María A. Quintás

Knowledge resources and innovation performance: the mediation of innovation capability moderated by management commitment

This paper examines the process that links knowledge resources to innovation performance. We propose that this relationship is mediated by innovation capability and that management commitment moderates this mediation effect. To measure innovation performance, we create an indicator that summarises the impact of innovation activities on products, processes and sustainability. The sample comprises 9432 firms in different sectors included in the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). The results confirm that knowledge resources not only have a direct positive effect on innovation performance but also an indirect effect by improving the firms innovation capability. We also confirm the moderating role of management commitment, but with limitations. This research, therefore, throws light on how firms can leverage their knowledge resources to gain a competitive advantage based on innovation.

International Generation of Technology: An Assessment of its Intensity, Motives and Facilitators

This paper assesses two decades of international generation of technology through EPO data: we quantify its volume, analyse its motives and identify several business traits that facilitate its implementation. Our database, which is composed of 65,000 firms and 465,000 patents, shows that most technological activities are still carried out in the home country of multinationals. We nevertheless find that the international generation of technology has been continuously increasing during the 80s and 90s. This growing trend partially reflects the use of global technological supply as a source of new competences; however, data verifies that adapting products and processes to foreign markets is an even more relevant motive. Lastly, after controlling for the home country and geographic diversification of multinationals, we search for structural and technological business features that make the internationalisation of their technological activities easier. Our model thus verifies the relevance of the size and technological activity of parent companies.

¿Que influencia tienen los stakeholders de la universidad española en la empleabilidad de sus alumnos? Propuestas de reforma

Resumen El trabajo aborda la influencia de los stakeholders de la universidad en la empleabilidad de sus alumnos. Para este analisis utilizamos una muestra de 230 centros universitarios espanoles, recurriendo a la opinion del director/decano de cada centro. Un primer analisis exploratorio confirma la influencia de los profesores y del equipo rectoral en las estrategias de empleabilidad. Otros stakeholders con mayor orientacion al mercado como los antiguos alumnos y empresarios, sin embargo, tienen una influencia comparativamente marginal. Las propuestas de reforma pasan, pues, por reequilibrar la capacidad de influencia de los stakeholders , aunque no necesariamente en todos los casos con reformas estructurales en los organos de decision. El hecho de diferenciar varias estrategias de empleabilidad nos ha permitido constatar que las reformas de gobierno corporativo pueden generar expectativas excesivamente optimistas. La razon es que, aun compartiendo a priori la consecucion de un objetivo global de empleabilidad, los stakeholders pueden apoyar ciertas estrategias y no todas, ni siquiera las mas importantes. Esto tiene mucho que ver obviamente con el impacto de cada estrategia sobre sus intereses de grupo.