The real R&D options value incorporating technological risk management

Purpose – The paper aims to evaluate the real research and development (R&D) options value through the proposed model that can jointly consider the two types of risk management activities, i.e. hedging risks and making use of risks. Hedging is an important risk‐management tool that can diversify R&D risk internally since R&D organizations cannot transfer technological risks to another entity by conventional loss financing methods. Making use of risks means R&D organizations can benefit from proactively managing risks, and then can create management‐flexibility value from the real option reasoning viewpoint.Design/methodology/approach – Using the real options pricing approach, the paper provides an applicable assessment method for R&D projects that can jointly consider the aforementioned two types of risk management activities. The paper also investigates the value‐enhancing effects of R&D risk management activities via interviews survey and secondary data analyses in the pharmaceutical industry of Taiwan....