Kim & Sangjoon John Lee & Gerald Marschke, 2009. "Inventor Productivity And Firm Size: Evidence From Panel Data On Inventors," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(4), pages 516-531, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:pacecr:v:14:y:2009:i:4:p:516-531
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0106.2009.00469.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Burak Dindaroglu, 2011. "R&D Productivity and Firm Size in Semiconductors and Pharmaceuticals: Evidence from Citation Yields," Working Papers 1101, Izmir University of Economics.
    2. Veugelers, Reinhilde & Cassiman, Bruno & Arts, Sam, 2012. "Mind the gap: capturing value from basic research: boundary crossing inventors and partnerships," CEPR Discussion Papers 9215, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Jinyoung Kim, 2015. "Patent Portfolio Management of Sequential Inventions: Evidence from US Patent Renewal Data," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 47(2), pages 195-218, September.
    4. Guo, Yunxia & Yu, Mengyao & Xu, Mingchen & Tang, Ying & Huang, Jingran & Liu, Jia & Hao, Yu, 2023. "Productivity gains from green finance: A holistic and regional examination from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    5. William R. Kerr, 2013. "U.S. High-Skilled Immigration, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship: Empirical Approaches and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 19377, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Cook, Lisa D., 2011. "Inventing social capital: Evidence from African American inventors, 1843–1930," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 507-518.
    7. Zwick, Thomas & Frosch, Katharina & Hoisl, Karin & Harhoff, Dietmar, 2017. "The power of individual-level drivers of inventive performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 121-137.
    8. Ciftci, Mustafa & Cready, William M., 2011. "Scale effects of R&D as reflected in earnings and returns," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 62-80, June.
    9. Barrenho, E & Smith, PC & Miraldo, M, 2013. "The determinants of attrition in drug development: a duration analysis," Working Papers 12204, Imperial College, London, Imperial College Business School.
    10. Burak Dindaroğlu, 2018. "Determinants of patent quality in U.S. manufacturing: technological diversity, appropriability, and firm size," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 1083-1106, August.

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