R&D Collaborations and Product Innovation

Journal of Product Innovation Management, Forthcoming

41 Pages Posted: 30 May 2008

See all articles by C. Annique Un

C. Annique Un

Northeastern University - International Business & Strategy

Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra

Northeastern University - Department of International Business and Strategy

Kazuhiro Asakawa

Keio University - Graduate School of Business Administration

Abstract

This article studies the relative impact on product innovation of R&D collaborations with universities, suppliers, customers, and competitors. It argues that each type of R&D collaboration differs in terms of the breadth of new knowledge provided to the firm and in the ease of access of this new knowledge, resulting in a different impact on product innovation. As a result, it proposes that R&D collaborations with universities are likely to have the highest impact on product innovation, followed by R&D collaborations with suppliers, customers and, finally, competitors. The tests find that R&D collaborations with suppliers have the highest positive impact on product innovation, followed by collaborations with universities. Surprisingly, R&D collaborations with customers do not appear to affect product innovation, and collaborations with competitors appear to harm it. Moreover, the positive influence of R&D collaborations with universities and suppliers is sustained over the long term, but the negative influence of R&D collaborations with competitors is, fortunately, short-lived. These findings indicate that ease of knowledge access, rather than breadth of knowledge, appears to drive the success of R&D collaborations for product innovation.

Keywords: R&D collaboration, product innovation, knowledge breadth, knowledge access, knowledge-based view

JEL Classification: O32

Suggested Citation

Un, C. Annique and Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro and Asakawa, Kazuhiro, R&D Collaborations and Product Innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, Forthcoming , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1139170

C. Annique Un (Contact Author)

Northeastern University - International Business & Strategy ( email )

Boston, MA 02115
United States

HOME PAGE: http://anniqueun.com/

Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra

Northeastern University - Department of International Business and Strategy ( email )

D'Amore-McKim School of Business
313 Hayden Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
United States
16173736568 (Phone)
16173738628 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://cuervo-cazurra.com

Kazuhiro Asakawa

Keio University - Graduate School of Business Administration ( email )

4-1-1 Hiyoshi,
Kohoku-ku
Yokohama, 223-8526
Japan

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