Innovative performance and firm size: Heterogeneity and disclosure biases via meta-regression analysis

Abstract

This work addresses the relationship between firm size and innovative performance from a meta-regression analysis (mra). The diversity of estimated regression coefficients reported by the empirical literature poses the question of whether such disparity in results is due to sampling variability or if there are other factors affecting this relationship. MRA allows both answering this question and also identifying biases in the disclosure of empirical research results. Through the review of 125 articles that report a total of 880 econometric estimates of the aforementioned relationship, we examine the existence of heterogeneity and disclosure biases. The results show evidence of disclosure biases. Although once this situation is discounted, firm size shows a steady positive effect on companies’ innovative performance.