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Research Scientist Productivity and Firm Size: Evidence from Panel Data on Inventors

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  • Jinyoung Kim

    (Department of Economics, Korea University)

  • Sangjoon John Lee

    (Alfred University)

  • Gerald Marschke

    (University at Albany and IZA)

Abstract

It has long been recognized that worker wages and possibly productivity are higher in large firms. Moreover, at least since Schumpeter (1942) economists have been interested in the relative efficiency of large firms in the research and development enterprise. This paper uses longitudinal worker-firm-matched data to examine the relationship between the productivity of workers specifically engaged in innovation and firm size in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. In both industries, we find that inventors?productivity increases with firm size. This result holds across different specifications and even after controlling for inventors?experience, education, the quality of other inventors in the firm, and other firm characteristics. We find evidence in the pharmaceutical industry that this is partly accounted for by differences between how large and small firms organize R&D activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinyoung Kim & Sangjoon John Lee & Gerald Marschke, 2007. "Research Scientist Productivity and Firm Size: Evidence from Panel Data on Inventors," Discussion Paper Series 0708, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.
    • Handle: RePEc:iek:wpaper:0708
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    File URL: http://econ.korea.ac.kr/~ri/WorkingPapers/w0708.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. ONISHI Koichiro & NAGAOKA Sadao, 2012. "Life-cycle Productivity of Industrial Inventors: Education and other determinants," Discussion papers 12059, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Jinyoung Kim & Sangjoon John Lee & Gerald Marschke, 2009. "Relation of Firm Size to R&D Productivity," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 8(1), pages 7-19, April.
    3. ONISHI Koichiro & NAGAOKA Sadao, 2018. "How does Graduate Education Affect Inventive Performance? Evidence from undergraduates' choices during recessions," Discussion papers 18016, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. Hoisl, Karin, 2007. "Tracing mobile inventors--The causality between inventor mobility and inventor productivity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 619-636, June.
    5. Sridhar, Kala Seetharam & Wan, Guanghua, 2010. "Firm location choice in cities: Evidence from China, India, and Brazil," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 113-122, March.
    6. William Latham & Christian Le Bas, 2011. "Causes, Consequences and Dynamics of ‘Complex’ Distributions of Technological Activities: The Case of Prolific Inventors," Chapters, in: Cristiano Antonelli (ed.), Handbook on the Economic Complexity of Technological Change, chapter 9, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Hosein Fallah, M. & Choudhury, Piyasi & Daim, Tugrul U., 2012. "Does movement of inventors between companies affect their productivity?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 196-206.
    8. Toivanen, Otto & Väänänen, Lotta, 2010. "Returns to Inventors," CEPR Discussion Papers 7744, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Koichiro Onishi & Sadao Nagaoka, 2020. "Graduate education and long‐term inventive performance: Evidence from undergraduates' choices during recessions," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 465-491, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patents; Innovation; Labor productivity; Research; Firm size;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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