Does Employee Treatment and Workforce Diversity Impact Corporate Innovative Efficiency?

62 Pages Posted: 6 Jul 2016

See all articles by Roger C. Mayer

Roger C. Mayer

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Richard S. Warr

North Carolina State University

Jing Zhao

Portland State University - The School of Business

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 1, 2016

Abstract

Using patents and citations per R&D dollar as measures of innovation efficiency, we find that corporate policies that result in better treatment of employees and a more pro-diversity culture, specifically treatment of women and minorities, enhance future innovative efficiency, even after controlling for endogeneity. Such positive effect is stronger in more innovative firms, more financially constrained firms, more undervalued firms, firms where employees are more valuable, firms in industries with longer employee tenure and firms with stronger governance. Better employee treatment and diversity policies also increase firm value via this positive effect on innovation efficiency. We suggest a channel through which employee treatment may enhance firm value.

Suggested Citation

Mayer, Roger C. and Warr, Richard S. and Zhao, Jing, Does Employee Treatment and Workforce Diversity Impact Corporate Innovative Efficiency? (April 1, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2804042 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2804042

Roger C. Mayer

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Richard S. Warr

North Carolina State University ( email )

BOX 7229
Raleigh, NC 27695-7229
United States
919-513-4646 (Phone)
919-515-6943 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~rswarr/

Jing Zhao (Contact Author)

Portland State University - The School of Business ( email )

631 SW Harrison St.
Portland, OR 97201
United States

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