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

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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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. / Gimenez-Fernandez, Elena M.; Beukel, Karin; Tyler, Beverly B.; Spielmann, Nathalie; Cerrato, Daniele; Discua Cruz, Allan F.; Minciullo, Marco.

In: International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, Vol. 39, No. 5, 2021, p. 450-473.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Gimenez-Fernandez, EM, Beukel, K, Tyler, BB, Spielmann, N, Cerrato, D, Discua Cruz, AF & 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: Researching Entrepreneurship, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 450-473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620965394

APA

Gimenez-Fernandez, E. M., Beukel, K., Tyler, B. B., Spielmann, N., Cerrato, D., Discua Cruz, A. F., & 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: Researching Entrepreneurship, 39(5), 450-473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620965394

Vancouver

Gimenez-Fernandez EM, Beukel K, Tyler BB, Spielmann N, Cerrato D, Discua Cruz AF 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: Researching Entrepreneurship. 2021;39(5):450-473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620965394

Author

Gimenez-Fernandez, Elena M. ; Beukel, Karin ; Tyler, Beverly B. ; Spielmann, Nathalie ; Cerrato, Daniele ; Discua Cruz, Allan F. ; Minciullo, Marco. / 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: Researching Entrepreneurship. 2021 ; Vol. 39, No. 5. pp. 450-473.

Bibtex

@article{6b8be72ac822494d8e3fded650b22734,
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 for patenting. 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 = "Gimenez-Fernandez, {Elena M.} and Karin Beukel and Tyler, {Beverly B.} and Nathalie Spielmann and Daniele Cerrato and {Discua Cruz}, {Allan F.} and Marco Minciullo",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2020.",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1177/0266242620965394",
language = "English",
volume = "39",
pages = "450--473",
journal = "International Small Business Journal",
issn = "0266-2426",
publisher = "SAGE Publications",
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 - Gimenez-Fernandez, Elena M.

AU - Beukel, Karin

AU - Tyler, Beverly B.

AU - Spielmann, Nathalie

AU - Cerrato, Daniele

AU - Discua Cruz, Allan F.

AU - Minciullo, Marco

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

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 for patenting. 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 for patenting. 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

AN - SCOPUS:85094824199

VL - 39

SP - 450

EP - 473

JO - International Small Business Journal

JF - International Small Business Journal

SN - 0266-2426

IS - 5

ER -

ID: 270554360