Modes of collaboration in open innovation practice of pharmaceutical firms in India: the analysis of survey and patent data

Abstract

PurposePatents as one of the important components of intellectual capital are emerging as a new source for mining insights on open innovation (OI) practice of the organizations. Their role in value creation through collaboration and the inter-firm differences is yet to be explored in depth.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aim, survey data is analyzed to rank OI practices (collaboration) of the firms, while patent data are analyzed to carry out descriptive and bivariate analysis to study the inter-firm differences in collaboration.FindingsThe survey findings highlight mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and patent pooling as the top two preferred modes of OI, while from patent data M&A has emerged as a predominant OI practice for mainly nonresident firms. At the firm level characteristics, out of firm age, number of granted patents and firm size, firm age has been found to be somewhat significant in few cases of OI practices.Research limitations/implicationsIt provides an alternative source, in this case patent data to study open innovation capabilities of firms in India. There is contribution to the patent value theory from profit motive to deriving strategic decisions on collaboration.Practical implicationsThe managerial implications of this study lie in realizing granted patents as important business tools for seeking collaboration, tracing competitive intelligence and the geography of innovation of the firms' competitors.Originality/valueThe dataset of granted patents at the Indian Patent office (2005–2017), the sample of pharmaceutical firms drawn from this list of patents, patent data– based OI insights and the use of multiple imputation technique to missing data for meaningful insights are some of the unique aspects of this paper.

Leveraging Strategic Innovation and Process Capabilities for Intellectual Capital Initiative Performance of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs): A Knowledge-Based Perspective

“…The results of the study denote that process capabilities partially mediate the relationship between SC initiatives and the performance of HEIs (Salinas-Avila et al, 2020 ; Garde Sanchez et al, 2021 ; Secundo et al, 2016 ; Feng et al, 2012 ). This confirms that explicit knowledge embedded in HEIs’ internal structures and value systems is critical to shaping HEIs’ spanning process capabilities in terms of market-oriented degree programs and increased employability of students (Krishna & Jain, 2020 ; Baima et al, 2020 ; Kivistö et al, 2019 ; Larra´n et al, 2010 ; Ramírez & Gordillo, 2014 ). Concretely, these findings confirm the previous theoretical and empirical support, which explicates that the level of SC initiatives facilitates the alignment of process capabilities in terms of the efficient launch of innovative degree programs in view of market demands (Nicolo` et al, 2021 ; Guerrero et al, 2021 ; Ramírez et al, 2016 ; Torres et al, 2016 ; Cricelli et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Furthermore, the accumulated literature shows the lack of an explicit focus on the relationship between strategic innovation and the performance of HEIs as knowledge outputs. As a result, we speculate whether and how this relationship can aid in determining HEIs’ strategic innovative capability to valorize knowledge via the dynamic IC transformation process, which is heavily influenced by HEI knowledge process capabilities (Krishna & Jain, 2020 ; Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 2000 ; Cañibano & Sánchez, 2008 ; Cavagnoli, 2011 ). In this sense, we could be able to determine the crowding-out effects of strategic innovation on the performance of HEIs through the appropriate utilization of knowledge resources, the efficient launch of innovative programs, and the utilization of external funds for developing R&D activities (Guerrero et al, 2021 ; Chesbrough et al, 2018 ).…”

“…In this way, HEIs will optimally produce “knowledge outputs” by pursuing cooperation with stakeholders and the commercialization of knowledge resources as significant drivers to foster the performance of HEIs (Matricano et al, 2020 ; Yoda & Kuwashima, 2020 ; Nelson & Rosenberg 1993 ; Carayannis & Campbell 2009 ; Leitner, 2004 ). The previous literature is very interested in how universities collaborate with academic and non-academic partners to supplement the innovation process in HEIs (Krishna & Jain, 2020 ; Bezhani, 2010 ; González & Rodríguez, 2010 ). In this respect, Cai and Liu ( 2015 ) recommended that education and research activities in HEIs be closely linked with industrial innovation to advance the knowledge economy.…”

“…Nonetheless, IC initiatives cover all types of “knowledge inputs” (both explicit and tacit), which reside in the talents and skills of employees (human capital initiatives), systems and procedures (structural capital initiatives), and contacts and collaborations (relational capital initiatives) (Hayaeian et al, 2021 ; OECD, 2020 ; Córcoles et al, 2011 ; Arun & Shekar, 2020 ). These initiatives permit the “strategic innovation” and “process capabilities” of HEIs and subsequently improve the performance of HEIs (OECD, 2020 ; Vo & Tran, 2022 ; Krishna & Jain, 2020 ; Yoda & Kuwashima, 2020 ; Pedro et al, 2019 ; Nakamura, 1999 ). In addition, the recent paradigm shifts towards valuing “intangibles” have reshaped the traditional approaches of value creation towards a more innovative way of managing “knowledge-input” and “knowledge-output” in knowledge subjects (Hayaeian et al, 2021 ; Guerrero et al, 2021 ; Paoloni et al, 2021 ; Ferreira & Fernandes, 2017 ; Arun & Shekar, 2020 ; Baima et al, 2020 ).…”

The Effects of Open Innovation Based on Mergers and Acquisitions on Innovative Behavior of Enterprises: Evidence From Chinese Listed Enterprises

“…In terms of technology intensity, for non-high-tech enterprises, the promoting effect of open innovation based on overseas M&A on the quantity and quality of patent and the proportion of technical personnel is higher than that of high-tech enterprises. Previous studies provided a little discussion of the heterogeneity of the impact of M&A on innovative behavior of enterprises, which addressed that firm age have an important role in open innovation ( Krishna and Jain, 2020 ). Our finding contributes to the academic literature since this result expands the understanding of the effects of open innovation based on M&A on innovative behavior of enterprises from the perspective of enterprise ownership and technology intensity, which are considered to be closely related to enterprise innovation ( Yu et al, 2016 ; Liu et al, 2017 ; Shen et al, 2019 ).…”