Cooperation in R&D through a network,an ‘organizational gamble’? an empirical analysis of rhône poulenc rorer-gencell

This paper is based on the empirical analysis of innovation challenges to Rhône Poulenc Rorer-Gencell (RPR-Gencell) resulting from development of biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industy. These we identify as an organizational innovation involving the development of a network of partners following and/or inducing a technological innovation. RPR-Gencell represents a ‘style of innovation’ since it is based on various factors specific to the firm and corresponds to a new organizational form, the ‘tight network’ of partners. We argue that this organizational from, in the context of the development of biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industry, can be likened to an ‘organizational gamble’ associated with a ‘technological gamble’ Altogether, this ‘gamble’ dimension means that the network of partners in R&D is still a marginal organizational form. After an introduction we show that the specficities of the pharmaceutical industry especialy since the emergence of biotechnohgy have led to the emergence of a multiplicity of institutional arrangements governing cooperation in R&D. We take as a specific example that of gene therapy. Later on, we present some stylized facts to emphasize the diversity among the network organizational forms. The network of partners is an alternative to the other complex but ‘clarsical’ forms of cooperation (R&D agreements, cross-licensing, joint-ventures, mergers/acquisilions). We propose a new definition of the network based on the case of RPR-Gencell: the ‘tight network’. We distinguish between the ‘tight network’ and all the other approaches, focusing in particular on the ‘loose network’ of cooperative relationship (mostly multifirm alliances implemented with several bilateral contracts). Only two pharmaceutical companies have adopted the ‘tight network’ to govern their cooperation in R&D. We present the network ofpartners as an organizational innovation governing a technological innovation. We argue that this organizational innovation could be likened to an ‘organizational gamble’ in the case of the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, we show that the network raises several organizational issues since it short-circuits traditional strategic operations in the pharamaceutical industry. We argue that among many different reasons, RPR's technological choices (especially the priorig given to gene therapy) have influenced the creation of its network of partners. As a conclusion, we discuss the link between the organizational innovation and the technological innovation focusing on the ‘gamble’ dimension of such an innovation.     

产业集群环境下网络权力对技术标准扩散的影响

产业集群为技术标准扩散提供了平台，拥有更高网络权力的企业，其技术标准扩散能力更强，但网络权力影响技术标准扩散的路径并不清晰。基于产业集群环境，分析了网络权力对技术标准扩散的影响，并探究了知识转移与技术创新的链式中介作用。分析了283家制造业集群内企业调研数据，利用链式中介作用检验方法实证研究发现：一方面，网络权力显著直接正向影响技术标准扩散；另一方面，知识转移和技术创新不但分别中介网络权力对技术标准扩散的正向积极影响，并且起到链式中介作用。基于研究结论，提出了促进产业集群环境下技术标准扩散的实践建议。      

技术创新管理行为对创新绩效的影响——以建筑企业为例

针对我国建筑企业技术创新绩效水平偏低的现状,运用协方差结构分析方法建立了建筑企业技术创新绩效与内部创新要素管理、合作创新管理行为间的关系模型,并在此基础上分析了我国建筑企业技术创新状况调查问卷的数据。发现建筑企业的合作创新管理与内部创新要素管理行为之间存在表里配合关系,它们共同对技术创新绩效产生影响,但前者的影响程度相对于后者较弱。增强对人才、知识和资金等技术创新要素的管理能力,在企业、大学、科研机构、技术咨询服务机构等组织间形成和发展合作创新网络,将是未来改善我国建筑企业技术创新绩效的根本途径。     

The sources of innovations – looking beyond technological opportunities*

The concept ‘technological opportunity’ has been coined to capture the vitality of the underlying sciences and technologies as the sources of technical progress that firms draw upon during innovation. Nonetheless, less attention has been paid to the fact that the commercialisation of technical progress through innovations also depends on the ability to assimilate a range of other sources of innovations, related less to the sciences and technologies and more to characteristics of the market and broader environment in which firms innovate. This paper focuses on the sectoral diversity in such sources, and on the ways in which they are assimilated and turned into commercialised innovations. The paper contributes to the extant literature by drawing on a unique survey data on Finnish innovations. The results both confirm and also challenge, and further elaborate on certain ‘stylised facts’ on the relationships between technological opportunities and the sources of innovation across sectors.     

Is newest always best? Firm-level evidence to challenge a focus on high-capability technological (product or process) innovation

This paper sets out to address a gap in the empirical literature on the importance of ‘low-capability’ innovation for firms. The study is framed around discussion of the conceptual bias that remains in policy and academic literature towards a narrow subset of technological (product or process) innovation labelled ‘high-capability’ innovation in this paper. The paper argues that this bias influences the public and business community's understanding of the term ‘innovation’ and has implications for innovation measurement, research, policy and strategy. The study uses data from an economy-wide, regional innovation survey based on the Oslo manual, and includes 648 innovative firms covering all industry sectors. The paper combines elements of both subject and object approaches to innovation measurement, using data from an open-ended survey question to explore the alignment between what firms report as their ‘most important innovation’ (MII) and firm capabilities for introducing ‘high-capability’ technological innovation. Results show that a substantial share of firms report an MII that is a ‘low-capability’ innovation, including those firms with high R&D intensity, those with novel technological innovation, and firms in more innovative sectors of manufacturing and knowledge intensive business services. The paper discusses the implications of this result for future innovation measurement and research.     

产业集群环境下企业网络权力、知识获取与技术创新

较高的网络权力意味着外部资源获取便利，但其是否有助于企业技术创新并未达成共识。基于社会网络理论，以知识获取为中介变量，以企业间信任关系和知识整合能力为调节变量，构建一个两阶段被调节的中介作用模型，以检验网络权力对技术创新的作用机制与边界条件。结果表明:①网络权力显著正向影响技术创新；②网络权力显著正向影响知识获取，知识获取则对技术创新产生倒U型影响，知识获取在网络权力影响技术创新关系中起部分中介作用；③企业间信任关系有助于企业通过网络权力获取外部知识，知识整合能力有助于企业将获取的外部知识转化为技术创新。对于管理者而言，可以从关系网络治理和内外兼修两个方面提升技术创新能力与绩效。     

管理层权力配置下上市公司创新决策动因研究

选取2013—2016年我国民营上市公司经营数据作为研究样本，基于管理层权力配置视角探索企业创新决策动因及其规律性，结果表明：①基于研发与营销的职能区别，随着管理层权力配置程度增加，技术创新和市场创新两类创新行为的决策倾向呈现差异化演变，具体表现为管理层权力与技术创新行为正相关，与市场创新行为负相关；②公司成长状态对管理层权力与技术创新行为的关系具有显著调节作用，具体表现为：公司经营风险水平较高时，管理层权力对技术创新行为的促进作用会被弱化，公司盈利能力较强时，管理层权力对技术创新行为的促进作用会被强化；③公司成长状态对管理层权力与市场创新行为关系的调节作用不显著，即管理层权力对创新行为的影响机理不会因公司经营风险水平和盈利水平的差异而发生改变。     

产业集群环境下市场导向对技术标准扩散的影响

市场导向是技术标准扩散的重要影响因素,但其影响机理尚不清晰。基于产业集群环境,分析市场导向对技术标准扩散的影响,以及技术创新的中介效应和网络权力的调节效应。通过分析227家制造业产业集群内企业调研数据,利用有调节的中介效应检验方法实证研究发现：一方面,市场导向不仅显著直接正向影响技术标准扩散,还通过技术创新产生间接影响;另一方面,网络权力显著正向调节技术创新在市场导向影响技术标准扩散关系中的中介效应。基于研究结论,提出促进产业集群环境下技术标准扩散的相关对策与建议。     

技术创新网络分裂断层、知识权力与创新独占性——知识势差的调节作用

创新独占性可表征创新合作群体对于自身知识、技术创新成果的利用和分享程度，决定着创新合作群体能够在多大程度上从创新成果中获利。创新独占性具有外部排他性和内部互补性的显著特征，有必要从技术创新网络视角出发，审视创新子群间相互关系对创新独占性的影响机理。以参与合作研发的高新技术企业群体为研究对象，构建技术创新网络分裂断层对创新独占性影响路径的概念模型。结果显示：技术创新网络分裂断层对创新独占性产生正向影响，知识权力在技术创新网络分裂断层与创新独占性之间发挥中介作用，技术创新网络分裂断层对创新独占性的影响受知识势差的负向调节。     

网络嵌入与突破性技术创新:结构洞与关系强度的协同影响机制研究

在开放式创新背景下,企业技术创新活动嵌入在外部网络中进行。然而,现有文献对于网络嵌入如何影响技术创新,缺乏相应研究及一致性结论。结合突破性技术创新颠覆性、高度不确定、高度资源依赖等特质,运用社会网络分析方法对突破性技术创新进行理论推演和案例释义,阐明结构嵌入和关系嵌入对企业突破性技术创新的协同影响机制。研究结论既可以从网络嵌入视角充实技术创新理论,也可为企业在突破性技术创新过程中制定网络战略提供指导。     

技术创新与人才培养模式互动的影响要素研究

随着社会主义市场竞争日趋激烈,科技人才的培养过程成为企业发展的当务之急,尤其是技术创新型科技人才的成长.我国的企业随着世界经济的发展逐渐暴露出弱点,尤其在当今知识经济崛起和世界经济一体化的历史进程中,这种落后就显得更加突出.这种落后是体制和机制的落后,而归根到底是技术创新人才的缺乏.企业技术创新与人才培养模式互动机制的建立,能有效解决企业在科技人才管理中面临的困境,对于提升我国企业竞争力、推动科学发展具有积极的作用.     

技术创新网络内节点间知识流动适应性规则研究

随着研发网络化环境的形成,技术创新网络中节点间知识流动对网络结构演变的影响成为学者们关注的问题。同时,技术创新网络的本质体现为其自身就是一种知识流动的复杂适应系统。因此,从复杂适应系统（CAS）视角分析知识在技术创新网络中知识节点间的不同流动方式,以及在技术扩散过程中知识流动特征与核心节点形成过程,从节点的初始状态、节点间知识流动和节点状态变化等3个方面构建了技术创新网络中节点间知识流动规则,分析了网络中企业间知识流动过程对节点企业核心地位形成的影响,为下一步的仿真研究奠定了基础。     

Technological Expectations And The Diffusion Of ‘Intermediate’ Technologies

The concept of ‘technological expectations’ has established itself as a key one in the smdy of innovation adoption. The article suggests that it may help explaining not just the adopters' timing decisions, but also their decisions regarding the kind of innovation they adopt. Innova tions that set the technological frontier face the competitive diffusion of some ‘intemdiate’ technologies. These may be either old technologies or ‘midrange’ ones. which purposefully lag behind the frontier, in order to impose lower adoption costs to their users.

Taking into account midrange innovations casts new light on the supply side of the diffu sion process. in terms of technological variety and selection effects. Drawing examples from the electronic colour pre-press industry, we highlight the equipment suppliers' anxious quest for the successful midrange innovation, able to hit the right txade-off between proximity to the frontier and adoption costs.     

沉睡知识对企业技术创新持续性的影响——一个有调节的中介作用模型

沉睡知识是知识经济时代企业技术持续创新的重要途径。为打开不同类型沉睡知识与技术创新持续性关系的“黑箱”,基于知识属性理论,将沉睡知识划分为显性沉睡知识和隐性沉睡知识两个维度,并引入资源拼凑作为中介变量、知识治理机制作为调节变量,构建一个有调节的中介作用模型,提出沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间关系假设,基于调查问卷数据进行实证研究。结果表明：显性沉睡知识和隐性沉睡知识均负向影响技术创新持续性;资源拼凑在两类沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间起部分中介作用;知识治理机制负向调节隐性沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间的关系,同时倒U型调节资源拼凑在两类沉睡知识与技术创新持续性间的中介效应强度。     

金融支持路径对风电产业技术创新影响的比较研究

寻找有效的金融支持路径对我国风电产业突破技术瓶颈具有重要意义。以风电产业为研究对象,建立协整与误差修正模型,分析金融支持与技术创新间的长期及短期均衡关系,在此基础上应用典型相关分析对金融支持与技术创新的具体关系进行讨论。研究表明：金融支持与技术创新间存在长期正向均衡关系,当技术创新水平偏离均衡状态时,误差修正项的反向修正机制可使其恢复到长期均衡;政府补贴对代表技术创新产出的专利数有正向推动作用,银行信贷额对研发支出和固定资产投入具有正向推动作用,股票市场对技术创新的作用不显著。     

创新网络双重嵌入、网络耦合与产业升级：基于上市企业面板数据的实证分析

创新网络多元嵌入是企业网络能力形成和产业升级的重要驱动力。基于网络双重嵌入和网络耦合视角,选取2009-2020年291家中国平板显示产业上市公司作为研究样本,实证分析企业个体创新网络与股东关系网络双重嵌入及企业个体创新能力对产业升级的作用路径。结果表明,企业个体创新网络连通性与网络团体规模、股东关系网络密度及企业创新能力均正向影响产业升级,并且由于企业管理者与投资者间的创新决策冲突给产业升级带来负面影响,企业间网络连通性和企业个体研发投入在股东间过于紧密的关系影响下反而不利于产业升级。进一步研究表明,产业升级是综合企业个体创新、企业间创新合作和企业投资者合作等多个层次的多维度动态过程,降低数字创新不确定性和有效利用网络化创新合作机制将是产业数字创新的重要研究方向。     

Technological innovation and complexity theory

Complexity theory has become influential in recent models in social science. In the context of innovations and new technologies, most applications have focused on technology adoption and technology diffusion, whereas the topic of the innovation process has received less attention. This paper discusses three families of complexity models of technological innovation: fitness landscape models, network models and percolation models. The models are capable of analysing complex interaction structures (between components of technologies, between agents engaged in collective invention) while avoiding ‘over-parameterisation’. The paper ends with discussing the methodological challenges and critiques regarding the application of complexity theory that remain.     

技术权力、组织间信任影响领导行为的跨案例研究

在技术创新网络中,非对称的技术权力和不同程度的组织间信任引致了核心企业对合作企业采取不同领导行为。从心理定位视角出发,基于技术权力和组织间信任两个变量提出核心企业的4种领导行为——技术锁定、技术防御、技术扶持与技术标准,通过跨案例研究,分析论证了这4种领导行为,并对合作过程中核心企业的领导行为进行了科学解释,以帮助合作企业科学预测领导行为,进而提高运行绩效和网络地位。     

Strategic technology alliances and networks

This paper briefly reviews the literature on strategic technology alliances (STAs) and networks, allocating the contributions to ‘micro’ (firm) and ‘meso’ perspectives (the network). The focus is on a logical reconstruction of important themes in the literature pertaining to the role of STAs in boosting innovation and in promoting the survival and growth of partners and their environments. Overall, the literature points to a quite important role of alliances and networks especially in knowledge-intensive industrial activities combining the production and utilization of technological knowledge for competitiveness and growth. Not unexpectedly, important differences are pointed out in terms of incentives and benefits from alliances across different types of firms and industries. Network structure evolves in accordance with the nature of the industry and with the type of technological advancement sought by participating organizations.     

技术学习、管理学习对自主创新的影响——技术复杂性的调节作用

在国内外竞争日趋激烈的背景下，如何提高企业自主创新能力受到广泛关注。基于组织学习理论，构建了技术学习、管理学习、技术复杂性与自主创新之间的理论模型，并利用252家中国制造业企业调研数据对相关假设进行了检验。结果表明：技术学习对自主创新具有倒U型影响；管理学习对自主创新具有正向影响；技术学习与管理学习的交互效应对自主创新具有正向影响；技术复杂性会加强技术学习对自主创新的倒U型影响，削弱管理学习对自主创新的正向影响。