Gauging a Firm＇s Innovative Performance Using an Integrated Structural Index for Patents

• 作者: Ronald Rousseau Xiaojun Hu
• 来源期刊: 数据与情报科学学报：英文版
• 学科: 社会科学
• 关键词: 《数据与情报科学学报》 英文版
• 年，卷（期）: 2016,（1）
• 页码范围: 6-27
• 页数: 22页
• 分类号: G2

摘要

Purpose:In this contribution we try to find new indicators to measure characteristics of a firm's patents and their influence on a company's profits.Design/methodology/approach:We realize that patent evaluation and influence on a company's profits is a complicated issue requiring different perspectives.For this reason we design two types of structural h-indices,derived from the International Patent Classification(IPC).In a case study we apply not only basic statistics but also a nested case-control methodology.Findings:The resulting indicator values based on a large dataset(19,080 patents in total) from the pharmaceutical industry show that the new structural indices are significantly correlated with a firm's profits.Research limitations:The new structural index and the synthetic structural index have just been applied in one case study in the pharmaceutical industry.Practical implications:Our study suggests useful implications for patentometric studies and leads to suggestions for different sized firms to include a healthy research and development(R&D) policy management.The structural h-index can be used to gauge the profits resulting from the innovative performance of a firm's patent portfolio.Originality/value:Traditionally,the breadth and depth of patents of a firm and their citations are considered separately.This approach,however,does not provide an integrated insight in the major characteristics of a firm's patents.The Sh(Y) index,proposed in our investigation,can reflect a firm's innovation activities,its technological breadth,and its influence in an integrated way.