Elsevier

Energy Reports

Volume 8, November 2022, Pages 1143-1150
Energy Reports

Research paper
Does peer influence improve firms’ innovative investment? Evidence from China

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.12.029Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Chinese government promotes the synergy of regional innovation and established several innovation reform zones as innovative investment is critical for the development of a firm and economic growth. An important related question we address in this paper is how peers influence firms’ innovative investment using Chinese listed companies from 2013 to 2017. We find that firms’ innovative investment is significantly influenced by their peers, and when the market competitiveness of a firm is weaker, its innovative investment is more greatly affected by its peers. Firms are highly sensitive to their similar peers. The peer effects in innovative zones are stronger than those from outside of the zones. We discuss the policy implications of the findings.

JEL classification

G31
E22

Keywords

Innovative investment
Peer effects
Market competitiveness
Innovative zones

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