Antecedents of Patent Management Proficiency and its Impact on Firm Performance

This paper analyzes the impact of patent management proficiency on firm performance. The empirical analyses are based on a sample of 143 technology-based firms from the USA and Germany across multiple industries. The results show that two important dimensions of patent management proficiency, patent protection management and patent informa-tion management, are positively related to firm performance. This paper further identifies important antecedents of professional patent protection and patent information manage-ment. The findings have important implications for improving patent management and firm performance in companies.