eprintid: 1201
rev_number: 5
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1
dir: disk0/00/00/12/01
datestamp: 2012-03-02 11:32:00
lastmod: 2012-04-19 09:52:31
status_changed: 2012-03-02 11:32:00
type: article
succeeds: 1158
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Magazzini, Laura
creators_name: Pammolli, Fabio
creators_name: Riccaboni, Massimo
creators_id: 
creators_id: f.pammolli@imtlucca.it
creators_id: massimo.riccaboni@imtlucca.it
title: Learning from failures or failing to learn? Lessons from pharmaceutical R&D
ispublished: pub
subjects: HD28
subjects: RS
divisions: EIC
full_text_status: none
keywords: R&D competition; product development; vicarious learning; patent citation; pharmaceutical industry
abstract: Innovation is a trial and error process in which both  successes and failures contribute to knowledge creation and
destruction. In this paper we test theoretical predictions about the role of failures in new product development on
private and public knowledge and interfirm knowledge transfer. We analyse the outcomes of world-wide R&D
projects in the pharmaceutical industry, and proxy knowledge flows with forward citations received by patents
associated with each project. We find that patents covering successfully completed projects (i.e., leading to drug
launch on the market) receive more citations than those associated to failed (terminated) projects, which in turn
are cited more often than patents lacking clinical or preclinical information. Failures by specialized firms are cited more frequently than the ones of generalist companies. We therefore offer evidence of the value of failures as research inputs in (pharmaceutical) innovation.
date: 2012-03
date_type: published
publication: European Management Review
volume: 9
number: 1
publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
pagerange: 45-58
id_number: 10.1111/j.1740-4762.2012.01027.x
refereed: TRUE
issn: 1740-4754
official_url: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-4762.2012.01027.x/abstract
citation:   Magazzini, Laura and Pammolli, Fabio and Riccaboni, Massimo  Learning from failures or failing to learn? Lessons from pharmaceutical R&D.  European Management Review, 9 (1).  pp. 45-58.  ISSN 1740-4754      (2012)