Tariq H. Malik

This study addresses the diffusion paradox in patent activity by examining the alignment between IPR strength, patent claims, citations, and performance within the framework of Knowledge Diffusion Theory (KDT). Drawing on a unique dataset of 6,460 patents from 21 leading biopharmaceutical firms across 52 host regions, we assess how institutional IPR strength affects the internal structure of patents and their commercial outcomes. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, our findings reveal that stronger IPR regimes are associated with fewer claims and citations, while the number of claims positively correlates with citation frequency and economic return. These results suggest that the relationships among IPR strength, patent structure, and performance are not universally linear or positive. Instead, they exhibit mixed alignment patterns. We argue that these findings extend KDT by revealing the contingent and sometimes paradoxical nature of knowledge diffusion through patents. The study contributes to the literature on innovation systems and institutional change by illuminating how local IPR environments mediate the alignment between patent structure and value realization.

As global consumption patterns shift, coffee is rising as a productivity‐linked stimulant while alcohol is declining amid public health and cultural transformations. This study tests the hypothesis that coffee consumption substitutes for alcohol consumption and explores how national culture moderates this relationship. At the substitution effect level, we used the competing logic between two beverages. At the moderation level, we used cultural values as contingencies. Using a robust cross‐national dataset of alcohol consumption as the outcome and coffee consumption as the predictor in 112 countries, we used multilevel analysis for the four cultural dimensions: Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, and Uncertainty Avoidance. The findings show that the cultural moderators strongly change the relationship between coffee and alcohol consumption levels. The interaction coefficients are significant between models, nested levels, and after reverse causality inclusion. Although the coefficient size and direction of the coefficients vary, the moderation effect of culture remains robust. These results reveal that the global contraction of alcohol consumption is not simply a function of rising coffee demand in universal patterns but is filtered through culturally embedded norms. The findings position national culture as a key institutional layer in shaping industry trajectories and consumer substitution effects, offering novel implications for international economics, public health policy, and cross‐cultural market strategies.

Global concerns have arisen due to pollution-related mortality, and scholars studying the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) have explored the impact of economic growth on carbon emissions, yielding conflicting findings. Considering these opposing perspectives on whether wealth exacerbates or mitigates the negative consequences of environmental pollution, we aim to assess the influence of economic growth on pollution-related mortality and investigate whether national culture moderates its impact. To gain insights into the effects of economic growth on pollution-related mortality, we utilized panel data covering 170 countries over a span of 23 years (1996–2017). Initially, we examined the relationship between GDP per capita and pollution-related mortality, finding support for the theory of a curvilinear correlation but not for the concept of a bell-shaped curve. Upon introducing cultural moderators, the curve shifts in different directions along various dimensions. High power distance and masculinity cultures are associated with increased pollution-related mortality, whereas individualist and long-term orientation cultures are linked to reduced pollution-related mortality. The directions of these moderators align with both linear and nonlinear analyses, except for uncertainty avoidance. This study makes significant contributions to the critical issue of pollution-related mortality, extending beyond traditional sustainability analyses. Additionally, it provides a robust examination of the intertwining of economic wealth and culture, challenging the dominance of either type of logic. Lastly, our study draws attention to policy-driven solutions.