Does Competition Enhance or Hinder Innovation? Evidence from Philippine SMEs

AIM RSN PCC Working Paper 2019-004

26 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2019

See all articles by Tristan Canare

Tristan Canare

Asian Institute of Management - Policy Center

Jamil Paolo Francisco

Asian Institute of Management

Date Written: July 22, 2019

Abstract

Competition has two possible contrasting effects on firm innovation. On one hand, competition can force SMEs to innovate to become more competitive. On the other hand, competition can shrink SME’s market share, revenues, and profit, making it difficult to implement financial-capital-intensive innovations. Using data from a survey of 480 SMEs in the Philippines, this paper found evidence that there was a generally positive association between competition and innovation. The magnitude of the relationship, however, depended on the form of innovation. The form of innovation most strongly associated with competition involved improvements in the production process, followed by improvements in marketing. It was most weakly associated with introduction of a product new to the market and with improvements to an existing product. There was also some evidence that the magnitude of competition-innovation relationship varied across sectors and firm size.

Keywords: Competition, Innovation, Philippines, SMEs

JEL Classification: L19, L25

Suggested Citation

Canare, Tristan and Francisco, Jamil Paolo, Does Competition Enhance or Hinder Innovation? Evidence from Philippine SMEs (July 22, 2019). AIM RSN PCC Working Paper 2019-004 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423878 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3423878

Tristan Canare (Contact Author)

Asian Institute of Management - Policy Center ( email )

Eugenio Lopez Foundation Bldg
Joseph McMicking Campus, 123 Paseo de Roxas
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines

Jamil Paolo Francisco

Asian Institute of Management ( email )

123 Paseo de Roxas
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines

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