THE INFLUENCE of the MANAGER on FIRM INNOVATION in EMERGING ECONOMIES

The focus of this paper is on the relatively under-researched area of the influence of management on innovation activities for firms in emerging economies. Many emerging economies adopt a strategy of outward-oriented development with the aim to enhance innovation performance through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and international trade. However, attention should be paid to firm mechanisms, including intangibles, that may enable a firm to benefit from the more tangible performance-enhancing effects. It is through such a lens that we examine firm innovation in emerging economies, focusing on how variations in management experience, management practices and management incentives impact innovation performance. We employ a production function approach to identify the effect of the management environment on innovation diversity for firms in emerging economies. Our diversity of innovation measure takes account of five types of innovation activity, and is indicative of the degree of 'innovativeness' that the firm possesses. A Tobit estimation technique is employed. Innovation decisions typically involve managers as filtering mechanisms to consider a range of external and internal factors that enhance the likelihood of innovation outcomes. Our results indicate that management experience, management practices and management incentives are all important in determining innovation activities in firms from emerging economies. Our analysis reveals the importance of the management environment in explaining innovation differences at the level of the firm in emerging economies. Therefore, strategies to empower and support managers in emerging economies should be considered alongside outward-orientated development strategies.