Complementariedad entre tipos de innovación: un oasis en el medio del desierto

Abstract

The relationships between different types of innovation have been analyzed two opposing perspectives. On the one hand, the distinctive view assumes that the determinants of each type of innovation are different and therefore each type of innovation contributes differently to the performance of the company. On the other hand, the integrative view considers that the different types of innovation are interdependent and that their simultaneous implementation generates a synergistic effect on firm performance. Using data Spain belonging to the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, we determine which of the two approaches is predominant. To perform the hypothesis test, we use the so-called complementarity approach, and for the interpretation of those tests, we use the exploration–exploitation approach. We find out that only one of the six non-trivial restrictions tested is complementary. Therefore, these results confirm the predominance of the distinctive view, which is the predominant stream in the field of innovation literature. Keywords: Innovation, complementarity, exploration, exploitation.