R&D intensity and productivity of exporting SMEs: empirical evidence from China
by Xiaolin Li
International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital (IJLIC), Vol. 9, No. 1/2, 2012

Abstract: Scepticism in the R&D-productivity linkage among SMEs has arisen due to the belief that, by leveraging R&D capabilities through outsourcing and innovation alliances, an SME can achieve desirable innovation and business competitiveness without conducting in-house R&D activities of its own. Exporting SMEs have relatively limited internal resources but are exposed to more opportunities for R&D outsourcing and alliances across the world, so in-house R&D may appear even less appealing to them. But is in-house R&D truly no longer useful, particularly for exporting SMEs? Synthesising findings of extant studies on the effects of innovation and firm size on business productivity, this paper formulates an R&D-firm size-productivity research model for exporting SMEs. General linear model analysis on cross-sectional data of 186 exporting SMEs in China demonstrates that R&D intensity and firm size are positively and significantly associated with labour productivity. The findings of the study provide an additional piece of empirical evidence that to maintain technical leadership and business competitiveness, exporting SMEs need to strengthen their in-house R&D.

Online publication date: Tue, 02-Sep-2014

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital (IJLIC):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com