Effects of Technology Absorptive Capacity and Technology Proactivity on Organizational Learning,Innovation and Performance: An Empirical Examination

Technology is crucial for organizations in the knowledge society, but little empirical research has been conducted on technology absorptive capacity and technology proactivity. Based on existing theoretical studies, this article formulates a global model to analyse how technology absorptive capacity and technology proactivity influence organizational learning and organizational innovation, and how these dynamics capabilities affect organizational performance. The model also shows how organizational learning affects organizational innovation. The hypotheses are tested using data from 246 Spanish technological firms. The paper discusses the findings and provides several implications for future research. The findings are important for management practice, especially for firms where technology is the main strategic element.     

合作经验、吸收能力、网络权力对企业创新绩效的影响机制

基于组织学习理论,构建了创新网络环境下合作经验、吸收能力、网络权力对创新绩效影响的结构方程模型,结合西安市高新技术企业样本数据进行实证分析。结果表明,合作经验和网络权力对创新绩效具有显著正向影响,而吸收能力对创新绩效的影响不显著;合作经验对网络权力和吸收能力具有显著正向影响。这说明我国企业缺乏对合作经验的吸收和应用,从而影响企业创新绩效提升。因此,企业应重视积累合作经验,加强组织学习,提升创新能力,充分利用合作创新网络这个聚集丰富知识、技术的平台,提高企业创新绩效。     

A model of innovation and learning with involuntary spillovers and absorptive capacity

We develop a model of innovation and learning that incorporates explicitly the need for a firm to conduct its own research and development (R&D) in order to realize involuntary spillovers from other firms’ R&D activity and the development of absorptive capacity of research firms over time. The conclusions of the model follow directly from the functional forms that are used to describe the generation and absorption of technological knowledge. The first proposition formally characterizes the steady-state rate of growth of technology for the model. The analysis also shows how some of the key features of two distinct, pure modes of organization of the production of new knowledge, the R&D model and the new localized knowledge model, are implied by our model by simply drastically changing the relative magnitude of two exogenous parameters: the ease of learning and the pace of knowledge advance. The second proposition formally characterizes the connections implied by the model between involuntary spillovers and absorptive capacity. Analysis of the long-term interactions between involuntary spillovers of knowledge and absorptive capacity provides the essential insights into an understanding of the elements of a self-sustained process of endogenous growth. The third and last formal proposition of this paper accommodates firm-level arguments and the crucial role of a firm's absorptive capacity in taking advantage of its location in clusters, as implied by the theoretical model.     

Technology transfer and innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese firms

This paper explores the relationship between technology transfer activities and innovation performance with special reference to Chinese industrial firms. It is based on a recent nationwide survey covering 2334 Chinese industrial firms. The impact of technology transfer on their innovative performance was analyzed for all the responded firms and similar analyses also addressed the issue from perspectives of general industrial firms versus high-tech firms, and large firms versus small and medium firms. Several critical types of technology transfer activities were identified and both positive and negative impacts were discussed along with the Pearson correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis. The study revealed that the innovation activities in Chinese manufacturing firms could not be boosted substantially merely through the acquisition of key equipment and apparatus from abroad. The findings also suggested that Chinese firms should develop their technological absorptive capacity and transformative capacity, and foster technology transfer and communications among trading partners. Moreover, it would be crucial for Chinese firms to stress the nurturing of indigenous innovation capabilities so as to sustain their performance improvement.     

企业创新倾向、吸收能力与跨界技术并购创新绩效—— 一项模糊集定性比较分析

在吸收理论的基础上，结合行业技术环境和企业双元创新倾向，提出跨界技术并购企业创新绩效实现机制的整合性分析框架，并使用fsQCA对107个上市公司跨界技术并购案例进行构型研究。结果发现，在高创新绩效构型中，主并企业创新倾向与吸收能力不同维度间存在差异化匹配关系；企业潜在吸收能力与现实吸收能力间具有一定的替代关系，技术基础广度和吸收转化投入强度对于创新绩效提高相对重要；丰富的外部技术资源更有助于创新绩效提升。研究结论拓展了吸收能力理论，丰富了跨界技术并购领域实证证据，可为不同特征企业制定跨界技术并购决策提供参考依据。     

内向型创新、国际化与吸收能力影响技术标准的机制研究

技术标准竞争与吸收能力及开放式创新密切相关。探讨了内向型开放式创新、吸收能力与国际化过程中企业形成首个技术标准之间的关系。研究发现,内向型创新促进首个标准的形成,企业国际化程度与吸收能力对技术标准制定具有正向影响,但是这种效应随开放式创新形式的不同有所差异。     

组织吸收能力、服务流程创新与服务创新绩效

顾客主导逻辑和组织吸收能力是企业在不断变化的商业环境中寻求竞争优势的新概念。基于顾客主导逻辑相关知识,探讨企业吸收能力对企业服务创新绩效的影响机制,以长三角地区现代服务型企业为调研对象,运用Mplus对构建的混合模型进行中介调节效应检验。实证结果表明,服务流程创新在组织吸收能力和企业服务创新绩效间具有部分中介作用,顾客导向在组织吸收能力通过服务流程创新影响企业服务创新绩效中发挥调节作用。鉴于此,建议现代服务型企业围绕顾客需求优化服务流程,注重对技术与高知人力资本的投资。     

网络嵌入、资源协奏对颠覆式绿色技术创新的影响

尽管学术界对网络嵌入已有大量研究,但鲜有学者探讨其对颠覆式绿色技术创新的影响。以制造企业为研究对象,运用社会网络理论和资源协奏理论,将网络嵌入划分为结构嵌入和关系嵌入两个维度,探讨两者对制造企业颠覆式绿色技术创新的影响,并分析资源协奏的中介作用和环境洞察能力的调节作用。结果发现：(1)结构嵌入和关系嵌入不仅对颠覆式绿色技术创新具有显著正向影响,而且对资源协奏也具有显著正向影响;(2)资源协奏对颠覆式绿色技术创新具有显著正向影响,并且分别在结构嵌入、关系嵌入与颠覆式绿色技术创新之间起部分中介作用;(3)环境洞察能力正向调节关系嵌入与颠覆式绿色技术创新之间的关系。研究结论有助于厘清网络嵌入对制造企业颠覆式绿色技术创新的作用机理,并拓展资源协奏和颠覆式绿色技术创新相关研究。     

吸收能力、知识整合对组织知识与技术转移绩效的影响——以珠三角地区为实证

在科技、经济全球化与知识经济的背景下,技术转移已成为推动技术创新和技术进步的重要手段。本文基于组织学习理论,认为培育一定程度的吸收能力,并将所获得的知识进行整合,有助于组织知识与技术转移绩效的提升。本文以珠三角地区102家高科技企业作为研究对象,以问卷调查统计分析方法探讨吸收能力、知识整合对组织知识与转移绩效的影响。研究结果表明,吸收能力对知识整合有显著的直接正相关关系,吸收能力与知识整合对技术转移绩效有一定的影响。但是,企业若能对引进的技术进行消化吸收,将外部技术转化为企业组织自身的知识(技术),将能更好地提升技术转移绩效。     

技术转移、组织间冲突与突变式创新绩效：实际吸收能力的调节作用

聚焦企业创新活动,研究技术转移以及建设性冲突、破坏性冲突与技术转移的交互作用对技术接收企业突变式创新绩效的影响。同时,引入技术接收企业实际吸收能力作为调节变量,构建理论模型,利用251家企业调研数据进行模型验证。研究结果表明,技术转移有助于技术接收企业突变式创新绩效提升;技术转移和建设性冲突的交互作用对技术接收企业突变式创新绩效具有促进作用;技术转移和破坏性冲突的交互作用对技术接收企业突变式创新绩效具有阻碍作用;技术接收企业实际吸收能力正向调节技术转移对企业突变式创新绩效的影响。     

集群企业资源获取、吸收能力与技术创新绩效——珠三角传统产业集群中的企业研究

以珠三角传统产业集群中的企业为研究对象,从资源依赖理论出发,探索集群企业技术创新的影响因素和路径。构建了资源获取、吸收能力与技术创新绩效的概念模型,编制问卷,并使用结构方程模型对其进行检验。结果表明,企业的"软资源的获取"(信息、技术、人才)能够积极提高企业的潜在吸收能力,进而促进企业的模仿创新和率先创新。企业的"硬资源的获取"(资金)虽然可以提高企业的现实吸收能力,但对两种技术创新的作用都不显著。根据所得结论,从企业、政府、行业协会3个方面提出要构建良好的外部网络和发展环境,促进其资源获取从而提高企业的技术创新绩效。     

校企合作创新网络特征对知识转移绩效的影响机制——基于河南省的实证分析

以组织学习为中介变量,构建了校企合作创新网络特征与知识转移绩效间关系的概念模型,并引入潜在吸收能力作为组织学习与知识转移绩效间关系的调节变量。以河南省为例进行实证分析,验证了概念模型中的研究假设。得出如下结论:不同的校企合作创新网络的结构特征维度和关系特征维度对知识转移绩效的影响是不同的;校企合作创新网络特征对知识转移绩效有显著的正向影响,企业的组织学习能力在整个知识转移过程中起到部分中介作用;企业的潜在吸收能力在组织学习对知识转移绩效的影响中起到部分调节作用。     

Founders’ human capital and external knowledge sourcing: Exploring the absorptive capacity of start-up firms

ABSTRACT

This study highlights the importance of founders’ human capital on firms’ absorptive capacity for explaining the external knowledge sourcing (licensing-in and joint R&D) of start-up firms, using panel data from original questionnaire surveys conducted in Japan. The results of a probit model with an endogenous regressor show that firms managed by founders with a high level of specific human capital, measured as prior innovation experience and industry-specific work experience, tend to engage in external knowledge sourcing because of their superior absorptive capacity. The findings indicate that this type of human capital also promotes research and development (R&D) investment. Contrariwise, this study finds that firms managed by founders with a high level of general human capital, measured as educational attainment, tend to invest more in R&D, which enhances their absorptive capacity and thereby promotes external knowledge sourcing. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed from the perspective of public policy.     

环保舆论压力对制造企业绿色创新能力的影响——领导环保意识与组织绿色学习的链式中介效应

随着互联网的发展，新闻媒体带来的舆论压力对企业生产经营方式产生了一定影响。然而，对环保舆论压力影响企业绿色创新能力的作用机制问题，现有研究并没有给出明确答案。基于议程设置理论和高阶认知理论，分析环保舆论压力对企业绿色创新能力的影响，并探讨领导环保意识和组织绿色学习的中介效应。基于201家制造企业的实证研究表明，环保舆论压力能够正向影响制造企业绿色创新能力提升；组织绿色学习在环保舆论压力与企业绿色创新能力关系间发挥中介效应；并且，领导环保意识和组织绿色学习在环保舆论压力与企业绿色创新能力关系间起到链式中介作用。基于以上研究结论，提出有效提升企业绿色创新能力的对策建议。     

How does cultural intelligence influence the relationships between potential and realised absorptive capacity and innovativeness? Evidence from Poland

Cultural intelligence underpins the interaction between firms and their cultural environments as the domain of external sources that are explored and utilised for innovation through absorptive capacity. This research seeks to answer the question of if and how cultural intelligence moderates the links between innovativeness and potential and realised absorptive capacity. We test our hypotheses based on data from 215 firms operating in Poland. We demonstrate that cultural intelligence strengthens the linkage between potential absorptive capacity and innovativeness that highlights cultural intelligence as an important enabler of exploring new and diverse external knowledge sources. We discuss cultural intelligence concept in relation to strategic management and reveal its contingent role in innovativeness.     

跨国并购的技术创新机理研究——海尔集团并购FPA案例研究

跨国技术并购中的知识转移能够提升企业创新绩效,但作为并购方的中国企业在技术上并没有并购对象先进,这就导致并购企业不能有效地管理知识转移过程。为明确在跨国技术并购中知识转移促进技术创新的内在机制,并解释知识一致性、战略互补性、组织匹配性等因素对于知识转移效率的影响机制,本文采用案例研究的方法,以海尔集团并购FPA为研究对象,研究中国企业通过跨国并购实现技术创新机理。结果表明,跨国技术并购过程中知识一致性、资源互补性、组织匹配性等因素,有助于并购企业间的知识转移,并最终提升了并购企业的创新绩效。知识一致性、战略互补性和组织匹配性增强了知识转移对于企业创新绩效的影响。从知识转移研究的角度看,知识一致性能够提升吸收能力,并降低知识转移的成本。从并购研究的视角看,战略互补性、组织匹配性则为知识转移提供了保障机制。最后,本文提出我国企业通过跨国并购战略获取关键技术的过程中,应该评估与并购对象的知识一致性、战略互补性和组织匹配性,能够提升并购企业的吸收能力,增强并购双方的跨组织创新网络与联系,使得知识转移更加容易在并购企业双方之间发生,最终提升并购企业的创新绩效。     

内向型开放式创新、国际化、投机性学习与创新绩效的关系

组织学习过程中的投机性行为影响着企业创新绩效。运用组织学习与创新理论,从开放式创新视角阐述了国际化企业投机性学习影响创新绩效的过程机理。研究发现,高新技术企业的内向型创新模式能够提高创新绩效,但国际化程度负向调节它们之间的关系;同时,投机性学习行为削弱了内向型与创新绩效之间的正向关系,即投机性学习不利于提高内向型开放式创新绩效。研究结论对于新兴企业的开放式创新与国际化具有理论和实践意义。     

How external partnering enhances innovation: evidence from Chinese technology-based SMEs

If China is to make the leap from being a manufacturer of goods, often for others, to being a world-class innovator, then Chinese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have an important role to play in achieving this future goal. Much recent debate has focused on innovation activities of multinational corporations in China, with little attention paid to the role of indigenous SMEs and how they attempt to become more innovation oriented. This paper presents findings from 10 case studies of SME firms based in the Zhejiang Province of China to try and establish to what extent external partnerships have helped them become more innovative and competitive. The most common forms of partnering used by these firms is collaboration with universities, with customers and key suppliers, which has implications for how learning and absorptive capacity affects the firm's innovation strategy.     

The impact of technology intermediaries on firm cognitive capacity additionality

Whereas the provision of R&D subsidies has been central to public policy for many years, governments have recently become increasingly involved in stimulating cooperation for innovation and R&D. In many countries, financial support for technology intermediaries has become one of the key measures of indirect public support. However, little research has assessed the impact of indirect policy measures. In this paper, we shed light on the conditions under which technology intermediaries contribute to knowledge and networking outcomes generated by the firms that call upon them. We hereby focus on firm network and competence additionality as measures for cognitive capacity additionality and study the impact of technology intermediaries on firms. In doing so, we distinguish between R&D and R&D related activity technology intermediaries engage in. The results indicate that absorptive capacity of the technology intermediary does not affect cognitive capacity additionality generated by firms in R&D activities, while the results for R&D related activities are mixed and depending on the type of cognitive capacity additionality studied. The absorptive capacity of firms does not directly affect cognitive capacity additionality, but the results of mediation analysis show that firms with higher levels of absorptive capacity use the services of the technology intermediary more intensively, and subsequently generate higher levels of cognitive capacity additionality.     

The effects of Information Technology on absorptive capacity and organisational performance

Information Technology (IT) offers many opportunities for firms to succeed. The aim of this paper is to present a model to reflect how technical IT skills and the use of IT in interdependent tasks may influence the development of organisational absorptive capacity, both potential and realised, which also affects organisational performance. Since knowledge constitutes one of the main resources for organisations to gain competitive advantages and helps firms to improve their organisational performance, absorptive capacity is a key factor in success. This model was tested empirically using a sample of 160 European technological firms. The results of our analysis suggest that the mastery of technical IT skills and the use of IT in interdependent tasks positively affect potential and realised absorptive capacities, which in turn enhances organisational performance. The study concludes by presenting some theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research lines.