Executive technical experience and corporate innovation quality: evidence from Chinese listed manufacturing companies

This research empirically tests the impact of CEO technical experience on corporate innovation. Using A-share listed manufacturing companies during 2009–2018 as a research sample, we find that CEO technical experience positively affects the innovation quality of enterprises, and the impact is reflected in the breakthrough, originality, and value of innovations. After subdividing the CEOs’ technical experiences, we find that the higher the level of technical experience, the stronger the improvement of enterprise innovation quality. Compared with local technical experience, overseas technical experience has a stronger role in promoting innovation quality, and compared with non-academic technical experience, academic technical experience has a stronger role in promoting the quality of innovation. Further research finds that CEO technical experience has a stronger effect on the innovation quality of state-owned enterprises than non-state-owned enterprises, and it has a more significant effect on the innovation quality of high-tech enterprises. The research provides insights for managers and policymakers in creating and implementing effective innovation strategies.