The determinants of R&D persistence in SMEs

Juan Máñez, María Rochina-Barrachina, Amparo Sanchis-Llopis and Juan Sanchis-Llopis ()
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Juan A. Sanchis Llopis () and Maria Engracia Rochina Barrachina

Small Business Economics, 2015, vol. 44, issue 3, 505-528

Abstract: This paper analyses the sources of persistence in conducting R&D activities by SMEs. The data used are a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms drawn from the Survey of Business Strategies, for the period 1990–2011. We estimate discrete time proportional hazard models accounting for firm observed and unobserved heterogeneity. Our results are consistent with a process of learning associated with the accumulation of R&D capital and with a self-sustained effect of engagement in R&D activities. In addition, we obtain that persistence in R&D in SMEs is also related to the success-breeds-success, sunk costs and demand-pull hypotheses. Finally, our findings also uncover some interesting differences in the underlying drivers of R&D persistence of SMEs as compared to their larger counterparts. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Keywords: SMEs; R&D activities; Persistence; Learning; Success-breeds-success; Sunk costs; Demand-pull; Discrete time survival models; C41; L60; O31; L26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Working Paper: The determinants of R&D persistence in SMEs (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:44:y:2015:i:3:p:505-528

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DOI: 10.1007/s11187-014-9611-3

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