Research and development in the service sector – vague definition and problematic application

It is a well-known fact that research and development (R&D) activities are an important factor in maintaining a business on the market. Nowadays, not only is conducting R&D crucial for entities from new technology sector, but also for companies from each sector, including service entities. The aim of the study was to investigate R&D activities among the biggest publicly traded entities in Poland and to examine the way economists and engineers understand the notion of R&D. We hypothesize and find that R&D expenditure is underestimated or unrecognized in financial reports disclosed by service sector enterprises. Further, we surveyed professional economists and engineers to investigate their knowledge about R&D notion and ability to distinguish operational (day-to-day) actions from R&D activities. The study results indicated difference between the opinions expressed by economists and engineers. Our findings are important for regulators and practitioners as they pinpoint that a substantial change in the definition of R&D is required in order to facilitate a wider adoption of R&D by companies rendering services.