Communism and Proprietary Research Regimes—Material Transfers in Life Science and Material Science

Using a sample of Japanese academic scientists, this study examines behavioral patterns of
scientists especially in material transfer transactions. The results indicate that some
characteristics of scientific fields differentiate scientists’ behavioral patterns. First, in some
fields scientists tend to demand some forms of return when supplying research materials.
They are less likely to provide their materials when their benefits are not clear. This
reciprocal behavior, along with market-oriented one, can impede a proper flow of research
materials. Second, when the reciprocal behaviors become dominant at the field level, it can
aggravate the withholding behaviors of commercially-active scientists. On the other hand,
when commercial activities prevail at the field level, the reciprocal behaviors are
accelerated. Thus, the trend of commercialization and the reciprocal climate can reinforce
each other and lead to further anti-communal consequences. As a potential solution to this,
restriction on commercial income can alleviate withholding behaviors of commerciallyactive
scientists. Third, scientists tend to fulfill material requests from previous
collaborators and colleagues. This tendency is particularly strengthened when network
density is high, and the flow of research materials is restricted inside small networks. These
results imply that we should consider more about field characteristics to design suitable
policy interventions to facilitate scientist cooperation.