The impacts of intellectual property management on firm performance: Innovation as a mediator

Description

This dataset was collected to examine the relationship between intellectual property (IP) management, innovation, and firm performance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. Guided by dynamic capabilities theory, the study hypothesizes that IP management is a multi-stage organizational process—comprising awareness, application, exploitation and management, and protection—and that innovation mediates the relationship between IP management and firm performance. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to 294 Vietnamese SMEs across multiple industries. Respondents were senior managers or owners with direct responsibility for innovation or IP-related activities. All survey items were measured using five-point Likert scales and adapted from validated instruments in prior literature. The questionnaire captured firm characteristics, IP management practices across four stages, innovation outcomes, and perceived firm performance. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that IP management operates cumulatively: earlier stages significantly enable later ones. Only exploitation and administrative stages show a direct impact on firm performance, while innovation plays a critical mediating role between IP management and performance. This dataset enables researchers to replicate the analysis, test alternative model specifications, or conduct comparative studies in other institutional contexts. It may also support future research on IP strategy, innovation management, and SME performance in emerging economies.

Steps to reproduce

Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to Vietnamese SMEs between [insert months/year if available]. Firms were identified via business associations, professional networks, and online databases. Respondents were senior managers or owners with direct knowledge of their firms’ innovation and IP practices. All constructs were adapted from established literature and operationalized using multi-item Likert-scale measures. IP management was measured across four stages: awareness, application, exploitation and administration, and protection. Innovation captured firms’ product and process innovation activities, while firm performance reflected perceived financial and competitive outcomes relative to key competitors. Prior to full deployment, the survey instrument was pilot tested to ensure clarity and contextual relevance. Data were screened for missing values and common method bias. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed using SmartPLS software to test the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects. To reproduce the analysis, researchers may apply the same measurement model and structural paths described in the accompanying manuscript using any PLS-SEM software (e.g., SmartPLS or WarpPLS). The dataset includes all observed variables required to replicate reliability, validity, and structural model assessments.

Institutions

• Foreign Trade University

  Hanoi, Hanoi
• Phenikaa University

  Hanoi, Hanoi

Categories

Funders

• Foreign Trade University

  Grant ID: FTURP02-2023-09

Licence