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Should we patent it or keep it a secret?: The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes

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Should we patent it or keep it a secret? The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes. / Giménez-Fernández, Elena; Beukel, Karin; Tyler, Beverly et al.
In: International Small Business Journal, Vol. 39, No. 5, 01.08.2021, p. 450-473.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Giménez-Fernández, E, Beukel, K, Tyler, B, Spielmann, N, Cerrato, D, Discua Cruz, A & Minciullo, M 2021, 'Should we patent it or keep it a secret? The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes', International Small Business Journal, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 450-473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620965394

APA

Giménez-Fernández, E., Beukel, K., Tyler, B., Spielmann, N., Cerrato, D., Discua Cruz, A., & Minciullo, M. (2021). Should we patent it or keep it a secret? The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes. International Small Business Journal, 39(5), 450-473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620965394

Vancouver

Giménez-Fernández E, Beukel K, Tyler B, Spielmann N, Cerrato D, Discua Cruz A et al. Should we patent it or keep it a secret? The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes. International Small Business Journal. 2021 Aug 1;39(5):450-473. Epub 2020 Oct 29. doi: 10.1177/0266242620965394

Author

Giménez-Fernández, Elena ; Beukel, Karin ; Tyler, Beverly et al. / Should we patent it or keep it a secret? The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes. In: International Small Business Journal. 2021 ; Vol. 39, No. 5. pp. 450-473.

Bibtex

@article{184adc80f6774508a7246ae27b3b0777,
title = "Should we patent it or keep it a secret?: The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes",
abstract = "We investigate how family and non-family small-and-medium size enterprises (SMEs) differ in their preference for patenting over secrecy as a means to protect value of intellectual property, and how proactive orientation moderates this relationship. Because secrecy carries more risks for spillover than patenting, we propose and provide evidence to suggest that family SMEs are more likely to use patents than secrecy relative to non-family SMEs as a mechanism to protect value. However, proactive orientation can weaken this relationship, since SMEs with a proactive orientation will avoid the disclosure of information required forpatenting. Using a sample of 300 SMEs from four countries in the wine industry, we find support for our hypotheses and contribute to both the intellectual property (IP) and SME literatures by explaining how family SMEs relative to non-family SMEs protect the value of IP.",
keywords = "Family firms, Patents, Proactive orientation, secrecy, SMEs",
author = "Elena Gim{\'e}nez-Fern{\'a}ndez and Karin Beukel and Beverly Tyler and Nathalie Spielmann and Daniele Cerrato and {Discua Cruz}, Allan and Marco Minciullo",
year = "2021",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/0266242620965394",
language = "English",
volume = "39",
pages = "450--473",
journal = "International Small Business Journal",
issn = "0266-2426",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Should we patent it or keep it a secret?

T2 - The moderating role of proactive orientation in family versus non-family smes

AU - Giménez-Fernández, Elena

AU - Beukel, Karin

AU - Tyler, Beverly

AU - Spielmann, Nathalie

AU - Cerrato, Daniele

AU - Discua Cruz, Allan

AU - Minciullo, Marco

PY - 2021/8/1

Y1 - 2021/8/1

N2 - We investigate how family and non-family small-and-medium size enterprises (SMEs) differ in their preference for patenting over secrecy as a means to protect value of intellectual property, and how proactive orientation moderates this relationship. Because secrecy carries more risks for spillover than patenting, we propose and provide evidence to suggest that family SMEs are more likely to use patents than secrecy relative to non-family SMEs as a mechanism to protect value. However, proactive orientation can weaken this relationship, since SMEs with a proactive orientation will avoid the disclosure of information required forpatenting. Using a sample of 300 SMEs from four countries in the wine industry, we find support for our hypotheses and contribute to both the intellectual property (IP) and SME literatures by explaining how family SMEs relative to non-family SMEs protect the value of IP.

AB - We investigate how family and non-family small-and-medium size enterprises (SMEs) differ in their preference for patenting over secrecy as a means to protect value of intellectual property, and how proactive orientation moderates this relationship. Because secrecy carries more risks for spillover than patenting, we propose and provide evidence to suggest that family SMEs are more likely to use patents than secrecy relative to non-family SMEs as a mechanism to protect value. However, proactive orientation can weaken this relationship, since SMEs with a proactive orientation will avoid the disclosure of information required forpatenting. Using a sample of 300 SMEs from four countries in the wine industry, we find support for our hypotheses and contribute to both the intellectual property (IP) and SME literatures by explaining how family SMEs relative to non-family SMEs protect the value of IP.

KW - Family firms

KW - Patents

KW - Proactive orientation

KW - secrecy

KW - SMEs

U2 - 10.1177/0266242620965394

DO - 10.1177/0266242620965394

M3 - Journal article

VL - 39

SP - 450

EP - 473

JO - International Small Business Journal

JF - International Small Business Journal

SN - 0266-2426

IS - 5

ER -