The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms

We examine the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on the profitability and sales of mining firms in China and the United States (US) and the moderating effect of firm age using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM). For the combined panel of 168 major US and Chinese mining firms, we find that, on...

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Main Authors: Rafiq, S., Salim, Ruhul, Smyth, R.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier BV * North-Holland 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20074
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author Rafiq, S.
Salim, Ruhul
Smyth, R.
author_facet Rafiq, S.
Salim, Ruhul
Smyth, R.
author_sort Rafiq, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We examine the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on the profitability and sales of mining firms in China and the United States (US) and the moderating effect of firm age using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM). For the combined panel of 168 major US and Chinese mining firms, we find that, on average, a firm engaging in R&D activities earns 4% to 11% higher sales and generates 4% to 13% more profits than firms that do not engage in R&D activities. We also show that, in the mining industry, firm age moderates the relationship between R&D activities and financial performance. A comparatively mature R&D active firm earns 4.4% more profit and generates 7.2% more sales than a younger non-innovative firm. The turning point at which R&D activities switch from making a negative, to positive, contribution to profit and sales is 37 years and 22 years, respectively. Our results are consistent with the liability of newness, meaning that firm investment in R&D takes time to have a real impact on bottom line measures of financial performance. We conclude with a discussion of the practical implications of our results for Chinese and US mining firms.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-200742017-09-13T13:49:38Z The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms Rafiq, S. Salim, Ruhul Smyth, R. We examine the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on the profitability and sales of mining firms in China and the United States (US) and the moderating effect of firm age using Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM). For the combined panel of 168 major US and Chinese mining firms, we find that, on average, a firm engaging in R&D activities earns 4% to 11% higher sales and generates 4% to 13% more profits than firms that do not engage in R&D activities. We also show that, in the mining industry, firm age moderates the relationship between R&D activities and financial performance. A comparatively mature R&D active firm earns 4.4% more profit and generates 7.2% more sales than a younger non-innovative firm. The turning point at which R&D activities switch from making a negative, to positive, contribution to profit and sales is 37 years and 22 years, respectively. Our results are consistent with the liability of newness, meaning that firm investment in R&D takes time to have a real impact on bottom line measures of financial performance. We conclude with a discussion of the practical implications of our results for Chinese and US mining firms. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20074 10.1016/j.econmod.2016.04.003 Elsevier BV * North-Holland restricted
spellingShingle Rafiq, S.
Salim, Ruhul
Smyth, R.
The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title_full The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title_fullStr The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title_full_unstemmed The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title_short The moderating role of firm age in the relationship between R&D expenditure and financial performance: Evidence from Chinese and US mining firms
title_sort moderating role of firm age in the relationship between r&d expenditure and financial performance: evidence from chinese and us mining firms
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/20074