Division of Labor between Innovation Intermediaries for SMEs: Productivity Effects of Interfirm Organizations in Japan
研究了日本中小企业如何选择创新中介（合作协会或志愿团体），以及这些中介通过成本分摊或知识共享渠道提升企业全要素生产率，揭示了中介之间的分工互补性。
Innovation intermediaries are individuals or organizations that help others improve productivity. This study examines how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) chose intermediaries and how intermediaries affected total factor productivity (TFP) growth of participants through different channels. Estimated switching regression models reveal that cooperative associations improved TFP of participants through cost sharing, such as joint logistics, while voluntary groups improved TFP of participants through knowledge sharing, such as joint R&D. Innovative SMEs appear to have exploited different intermediaries so that the benefit from each intermediary would be complementary to TFP growth. The results suggest the division of labor between intermediaries.