Technological acquisitions: The impact of geography on post-acquisition innovative performance
Killian McCarthy and
Hendrik Leendert Aalbers
Research Policy, 2016, vol. 45, issue 9, 1818-1832
Abstract:
Our empirical study considers the impact of geography on post-acquisition performance for technological acquisitions. Relying on insights from the transaction costs and international business literatures we suggest that both geographic distance and borders influence post-acquisition innovative performance. Examining the patent portfolios of 3683 high tech acquirers in the period 2000–2012 we support a ‘liability of distance’ hypothesis and show that every 1000km between the target and the acquirer costs as much as 19 lost patent applications. We do not find support for a ‘liability of foreignness’ hypothesis, however, but show in fact, that else equal, cross-border deals result in 3.15 additional patent applications. For high tech acquirers we find that ‘foreignness’ appears, therefore, to be more of an ‘asset’ than a ‘liability’. We find that the lion’s share of this is attributable to cultural differences.
Keywords: Mergers and acquisitions; Technological acquisitions; Post-Acquisition performance; Patenting; Event study; Geography; Liability of distance; Liability of foreignness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G14 G3 G34 L1 L25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:45:y:2016:i:9:p:1818-1832
DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2016.05.012
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