No 2017/6 Knowledge externalities and firm heterogeneity: Effects on high and low growth firms

Abstract

Knowledge externalities affect high and low growth firms differently. The paper develops two theoretical arguments. The knowledge equilibrium argument postulates that knowledge externalities weaken high growth firms for the benefit of low growth firms until performance differences vanish. The knowledge competition argument claims that high growth firms are in a better position to identify, attract, and integrate knowledge, thereby benefiting more from knowledge externalities than low growth firms. Based on 188,936 observations of 32,736 Swedish firms from 2004 to 2011, it is analyzed whether knowledge centers enable high growth firms to surge ahead or low growth firms to catch up.