Features of R&D Teams and Innovation Performances of Sustainable Firms: Evidence from the “Sustainability Pioneers” in the IT Hardware Industry

Abstract

The aim of this work is to characterize the R&D teams of sustainable companies and analyze how they perform in terms of patent quality. The study is based on 13,355 patents filed by leading companies in the IT hardware industry. Team of inventors are characterized in terms of size, mobility, experience and openness. Sustainability is measured in terms of its environmental dimension. Patent quality is defined using ex ante and post hoc indicators. Innovation and financial performances, together with some contextual features, are also considered. One-way ANOVA is performed using “sustainability” as a discriminating factor to analyze whether significant differences are found between sustainable and not sustainable companies. Correlations between team features and patent quality are calculated. Results show that the R&D teams of sustainable companies feature a higher degree of mobility but less experience than those of non-sustainable firms; moreover, a less receptive attitude toward open innovation is observed. Even if, on average, sustainable companies develop less patents, the quality is higher regarding most attributes: scope, architectural capability, scientific and technological value; moreover, superior financial performances are achieved. The features that have a more significant impact on patent quality are the size of the R&D team and the presence of inventors who have published on Scopus.