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theses

Globalization is a key variable associated with technological change. This dissertation examines not only the correlation between globalization and innovation, but also the interacting effect of globalization with firm-specific variables on innovation and performance. Essay 1: Why Do Some Countries Hardly Innovate? Evidence from Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Model The patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) indicate that among 175 countries, between 1977 and 2010, about 45% hardly generated any innovations. We argue that this group of countries is systematically different from the others who have been innovative, and that non-innovative countries need to possess a minimum level of ability and incentive in order to progress. By employing a zero-inflated negative binomial model based on the patent data from the USPTO, the results show that the significant determinants turning a non-innovative country into an innovative one are active international trade, improved quality of civil liberties, a high level of human capital, and less economic reliance on natural resources. Essay 2: Two Different Effects of R & D on Innovation in South Korea: Evidence from The Firm Level Data At the firm level, innovation can be made through two different effects of research and development (R & D), which are the creative effect and the learning effect. It should be noted that export activities can offer an important source of learning—as important as foreign direct investment (FDI)—and may be exceptionally meaningful for firms in countries with export-oriented economies. Using longitudinal firm-level data for the period of 2000–2009 in South Korea, empirical tests show that the creative effect of R & D is far more important than the learning effects through export and FDI in generating innovation. Essay 3: The Dynamic Relationship between Female Employment and Firm Profitability: A Three-Stage Sigmoid Curve Model and the Influence of Export Female workers are sources of competitive and intangible assets that can enhance a firm’s profitability. I present arguments that the correlation between gender diversity and organizational performance needs to be investigated in terms of more complex corporate circumstances. Empirical analyses of longitudinal firm-level data from South Korea for 2000–2009 show that a firm's female workers are more positively related to a firm's profitability when the firm actively exports. In addition, the results demonstrate a sigmoid curve relationship between female workers and profitability.

ETD_4622

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

Includes vita

by Daewoong Choo

http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10002600001.ETD.000068664

doi:10.7282/T3736PHK

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.