The impacts of intellectual property management on firm performance: Innovation as a mediator

This dataset was collected to examine the relationship between intellectual property (IP) management, innovation, and firm performance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. Guided by dynamic capabilities theory, the study hypothesizes that IP management is a multi-stage organizational process—comprising awareness, application, exploitation and management, and protection—and that innovation mediates the relationship between IP management and firm performance. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to 294 Vietnamese SMEs across multiple industries. Respondents were senior managers or owners with direct responsibility for innovation or IP-related activities. All survey items were measured using five-point Likert scales and adapted from validated instruments in prior literature. The questionnaire captured firm characteristics, IP management practices across four stages, innovation outcomes, and perceived firm performance. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that IP management operates cumulatively: earlier stages significantly enable later ones. Only exploitation and administrative stages show a direct impact on firm performance, while innovation plays a critical mediating role between IP management and performance. This dataset enables researchers to replicate the analysis, test alternative model specifications, or conduct comparative studies in other institutional contexts. It may also support future research on IP strategy, innovation management, and SME performance in emerging economies.