Where do firms' recombinant capabilities come from? Intraorganizational networks,knowledge, and firms' ability to innovate through technological recombination

A firm's innovativeness is driven by its ability to recombine existing technologies. Elaborating on this argument, we contend that there exist two distinct types of recombinant capabilities. First, firms may innovate through recombinant creation, i.e., by creating technological combinations new to the firm. Second, they may innovate through recombinant reuse; i.e., by reconfiguring combinations already known to the firm. We study what drives each type of capability by examining two factors: the degree of integration of a firm's intraorganizational network and the diversity of its knowledge base. We test our theoretical predictions using data on 126 semiconductor firms between 1984 and 2003. Our analyses indicate that factors that favor recombinant creation generally hinder recombinant reuse and vice versa; however, combining an integrated collaboration network and a diverse knowledge base may concurrently enhance both recombinant capabilities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

协同技术创新中的技术互补、资源互补与技术创新能力研究

本文基于柯布--道格拉斯生产函数,结合微观经济学的相关理论,分析了协同技术创新对高技术企业与传统企业生产过程的提升作用。同时,通过实证研究和回归分析,结果表明,高技术企业和传统企业之间的技术互补和资源互补对高技术企业和传统企业的技术创新能力都有着积极显著的影响。     

CAPABILITIES,TECHNOLOGICAL DIVERSIFICATION AND DIVISIONALIZATION

This paper develops and tests the hypothesis that greater R&D diversification is associated with less divisionalization in multidivisional firms. It argues, from transaction cost theory, that the extent of divisionalization of a large firm is indicative of its emphasis on interdivisional coordination, since fewer divisional boundaries reduce interdivisional bargaining costs. Also, greater interdivisional coordination is required to pursue strategies which exploit R&D undertaken in diverse but complementary fields, that is, strategies aimed at broadening technological capabilities. Conversely, less interdivisional coordination is required for more specialized R&D, that is, for strategies aimed at deepening existing capabilities. The hypothesis finds support in patent and organizational data.     

Interindustry merger patterns and resource dependence: a replication and extension of Pfeffer (1972)

This paper reexamines Pfeffer’s (1972) classic study on interindustry merger patterns by replicating and then extending his findings. Pfeffer argued and found that resource dependencies, as measured by interindustry economic transactions, explained merger patterns. The replication investigates how robust the resource dependence explanation for interindustry mergers is when more precise methods are applied to a data set that essentially recreates Pfeffer’s. The extension examines the strength of the resouce dependence effect over time, and offers hypotheses that seek to explain both longitudinal and cross-sectional variation in the strength of this effect. Results indicate that while the significance of the resource dependence effect is once again observed, after applying more refined analytical methods to the data the explanatory power of resource dependence is greatly diminished. In addition, variation in the strength of the resource dependence effect suggests some boundary conditions for the theory, at least with respect to its ability to predict interindustry mergers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

技术创新的资源与激励的不匹配性及其治理

中国不同所有权工业在技术创新的资源配置和创新激励的配置上具有明显的不匹配性,这对技术创新绩效差异有重要的影响。本文提出了技术创新双重约束模式,认为中国工业技术创新的企业治理约束和资源配置约束是决定技术创新绩效的根本力量,据此解释了技术创新不匹配性的产生机理。因此,建立技术创新资源要素配置与激励匹配的制度体制是提高企业和产业的技术创新绩效的根本途径。     

效率增进、技术创新与GDP增长——基于长三角15城市的实证研究

本文运用数据包络分析法(DEA)测度了1999—2005年间长江三角洲15个城市国民经济的技术效率水平和技术创新水平及其对GDP增长的贡献率,并研究了2005年各城市在产出不变的情况下达到最佳经济效率所需要调整的资本和劳动力的投入数量。文章认为提高产业技术效率,优化投入要素的组合比例,加快技术引进和技术追赶步伐是推进长三角地区GDP增长的有效途径。     

The persistence of knowledge‐based advantage: an empirical test for product performance and technological knowledge

Resource‐based theory maintains that intrinsic characteristics of resources and capabilities, such as their tacitness, complexity, and specificity, prevent imitation and thereby prolong exceptional performance. There is little direct evidence to verify these claims, yet a substantial literature encourages firms to formulate competitive strategies around resources with these attributes. Further, work outside the resource‐based tradition suggests that these attributes can slow innovation, and it is not clear when this effect outweighs the benefits of inimitability. This paper seeks to clarify whether and how the complexity, tacitness, and specificity of a firm's knowledge affect the persistence of its performance advantages. We find that the complexity and tacitness of technological knowledge are useful for defending a firm's major product improvements from imitation, but not for protecting its minor improvements. The design specificity of technological knowledge delayed imitation of minor improvements in this study. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.