Patent Propensity in Small Technologybased Firms:Evidence from Zhongguancun Science Park

Using a survey administered in Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing, China, this paperinvestigates the impact of R&D personnel-related intellectual property management practiceson the patent propensity of small technology-based firms.It is found that R&D personnelrelatedmanagement practices, including training and reward mechanisms, are effective inenhancing a firm’s willingness to patent.In particular, we find that reward mechanisms cannegatively moderate the effect of size on a firm’s willingness to patent.One implication thatemerged from the analysis is that a small firm can counteract its size disadvantage inpatenting by introducing a well-developed reward mechanism.