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Some Like It Free: Innovators Strategic Use of Disclosure to Slow Down Competition

Author

Listed:
  • Gonçalo Pacheco de Almeida

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Peter Zemsky

    (INSEAD - Institut Européen d'administration des Affaires)

Abstract

Why do some innovators freely reveal their intellectual property? This empirical puzzle has been a focal point of debate in the R&D literature. We show that innovators may share proprietary technology with rivals for free - even if it does not directly benefit them - to slow down competition. By disclosing IP, innovators indirectly induce rivals to wait and imitate instead of concurrently investing in innovation, which alleviates competitive pressure. In contrast with the classical strategy view, our paper also shows that imitators may not always benefit from interfirm knowledge spillovers. Specifically, imitators may want to limit the knowhow that they can freely appropriate from innovators. Otherwise, innovators have fewer incentives to quickly develop new technologies, which, ultimately, reduces the pace and profits of imitation. Our theoretical model contributes to the literature on competitive dynamics of R&D. The main propositions establish testable relationships between strategic variables that are empirically observable.

Suggested Citation

  • Gonçalo Pacheco de Almeida & Peter Zemsky, 2012. "Some Like It Free: Innovators Strategic Use of Disclosure to Slow Down Competition," Post-Print hal-00854004, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00854004
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.971
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wenjie Tang & Tong Wang & Wenxin Xu, 2022. "Sooner or Later? The Role of Adoption Timing in New Technology Introduction," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(4), pages 1663-1678, April.
    2. Bin Hu & Yunke Mai & Saša Pekeč, 2020. "Managing Innovation Spillover in Outsourcing," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(10), pages 2252-2267, October.
    3. Zhixi Wan & Brian Wu, 2017. "When Suppliers Climb the Value Chain: A Theory of Value Distribution in Vertical Relationships," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 477-496, February.
    4. Noriaki Matsushima & Laixun Zhao, 2018. "Technology spillovers and outside options in a bilateral duopoly," ISER Discussion Paper 1039, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    5. Jurgen Poesche & Taina Pihlajarinne & Anette Alén-Savikko & Timo Nyberg & Ilkka Kauranen, 2019. "Decentralized Production: The Need for Social Norms-Based Intellectual Property?," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(02), pages 1-18, April.
    6. Douglas P. Hannah & Ron Tidhar & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 2021. "Analytic models in strategy, organizations, and management research: A guide for consumers," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 329-360, February.
    7. Erdem Dogukan Yilmaz & Ivana Naumovska & Milan Miric, 2023. "Does imitation increase or decrease demand for an original product? Understanding the opposing effects of discovery and substitution," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 639-671, March.
    8. Mark D. Packard & Brent B. Clark & Peter G. Klein, 2017. "Uncertainty Types and Transitions in the Entrepreneurial Process," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 840-856, October.
    9. Zhang, Yanfang, 2022. "Competitive investments between basic R&D and applied R&D with information spillovers," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 707-722.
    10. Frank Nagle, 2018. "Learning by Contributing: Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Contribution to Crowdsourced Public Goods," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(4), pages 569-587, August.
    11. Hart E. Posen & John S. Chen, 2013. "An Advantage of Newness: Vicarious Learning Despite Limited Absorptive Capacity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(6), pages 1701-1716, December.
    12. Berger, Elisabeth S.C. & Wenzel, Matthias & Wohlgemuth, Veit, 2018. "Imitation-related performance outcomes in social trading: A configurational approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 322-327.
    13. He, Jing & Lee, Dongyoung, 2023. "Say more to return less? Disclosure subsequent to successful technological innovation," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 403-426.
    14. Cappelli, Riccardo & Corsino, Marco & Laursen, Keld & Torrisi, Salvatore, 2023. "Technological competition and patent strategy: Protecting innovation, preempting rivals and defending the freedom to operate," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).

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