制造企业跨界知识搜寻对创新绩效的影响——一个被调节的双重中介模型

制造业对中国经济未来发展日益重要。跨界融合背景下,研究中国制造企业的跨界知识搜寻如何影响企业创新绩效提升,深具现实意义和理论价值。以208家中国制造企业为样本,从双元创新视角,运用相关分析、多元线性回归和bootstrap方法进行实证分析,着重研究跨界知识搜寻促进企业创新绩效提升的内在机理问题。研究表明:跨界知识搜寻对企业创新绩效具有显著正向影响;对突破式和渐进式两种创新模式均具有显著正向影响;突破式和渐进式创新对跨界知识搜寻与创新绩效间关系具有双重中介效应,其中,突破式创新的中介效应更加显著;同时,吸收能力对跨界知识搜寻与两种创新模式间关系具有正向调节作用,两种创新模式的中介效应亦受到吸收能力的调节。以上结论对厘清跨界知识搜寻,促进创新绩效提升的内在机理具有以下启示:中国制造企业需要加大跨界知识搜寻的广度和深度,提高创新绩效;需要选择适宜自身资源和知识搜寻能力的创新模式,以促进创新绩效提升;同时,需要特别关注吸收能力对以上过程的影响。     

知识溢出、吸收能力与经济增长——基于调节效应的检验

本文基于罗默经济增长模型分析知识溢出、吸收能力与经济增长之间的逻辑关系,从理论上阐述知识溢出对经济增长的作用机理,并利用2006—2017年中国30个省份的面板数据,检验三者之间的数量关系。理论研究表明,知识溢出与吸收能力对经济增长有重要作用,且吸收能力在知识溢出与经济增长的关系中起到重要的调节作用。实证研究发现,知识溢出与吸收能力均表现为对经济增长的正向促进作用;知识溢出与吸收能力的交互项系数显著为正,表明吸收能力在知识溢出与经济增长的关系中发挥正向调节作用。因此,为实现经济持续平稳的发展,应不断鼓励技术创新,提高区域自主创新水平,促进区域间交流合作,充分发挥知识溢出和吸收能力对经济增长的积极作用。     

企业创新绩效影响因素研究

本文以广东省134家企业截面数据作为样本,选择新产品销售收入比例指标测度企业的创新绩效,实证分析了企业规模、研发强度、吸收能力等指标与创新绩效之间的关系。结果表明,企业规模、研发强度对企业创新绩效呈现显著负向影响。而吸收能力对企业创新绩效存在显著的正向影响。     

国际服务外包中服务提供商的创新路径研究——基于溢出效应与吸收能力视角

国际服务外包可在东道国产生溢出效应,包括示范效应、人才流动效应、行业间的产业聚集以及关联效应等。这些效应对东道国企业技术能力的形成和提升提供了一种有效路径选择。然而,溢出效应不会自动产生,它在很大程度上取决于东道国服务提供商的吸收能力。吸收能力又受企业自身的R&D资本、人力资本、社会资本和知识管理制度等的影响。研究结合国际服务外包中不同知识外溢途径和服务提供商的吸收能力,提出了不同国际服务外包模式以及不同的溢出知识下的服务提供商的学习路径及其技术创新路径。     

跨国公司知识溢出质量特性与本土集群企业国际化成长关系研究——基于吸收能力调节效应的视角

新国际分工背景下,跨国公司主导的全球价值链已成为知识溢出的有效载体。本文旨在通过引入吸收能力的调节效应来探寻跨国公司知识溢出质量特性作用于本土集群企业国际化成长的微观机理。以苏州地区制造业集群企业为样本的实证研究结果表明,跨国公司知识溢出质量特性和本土集群企业吸收能力均对本土集群企业的国际化成长有显著的正向影响,而吸收能力对跨国公司的知识溢出与集群企业国际化成长之间则存在显著的调节效应。为此,要调整政府利用外商投资的政策取向,提高集群企业的吸收能力,以增强跨国公司知识溢出效应及其对本土集群企业国际化成长的促进作用。     

政府补贴越多越有助于提升众创空间绩效吗——1902家国家备案众创空间的证据

基于已纳入国家级科技企业孵化器管理服务体系的1902家众创空间(以下简称“国家备案众创空间”)数据,运用信号理论,探讨政府补贴对众创空间绩效的影响,并考察吸收能力与国家高新区在此关系中的调节作用。研究结果表明:政府补贴与众创空间资金绩效存在“倒U”形关系,即适度的政府补贴对众创空间资金绩效的影响效果最佳;政府补贴正向促进众创空间人才绩效和创新绩效;吸收能力正向调节政府补贴与资金绩效、人才绩效和创新绩效之间的关系;国家高新区正向调节政府补贴与资金绩效、创新绩效之间的关系。     

关系强度、知识转移与科技型中小企业创新绩效

已有研究显示,中小企业在创新网络中的关系嵌入程度会影响其创新绩效。本文基于知识基础理论和网络嵌入理论,构建网络关系嵌入特征核心维度关系强度、知识(隐性和显性)转移和中小企业创新绩效之间的理论模型,并以282家科技型中小企业为样本进行了实证研究。结论发现,关系强度对创新网络中的隐性知识转移具有正向影响,对显性知识转移具有负向影响;关系强度与中小企业创新绩效之间不存在直接的显著正向影响路径,但关系强度通过促进合作网络中的隐性知识转移进而对企业创新绩效具有显著正向影响。管理启示:中小企业应该与网络伙伴构建强弱紧密程度不同的差序格局关系,以获取不同的知识资源,进而提升企业的创新绩效。     

知识搜索对企业创新质量的影响研究——冗余资源和吸收能力的调节作用

基于106家中国上市的制造业企业2013—2018年的数据，采用面板数据模型，研究知识搜索宽度和知识搜索深度与企业创新质量之间的关系，并分析冗余资源和吸收能力对上述关系的影响。研究发现：知识搜索宽度和知识搜索深度均正向促进企业创新质量；冗余资源对知识搜索深度与企业创新质量的正向关系存在显著的正向调节效应，对知识搜索宽度与企业创新质量的正向关系调节效应不显著；吸收能力负向调节知识搜索宽度与企业创新质量的正向关系，对知识搜索深度与企业创新质量的正向关系调节效应不显著。     

战略柔性、突破性创新与企业绩效关系研究——基于环境不确定性及组织合法性的调节效应

本文旨在分析战略柔性、突破性创新与企业绩效之间的关系,以及环境不确定性和组织合法性分别在战略柔性与突破性创新,突破性创新与企业绩效关系中的调节作用。通过以362家高新技术企业为研究对象进行调查,采用SPSS19.0软件对数据进行统计分析,结果发现:战略柔性(资源柔性、能力柔性)对突破性创新具有显著影响,突破性创新直接显著影响企业绩效。市场不确定性正向调节战略柔性与突破性创新的关系,技术不确定性仅正向调节资源柔性与突破性创新之间的关系,组织合法性正向调节突破性创新与企业绩效之间的关系。最后,探讨了研究结论的管理启示以及未来的研究议题。     

知识溢出的影响因素分析

知识溢出对于创新与经济增长非常重要。影响知识溢出的因素主要有接受方的吸收能力、溢出方的控制能力以及双方之间的技术差距、认知距离和地理距离。其中,技术差距、认知距离与知识溢出效应呈倒U形关系．吸收能力与知识溢出效应呈正向关系,地理距离、控制能力与知识溢出效应呈反向关系。     

Coping with rivals’ absorptive capacity in innovation activities

Two factors jointly determine the likelihood of a firm′s competitors obtaining information on its intangible assets and using it to damage the firm′s innovation performance. Those factors are the absorptive capacity of the rival firm and the appropriability regime of the innovating firm. However, the precise roles of the two factors in affecting performance outcomes are not well documented. Furthermore, we lack knowledge of the interplay between an appropriability regime and absorptive capacity, although they clearly have the capacity to exert positive and negative effects both on each other and on innovativeness. This study presents findings derived from theoretical discussion and an empirical examination of 155 firms that suggest that while competitors’ absorptive capacity does not play a direct negative or positive role on the innovation performance of a firm, an appropriability regime exerts a strong positive influence. Nevertheless, high rival absorptive capacity is not without importance, since the significant interaction effects suggest that a strong appropriability regime has positive effects on innovation performance especially in the context of a rival having high absorptive capacity.     

WHY IS THERE A LACK OF EVIDENCE ON KNOWLEDGE SPILLOVERS FROM FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT?

Empirical analyses of knowledge spillovers from foreign direct investment (FDI) offer mixed results; they find positive, neutral and negative FDI spillover effects. This lack of evidence mainly comes from the results of firm‐level panel data analysis. This is important since this approach seems to be the most appropriate for estimating FDI spillovers. The paper takes a look at recent substantive and methodological developments in FDI spillover analysis, which have brought some more optimistic results with regard to FDI spillovers, and can help in further development in this field. The main substantive development relates to the introduction of a broad variety of sources of firm heterogeneity (foreign affiliates as well as local firms) in the analysis. Others include differentiation between vertical (inter‐industry) and horizontal (intra‐industry) spillovers, and host country absorptive capacity for knowledge spillovers. Methodological developments relate to distinguishing between technological/knowledge and productivity spillovers, improvement of modelling and estimation methods, and an increased amount and quality of data.     

Absorptive capacity and the identification of opportunities in new technology-based firms

The purpose of this work is to investigate relationships between knowledge and opportunities in new ventures. More specifically, this work proposes and empirically tests how potential absorptive capacity is related with the identification of opportunities in new technology-based firms (NTBFs). To take into account the unique nature of NTBFs we divide potential absorptive capacity into problem absorptive capacity, i.e. the ability to identify and acquire knowledge of the goals, aspirations and needs of current and potential customers, and solution absorptive capacity, i.e. the ability to identify and acquire external knowledge of solutions to fulfill them. We develop three hypotheses, which predict that both problem absorptive capacity and solution absorptive capacity will be positively related with the identification of opportunities in NTBFs and that they will reinforce each other. The findings support the importance of making a distinction between the two proposed dimensions of potential absorptive capacity and shed light on their effectiveness and interaction for the identification of opportunities.     

Preparing for distant collaboration: Antecedents to potential absorptive capacity in cross-industry innovation

Cross-industry innovation entails distinctive innovation opportunities and challenges according to the knowledge heterogeneity between the collaborating firms. This heterogeneity yields increases in organizational-level cognitive distance. Whereas recent theory suggests cognitive distance is positively related to exploratory innovation, too much distance can hinder efficient knowledge absorption and results in a reduced effect on novelty value. This paper focuses on the research question of how to build potential absorptive capacity for distant collaboration beyond established industry boundaries to gain radical rather than incremental results. To address this question, we mapped a cross-industry network using survey data on 215 bilateral cross-industry collaborations between firms from a variety of industries and captured cognitive proximity (the inverse of distance) in terms of overall knowledge redundancy between firms. This approach introduces a new method to infer organizational-level cognitive distance from network analysis. Subsequently, based on results from the network analysis, we examined coordination antecedents to potential absorptive capacity for cross-industry innovation with partners at moderate and high distance applying case study analysis. Our study revealed three alternative approaches to coordination antecedents that drive a firm?s potential absorptive capacity for distant collaboration. These findings extend research on absorptive capacity to the field of cross-industry innovation.     

Absorptive capacity—one size fits all? A firm‐level analysis of absorptive capacity for different kinds of knowledge

This paper empirically analyzes the effect of R&D activities, human resource and knowledge management, and the organization of knowledge sharing within a firm on the absorptive capacity of innovative firms for three different types of knowledge, namely absorptive capacity to use knowledge from a firm's own industry, knowledge from other industries and knowledge from research institutions. Using data from the German innovation survey, we investigate how firms are able to exploit knowledge from external partners for successful innovation activities. The estimation results show that the determinants of absorptive capacity differ with respect to the type of knowledge absorbed for innovation activities. In particular, we find that the R&D intensity does not significantly influence absorptive capacity for intra‐ and inter‐industry knowledge. Additionally, our results suggest that absorptive capacity is path dependent and firms can influence their ability to exploit external knowledge by encouraging individuals' involvement in a firm's innovation projects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Building absorptive capacity to organise inbound open innovation in traditional industries

The discussion on open innovation suggests that the ability to absorb external knowledge has become a major driver for competition. For R&D intensive large firms, the concept of open innovation in relation to absorptive capacity is relatively well understood. Little attention has; however, been paid to how both small firms and firms, which operate in traditional sectors, engage in open innovation activities. The latter two categories of firms often dispose of no, or at most a relatively low level of, absorptive capacity. Open innovation has two faces. In the case of inbound open innovation, companies screen their environment to search for technology and knowledge and do not exclusively rely on in-house R&D. A key pre-condition is that firms dispose of “absorptive capacity” to internalise external knowledge. SMEs and firms in traditional industries might need assistance in building absorptive capacity. This paper focuses on the role of collective research centres in building absorptive capacity at the inter-organisational level. In order to do so, primary data was collected through interviews with CEOs of these technology intermediaries and their member firms and analysed in combination with secondary data. The technology intermediaries discussed are created to help firms to take advantage of technological developments. The paper demonstrates that the openness of the innovation process forces firms lacking absorptive capacity to search for alternative ways to engage in inbound open innovation. The paper highlights the multiple activities of which absorptive capacity in intermediaries is made up; defines the concept of absorptive capacity as a pre-condition to open innovation; and demonstrates how firms lacking absorptive capacity collectively cope with distributed knowledge and innovation.     

Emergence of innovation networks from R&D cooperation with endogenous absorptive capacity

This paper extends the existing literature on strategic R&D alliances by presenting a model of innovation networks with endogenous absorptive capacity. The networks emerge as a result of dynamic cooperation between firms occupying different locations in the knowledge space. Partner selection is driven by absorptive capacity which is itself influenced by cognitive distance and R&D investment allocation. Under different knowledge regimes, we examine the structure of networks that emerge and how firms perform within such networks. We find networks that exhibit small world properties which are generally robust to changes in the knowledge regime. Certain network strategies such as occupying brokerage positions or maximising accessibility to potential partners pay off, especially in ‘young’ industries with limited involuntary but abundant voluntary spillovers. This particular result is driven by endogenous absorptive capacity.     

Validation of an instrument to measure absorptive capacity

Absorptive capacity is an ability firms should develop if they wish to adapt to changes in an increasingly competitive and changing environment and to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. Despite the increase in literature on absorptive capacity, some ambiguity remains in determining the dimensions that shape the construct. Thus, no measurement instrument can be adapted to these dimensions. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature on absorptive capacity by using a resource-based view to present an alternative measurement instrument for absorptive capacity. This instrument differentiates between the phases of acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation of knowledge, as well as between the two dimensions of absorptive capacity (potential and realized), to reduce the problem of measuring and identifying the dimensions that shape this important construct. The instrument’s validity and reliability are guaranteed and have been tested using data from 168 Spanish organizations.     

Green Knowledge Sharing,Stakeholder Pressure,Absorptive Capacity,and Green Innovation: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Firms

A central issue faced by many Chinese manufacturing firms is how to absorb and utilize green knowledge shared among supply chain members for superior green innovation. Invoking the indirect research stream of organizational learning theory, we develop a moderated mediation model in which absorptive capacity mediates the interactive effects of green knowledge sharing and stakeholder pressure on green innovation. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 247 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results from multiple regression and bootstrapping tests reveal that absorptive capacity fully mediates the link between green knowledge sharing and green innovation, and the mediation effect is positively contingent upon stakeholder pressure. These findings provide managerial implications for Chinese manufacturing firms, recommending that these firms effectively develop their absorptive capacities and closely monitor stakeholder pressure to realize the green innovation benefits of green knowledge sharing.     

Capabilities that enhance outcomes of an episodic supply chain collaboration

Firms are increasingly dependent on the knowledge and expertise in external organizations to innovate, problem-solve, and improve supply chain performance. This research examines two capabilities that enable firms to collaborate successfully as a means to combine knowledge and expertise in an episodic collaboration initiative. Building from two theoretical foundations, the knowledge-based and relational views of the firm, we examine the effects of absorptive capacity and collaborative process competence on the outcomes of an episodic collaboration initiative. Using structural equation modeling, we empirically validate the positive effect of absorptive capacity, collaborative process competence and level of engagement on the operational and relational success of a collaboration effort. Results show that collaborative process competence mediates the relationship between absorptive capacity and collaborative engagement, and positively influences both operational and relational outcomes. Finally, we offer suggestions for managers to improve the effectiveness of inter-firm collaboration initiatives and discuss future research opportunities.