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  • 2015
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

Scale and Innovation During Two U.S. Breakthrough Eras

By: Tom Nicholas
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:34
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Abstract

The relationship between scale and innovation is central to R&D-based growth. This paper uncovers new empirical evidence using comprehensive data on U.S. R&D firms active during the interwar and post-WWII eras. Variability in the nature of innovation is shown to be a primary determinant of the scale effect with novel innovation scaling at approximately half the rate of normal technological discoveries. This result holds across time and for different firm types (public, private and external finance dependent). The findings help to explain why novel innovations tend to be developed in such unpredictable ways.

Keywords

R&D; Scale; Innovation; Size; Research and Development; Innovation and Invention

Citation

Nicholas, Tom. "Scale and Innovation During Two U.S. Breakthrough Eras." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 15-038, November 2014. (Revised October 2015.)
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About The Author

Tom Nicholas

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • 2015
    • Faculty Research

    Scale and Innovation During Two U.S. Breakthrough Eras

    By: Tom Nicholas
Related Work
  • Scale and Innovation During Two U.S. Breakthrough Eras By: Tom Nicholas
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