Title
Mitigating Diminishing Returns to R&D: The Role of Information Technology in Innovation
Abstract
AbstractIncreasingly, firms across many industries are grappling with the challenge of declining returns to research and development R&D. In this study, we investigate if and how information technology IT can help firms deal with this problem. We theorize that IT systems can help firms to cope with the complexity and inefficiency in managing innovation when R&D investments scale. We explicate the mechanisms through which IT enables firms to cope with the challenges they face when scaling their R&D and we posit that IT will mitigate the diminishing returns to R&D. Using archival data for 161 firms from 1991 to 2003 we find support for our conjecture that IT mitigates the diminishing returns to R&D. The mitigating effect of IT is stronger for firms facing greater complexity in their R&D activities, as measured by inventor intensity and geographical and technological complexity. We interpret and discuss these findings and their practical and theoretical implications.
Year
DOI
Venue
2017
10.1287/isre.2017.0717
Periodicals
Keywords
Field
DocType
diminishing returns to R&D, business value of IT, R&D productivity, innovation, information technology, patents, R&D
Economics,Archival research,Information technology,Microeconomics,Inefficiency,Diminishing returns
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
28
4
1526-5536
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
2
0.36
38
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
T. Ravichandran130621.17
Shu Han21544.62
Sunil Mithas392350.57