Abstract
Small companies and their intellectual properties (IPs) play an increasingly crucial role in a “well-functioning market economy”. In recent empirical studies, it is recognized that small companies carried out breakthrough IPs. However, more studies are needed to investigate how small companies strategically capture value from their IPs given their resource constraints. By analyzing the empirical case findings in the light of IP management theory and resource-based view (RBV), this study attempted to answer 1) how small companies capture value from their intellectual properties and 2) in their value capture, how small companies utilize their physical, organizational, and human capital resources and overcome resource constraints, if any. Interview data with seven case companies which possess valuable and radical IPs were used to identify patterns and differences among the value capture strategies. The results were reported on a within- and cross-cases basis, which led to the discussion of three propositions. Overall, this thesis identified how small companies commercialize their IPs and the crucial roles of network and radical patents for small companies.
Highlights
To join the strand of research on small companies and their intellectual properties (IPs) value capture, this study investigates this phenomenon based on the resource-based view (RBV)
This study addresses the gap in RBV by depicting how small companies utilize their resources that they own as well as overcome the resource constraints, which is developed from primary interview data with seven case companies
Intellectual property (IP) refers to the knowledge-based capital created by mind, such as inventions, artistic works, and images used for commercial reasons (WIPO, 2012)
Summary
The knowledge about how small companies protect and capture value from their IPs is limited. Multiple strands of literature have sought to discuss and explain how companies capture value from their knowledge-based assets. These assets could enable their owner companies to generate revenue, but to maintain competitive edges (Gans & Stern, 2003), such as attracting investors (Hsu & Ziedonis, 2013; Rassenfosse, 2012), improving productivity (James, Leiblein, & Lu, 2013), forming collaboration (Gans, Hsu, & Stern, 2002), and so forth. In order to further contribute to the understanding of this line of research, it is important to undertake some initial conceptual ground clearing (Candelin-Palmqvist, Sandberg, & Mylly, 2012; Kitching & Blackburn, 2003)
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