| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 896983 | Technological Forecasting and Social Change | 2012 | 15 Pages |
This study focuses on how the business type and technological learning mode, which a high-tech firm chooses based on its core competence, influence the firm's R&D strategies, which in turn affect firm performance. This study also explores how the interaction between a firm's business type and industry value chain stage affects the relationship between R&D investments and operating performance. We suggest that the linkage of R&D investments and operating performance will increase gradually, when firms move from contract manufacturing to own brand business. R&D investments can contribute more to performance when firms adopt the hybrid business type. Furthermore, R&D investments generate more significant benefits for the own brand companies than the contract manufacturers at the same stage of the industry value chain. R&D investments of the downstream contract manufacturers have a negative impact on firm performance. Regardless of business type, firms in the upstream (midstream) stage of the industry value chain outperform downstream stage firms in deriving benefits from R&D activities. Finally, the lagged effects of R&D investments on operating performance are affected by the interaction between business type and industry value chain.
Research highlights► R&D performance increase when firms move from contract manufacturing to own brand business. ► R&D investments contribute more to performance when firms adopt the hybrid type. ► R&D lagged effects are affected by business type and industry value chain. ► R&D performance of downstream contract manufacturers is negative.
