To make or buy commercialization: A synthetic control approach

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Coupet, Jason
• 署名单位: University System of Georgia; Georgia State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1520-7031
• DOI: 10.1002/pam.22644
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 183-207
• 关键词: Public management; PROPERTY-RIGHTS; transaction costs; privatization; GOVERNMENT; PRIVATE; performance; OWNERSHIP; ECONOMICS; POLICY

摘要

Many public service organizations engage in commercialization, or market-oriented strategies designed to generate non-public revenue for the organization. Managers and policymakers sometimes choose to buy these commercialization strategies by setting up separate organizations, ostensibly to avoid inefficiencies associated with coordinating market activity within an organization designed for public service. Using a synthetic control approach, this study measures the effect on efficiency of a commercialization strategy in the tech transfer domain by leveraging the spin-off of a large public tech transfer enterprise. I find that the spin-off decreased revenue and licensing activity, and I find no meaningful effect on contract costs. My findings suggest that government entities in pursuit of revenue and efficiency gains should not consider buying commercialization strategies a magic bullet for efficiency gains.