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External knowledge sourcing in different national settings: a comparison of electronics establishments in Britain and France

Author

Listed:
  • Geoff Mason

    (National Institute of Economic and Social Research)

  • Jean-Paul Beltramo

    (IREDU - Institut de recherche sur l'éducation : Sociologie et Economie de l'Education - UB - Université de Bourgogne)

  • Jean-Jacques Paul

    (IREDU - Institut de recherche sur l'éducation : Sociologie et Economie de l'Education - UB - Université de Bourgogne)

Abstract

In a detailed comparison of matched samples of electronics establishments in Britain and France, this paper finds that the two samples of establishments were operating in distinctively different national labour markets for engineers and scientists, reflecting structural differences in national higher education systems and a far higher level of individual mobility between enterprises in Britain than is found in France. These differences were found to have very little effect on quantitative measures of establishments' external research interactions which tended to reflect other national-institutional differences such as continued government support for public laboratories in France of a kind which have now been largely privatised in Britain. However, qualitative evidence pointed to a faster rate of development of new external knowledge sourcing and relationship building in Britain which was partly stimulated by the greater mobility of individual engineers and scientists between enterprises and other organisations bringing new personal networks of external contacts with them. These tendencies contrasted with a marked stability in external research linkages in France. The paper suggests that the greater openness of British R&D networks to new ideas and knowledge may be particularly advantageous in fast-changing high-tech industries such as electronics.

Suggested Citation

  • Geoff Mason & Jean-Paul Beltramo & Jean-Jacques Paul, 2004. "External knowledge sourcing in different national settings: a comparison of electronics establishments in Britain and France," Post-Print halshs-00004978, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00004978
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Davenport, Sally, 2005. "Exploring the role of proximity in SME knowledge-acquisition," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 683-701, June.
    2. Caroli, Eve, 2007. "Internal Versus External Labour Flexibility: The Role of Knowledge Codification," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 201, pages 107-118, July.
    3. Murphree, Michael & Petersen, Bui & Warrian, Peter & Gosine, Ray, 2022. "Scope and scale of technology challenge and MNE subsidiary knowledge sourcing in host countries," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Geoff Mason, 2014. "Skills and training for a more innovation-intensive economy," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 431, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    5. Huber, Franz, 2013. "Knowledge-sourcing of R&D workers in different job positions: Contextualising external personal knowledge networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 167-179.
    6. Mason, Geoff & O'Leary, Brigid & Vecchi, Michela, 2012. "Certified and uncertified skills and productivity growth performance: Cross-country evidence at industry level," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 351-360.
    7. Philippe Mustar & Mike Wright, 2010. "Convergence or path dependency in policies to foster the creation of university spin-off firms? A comparison of France and the United Kingdom," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 42-65, February.
    8. Thomas Couppié & Arnaud Dupray & Dominique Épiphane & Virginie Mora, 2018. "20 ans d'insertion professionnelle des jeunes : entre permanences et évolutions," Post-Print hal-03517119, HAL.
    9. Xiangdong Zhan & Fuji Xie, 2023. "Knowledge Activities of External Knowledge Network and Technological Capability: Evidence from China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1343-1370, June.
    10. repec:dau:papers:123456789/7247 is not listed on IDEAS

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