研发网络分散化,组织学习顺序与创新绩效:比较案例研究

The Decentralization of the R&D Network, the Sequence of the Organizational Learning and the Innovation Performance: A Multi-case Study

通过对两家大型民营企业的纵向比较案例研究,本文试图破解企业在一方面面对来自全球的激烈竞争,想要通过超本地搜寻获取知识资源以实现技术赶超,另一方面面对国内制度缺陷,技术落差巨大的现实背景,在执行研发走出去战略的同时担心面临巨额成本与风险,而陷入的两难困境。研究发现:首先,研发网络分散化/收敛化的过程中,4种组织学习顺序扮演了重要角色,分别为播种型、独奏型、咨询型和增强型组织学习顺序;其次,针对企业研发网络通过技术分散和地理分散进行演化的不同方式,企业选取不同的组织学习顺序与之相匹配;最后,与研发网络分散化相匹配的不同组织学习顺序能够显著促进企业创新绩效的提升。本文结论对于理解研发网络分散化与创新之间动态关系有着重要理论和实践意义。

After comparing two big private firms in China, we try to find out the solution to the thorny dilemma of the firms in the emerging markets regarding the R&D network: on the one hand, facing fierce competition around the world, they want to acquire knowledge through extra-local search strategy to achieve technological catch-up, on the other hand,facing domestic institutional defects and huge technology backwardness, they worry about the expensive cost and big risk if they choose to construct extra-local R&D network. Our results indicate that Seeding Learning Sequence, Soloing Learning Sequence, Consulting Learning Sequence, and Enhancing Learning Sequence are emerged, which play important roles in the process of R&D network decentralization. Moreover, along with how firms expand their R&D network by diversifying technologies or locations, different learning sequences will have different effects on short-term or long-term innovation performance. Our results have important theoretical and managerial implications.