When multinational enterprises (MNEs) conduct R&D in countries with weak protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), they gain access to new knowledge but also face difficulties in protecting their own technology. In such situations, the two objectives (knowledge access and technology protection) conflict with one another. This study examines how certain geographic configurations of R&D portfolios help MNEs create technology-protection mechanisms, balance the two objectives, and enhance their performance. The multi-country longitudinal analysis employed in this study explains why some MNEs benefit from conducting R&D in weak IPR protection countries while others do not, and identifies which mechanisms are most effective in protecting technology.
Professor Kafouros serves as the Chair of International Business and Innovation, and Associated Head of Research in Alliance Manchester Business School (UK). He is also Associate Editor of the journal of International Business Review (IBR), and is appointed adviser to the Commonwealth, and elected Secretary of the Academy of International Business (AIB UKI). Previously, he was member of the Faculty Executive Group (FEG), leader for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and he also served as Research Director and Head of Department (IB) in the University of Leeds (UK). He has extensive industrial and academic experience in the fields of innovation and international business & strategy. His research has received strong recognition in the form of (1) Best Paper Awards (e.g. European International Business Academy 2013, Academy of International Business 2010, and the British Academy of Management 2008); (2) funding from research councils, government organizations and multinational companies; and (3) publications in leading international journals such as the Journal of Management, the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of Management Studies, Research Policy, Organization Studies, Human Relations, Technovation, the Journal of World Business, the British Journal of Management and the Journal of Business Research.
