Key inventors: implications for human resource management in R&D

Summary form only given. We evaluate the technological performance of R&D personnel objectively on the basis of their patenting activity. One reason why patents are used to indicate the technological performance of R&D inventors is the empirically proven relationship between R&D efforts and patenting output. As patents directly reflect the results of R&D activities, they provide a reliable output measure. We introduce the inventor portfolio, which provides a method to measure the performance of inventors according to two dimensions: patenting activity and patenting quality. Key inventors are characterized by their large number of applications for high quality patents. The findings of the study prove that the technological performance of companies is concentrated on a very small fraction of inventors. This results in far reaching consequences for human resource management in R&D. The primary task of a company should be to identify its key inventors and to orientate human resource management in R&D more towards this group. This includes measures to preserve a key inventor´s knowledge in case he or she leaves the company; to screen key inventors as potential candidates for technological gatekeeping activities and to establish appropriate incentive systems. Finally, key inventors in relevant technological fields could be identified and headhunting these inventors may be an efficient means to acquire technological know-how. In case an entire company is acquired to get access to external technological knowledge it ought to be made sure that key inventors remain in the acquired company