Converting technological inventions into new products: The role of CEO human capital

Shukhrat Nasirov; Qian Cher Li; Yasemin Y. Kor

doi:10.1111/jpim.12601

Converting technological inventions into new products: The role of CEO human capital

Shukhrat Nasirov, Qian Cher Li, Yasemin Y. Kor

IMP Innovation, Strategy and Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Despite technological inventions being a key input to new product development, companies often struggle with commercializing new technologies via the product development route. Drawing on a sample of publicly traded U.S. manufacturing companies that spans the period 1992–2013, our study shows that CEOs play a catalytic role in the technology conversion process, but this role is highly nuanced and depends on the characteristics (generalist vs. specialist) of their human capital. Specifically, generalist CEOs tend to be better at facilitating the conversion process in companies with more diverse and/or higher quality inventions. In contrast, specialist CEOs play a catalytic role in technology conversion when companies have less diverse and/or lower quality inventions. Hence, our paper offers a solution to the technology conversion problem that consists in aligning CEO human capital characteristics with the characteristics of the company’s inventions portfolio.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	522-547
Journal	Journal of Product Innovation Management
Volume	38
Issue number	5
Early online date	15 Sept 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12601
Publication status	Published - 5 Oct 2021

Keywords

CEO human capital
new product development
patents
technology conversion
trademarks

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Manchester Institute of Innovation Research

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/jpim.12601Licence: CC BY

Converting technological inventions into new products: The role of CEO human capitalAccepted author manuscript, 1.58 MB

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title = "Converting technological inventions into new products: The role of CEO human capital",

abstract = "Despite technological inventions being a key input to new product development, companies often struggle with commercializing new technologies via the product development route. Drawing on a sample of publicly traded U.S. manufacturing companies that spans the period 1992–2013, our study shows that CEOs play a catalytic role in the technology conversion process, but this role is highly nuanced and depends on the characteristics (generalist vs. specialist) of their human capital. Specifically, generalist CEOs tend to be better at facilitating the conversion process in companies with more diverse and/or higher quality inventions. In contrast, specialist CEOs play a catalytic role in technology conversion when companies have less diverse and/or lower quality inventions. Hence, our paper offers a solution to the technology conversion problem that consists in aligning CEO human capital characteristics with the characteristics of the company{\textquoteright}s inventions portfolio.",

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author = "Shukhrat Nasirov and Li, {Qian Cher} and Kor, {Yasemin Y.}",

note = "Funding Information: Dr. Q. Cher Li gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PrOPEL Hub funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ES/T001771/1). Acknowledgments: The authors thank Kevin Amess, Justus Baron, Carolina Castaldi, Richard Harris, Keld Laursen, Jaideep Prabhu, Stephen Thompson, and the participants of the 2018 JPIM Research Forum, the DRUID18 Conference, and the 13th Annual Conference of the EPIP Association for comments on earlier drafts of the paper. The authors are also grateful to the Editor-in-Chief Jelena Spanjol, the Associate Editor, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions that helped improve the paper. All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Product Development & Management Association",

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Converting technological inventions into new products: The role of CEO human capital

Abstract

Keywords

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

UN SDGs

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