abstract: This paper examines the link between firm size and innovation. Given that innovation is highly reliant on human capital, the ability to attract, motivate, and retain high quality inventors is a key determinant of firm innovation. Firm size may affect these abilities, and small firms are known to account for a disproportionate share of aggregate innovation. I therefore investigate the role that sorting of inventors across firms plays in explaining this disparity. Talented inventors may find employment at a large firm less attractive due to the relative absence of growth options and a lower ability to link compensation to performance. Using inventor-level patent data, I construct employment histories for inventors at U.S. public firms. I find that the most productive inventors are disproportionately likely to move to small firms, while the least productive inventors disproportionately remain at large firms. These results cannot be explained fully by small firms' superior growth opportunities. In addition, productive innovators' turnover in small firms is sensitive to the level of option compensation. Taken together, this evidence is consistent with inventor sorting explaining part of the firm size innovation gap. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2016

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Innovation and commercialization are crucial for the competitiveness and economic well-being of countries. Despite the importance of innovation, recent studies have showed that Canada is lagging behind other countries in terms of its innovation and commercialization performance. The claim is often made that Canada performs well in generating the knowledge needed for innovation; however, the problem lies in transforming this knowledge into commercial success. Thus, a major preoccupation is how to turnaround this weak commercialization performance. Despite the wide range of programs, policies and regulations implemented by the Canadian Government along with its provincial counterparts to engender a turnaround, little has changed in Canada’s commercialization performance. Therefore, the search for solutions continues. Given that commercialization takes place at the firm-level, this study will explore the relationship between firm-size and commercialization. Several existing studies have examined the link between innovation and firm size, but few have examined the link between commercialization and firm size. Despite the arguments supporting medium-sized firms’ ability to commercialize innovations, there is a weak empirical base that explores the position of Canadian medium-sized firms and their innovation and commercialization capabilities. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge by covering the gap in the literature concerning the role of medium-sized firms in commercialization, compared to small and large firms. This study provides evidence suggesting that small and medium-sized firms should be considered differently.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-34). / According to the Competition Act of South Africa, proposed mergers, if rejected on the grounds of anti-competitive effects as well as the efficiency considerations, may be passed on certain public interest grounds. The fourth public interest clause potentially allows mergers to be passed should the merged firm become more able to compete in international markets. This paper interprets the clause to refer to a relationship between firm size and exports, and investigates this supposed relationship and, in so doing, the validity of the clause. It is found that firm size is positively related to export propensity, the likelihood of exporting any output. However, firm size is found to be unrelated to the intensity of exporting, the proportion of output that is exported by the firm. This paper covers new areas of research, and its conclusions call into question the inclusion of the relevant public interest clause in the Competition Act.

Oil is an important part of the Saudi economy. With the volatility of oil prices and the pressing needs of economic growth and development, the Saudi Arabian government has planned to diversify its sources of income. To this end, the majority of effort has focused on developing the non-oil export sectors, particularly in manufacturing. Despite government efforts to enhance the ratio of non-oil export to total exports, it remains weak, amounting to 15 per cent of total exports in 2010 (which compares unfavourably with the average for other Middle East and North Africa countries (MENA) which stood between 30-46 per cent in 2010). This research aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of non-oil exports and their financing in Saudi Arabia. This study uses unique, primary data, collected through a custom designed questionnaire and a unique sample of Saudi exports. There is currently no comparable database for Saudi firms, or for other MENA countries trying to engage in export diversification strategies. This dissertation comprises three main empirical parts which are; ownership structure and operations, finance, and business climate, respectively (chapters 3, 4 and 5). In the first, the econometric analysis shows multiple factors have a significant positive impact on export intensity, including: whether the firm is shareholding, the age of the firm, internationally and locally recognised quality certificate, length of export experience, supplies of domestic origin, independent retail stores, TV or radio advertising, a foreign language website and finally an export marketing plan. Regarding the impact of financial factors on exports at firm level, the econometric analysis showed that younger firms are more likely to be credit-constrained than older firms. Finally, this dissertation provides evidence of the relationship between the business environment, competition and firm’s exports. The main findings show that firm performance, measured as intensity of exports, is boosted by an increase in experience of export and hindered by a high level of labour, competition, custom and trade regulation, and the informal sector.

Wage structure has shown to be crucial for firms and workers. However, there existwage dispersion for identical workers in labor markets. The paper measures the effectof industry and firm size on wages in Sweden. The results show that both industry andfirm size have significant effects on wages. Regarding the explanation factors, thefinding is that human capital factors can explain a portion of the industry wagedifferentials, but have less impact on wage differentials across firm size. However,compensating differentials and union organization are not the determinants of theindustry wage differentials and firm size-wage effects. In addition, unobservedindividual characteristics can partly explain firm size effect on wages, but cannotexplain industry wage differentials based on our samples.

This paper investigates how the size of a firm affects its licensing strategy for patented technologies through empirical analysis of the characteristics at the technological, firm, and industry levels. Only firms with commercialization capabilities are considered in this study in order to compare the incentives of utilizing technologies internally with the incentives of selling them for licensing revenue. Focusing on licensing motivated by non-strategic purposes, empirical analysis shows that large companies are less willing to license patents that fit into their business focus, as well as those which have a low technological value in general. On the other hand, small firms are more inclined to license patents which are more relevant to their business focus, but less innovative on average. This study also finds that market share and competition intensity are important factors in their licensing decisions: the more competitive and the smaller the market share of the patents owned by large firms, the higher the chance that firms will list them on the market. In line with the revenue versus competition framework by Arora and Fosfuri (2003), this paper concludes that large firms are generally more concerned about the rent dissipation effect over the revenue effect from licensing, while the opposite is true for smaller firms.

This paper investigates how the size of a firm affects its licensing strategy for patented technologies through empirical analysis of the characteristics at the technological, firm, and industry levels. Only firms with commercialization capabilities are considered in this study in order to compare the incentives of utilizing technologies internally with the incentives of selling them for licensing revenue. Focusing on licensing motivated by non-strategic purposes, empirical analysis shows that large companies are less willing to license patents that fit into their business focus, as well as those which have a low technological value in general. On the other hand, small firms are more inclined to license patents which are more relevant to their business focus, but less innovative on average. This study also finds that market share and competition intensity are important factors in their licensing decisions: the more competitive and the smaller the market share of the patents owned by large firms, the higher the chance that firms will list them on the market. In line with the revenue versus competition framework by Arora and Fosfuri (2003), this paper concludes that large firms are generally more concerned about the rent dissipation effect over the revenue effect from licensing, while the opposite is true for smaller firms.

This thesis describes and analyzes the location and size distribution of artand entertainment establishments and metropolitan regions in the UnitedStates. The included sectors are sound recording, motion picture and video,book and newspaper publishing as well as the live performing arts. Their sizeis analyzed by total employment and brought in context to their respectivemarkets and the rank-size rule. The results are interpreted within the economictraits specific to the art and entertainment industry.The results show that most analyzed sectors are over proportionally concentratedin one location, making it the center for these activities. In addition, thesize distribution in all sectors except sound recording follows Zipfs law to agreat extend. Explanations for this can be found in lock-in mechanisms overtime and classic agglomeration advantages.

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