Informal competition and firm level innovation in South Asia: The moderating role of innovation time off and R&D intensity

Title
Informal competition and firm level innovation in South Asia: The moderating role of innovation time off and R&D intensity
Publication Date
2022-08
Author(s)
Abbas, Sadia
Adapa, Sujana
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4385-1783
Email: sadapa2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:sadapa2
Sheridan, Alison
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9342-4931
Email: asherida@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:asherida
Azeem, Muhammad Masood
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4531-1016
Email: mazeem@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:mazeem
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121751
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/57891
Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between informal competition and innovation. In particular, we are concerned with how informal firms affect the product and process innovations of formal firms of South Asia. We introduce the moderating variables of innovation time off and R&D intensity as components of absorptive capacity theory to analyse this relationship. Our results show that informal competition negatively affects both product and process innovations of formal firms. Innovation time off and R&D intensity positively moderate the impact of informal competition for those firms that are innovating in both domains. Our findings suggest managers and owners of formal firms will benefit from providing free time to employees for creative ideas and investing in R&D activities to reduce the negative effect of the informal sector. Our findings also provide insight to policy makers to formulate policies that encourage innovative behaviour within the formal sector of South Asia.

Link
Citation
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, v.181
ISSN
1873-5509
0040-1625

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