Client Portfolio and Individual Performance: A study of patent agents of patent firm

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between client portfolio and individual performance to clarify what kind of client portfolio increases individual performance. This research focuses on patent agents of patent firm in knowledge-intensive industry. The three hypotheses are tested by using data of 896 patent agents who belong to the top 15 large patent firms in Japan. The results of regression analysis show that both the scope and the degree of concentration of client portfolio are positively related to individual performance. Thus, expanding the client scope and increasing the degree of concentration enhance individual performance. However, the relationship between the degree of concentration of client portfolio and individual performance is inverse U-shape. These results mean patent agents need to expand the client scope and keep the optimal degree of concentration of client portfolio in order to enhance individual performance.