Absorptive capacity and post-acquisition inventor productivity

Katrin Hussinger

The Journal of Technology Transfer, 2012, vol. 37, issue 4, 490-507

Abstract: Inventors often experience a low productivity after their company has been subject to a merger or acquisition (M&As). It is of central managerial interest to identify factors facilitating the integration of new inventive staff and thereby counteracting innovation declines after M&As. This paper provides empirical evidence into the role of acquiring firms’ absorptive capacity for the post-merger patent productivity of the acquired inventors. Based on a sample of 544 inventors employed by European acquisition targets in the period 2000–2001 it is shown that the post-merger productivity of acquired inventors is significantly higher within acquiring firms with a distinct absorptive capacity. It can be concluded that absorptive capacity is a firm capability that enhances the integration of inventors after firm takeovers. Copyright The Author(s) 2012

Keywords: M&As; Absorptive capacity; Inventor productivity; O30; O32; G34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Working Paper: Absorptive capacity and post-acquisition inventor productivity (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:37:y:2012:i:4:p:490-507

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DOI: 10.1007/s10961-010-9199-y

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