制造业中小企业创新能力测度指标研究

Innovation Capability Index of Manufacturing SMEs

创新能力代表着企业的发展潜力,但企业创新能力测度一直以创新投入或创新产出为基础,无法体现企业的真实能力。本文基于企业创新流程和制造业中小企业运作特征,构建了制造业中小企业创新能力测度框架。通过应用成熟量表和部分要素量表的开发,解决了该框架下的创新能力测度问题。在文献研究基础上,运用内容分析法发展了企业的前瞻性与创新承诺、组织能力和创新文化因素量表,并以335家制造业中小企业为研究对象,对这些测度指标进行了探索性因素分析,验证了信度和效度,并从创新文化因素中识别出其中涵盖的体制性文化要素和创新氛围要素。

Innovation capacity presents the potentiality of a firm. It is often measured with innovation input or output. However, the real innovation capability of an enterprise cannot always be authentically shown. Based upon the innovation process and characteristics of manufacturing SMEs, we proposed a framework to measure the innovation capability with innovation opportunity identifying capability, innovation realizing capability, and commercializing capability. In addition, we analyzedall the factors of the framework. Based on the analysis results, we developed a comprehensive list of key factors to measure and apply these key factors.Innovation process can be divided into three stages of the fuzz： front end, innovation developing, and commercialization. The innovation capability of SMEs relies heavily on their high level specialty. SMEs minimize their innovation cost by their high degree of sensitivity to changing trends, conductive organizing structure for innovation, and flexible business models. We therefore divided innovation capabilityinto opportunity identifying capability, innovation realizing capability, and commercializing capability. The prime motive of innovation is triggered by the enterprises＇ innovation interests, technology capability, and market demand. The basic factors of opportunity identification include the active searching for opportunity, the alertness to opportunity, and the previous knowledge of the industry and market. SMEs need the willingness of commitment to innovation, the input capacity, the organizing capability, and the supporting innovative atmosphere. Therefore, the innovation realizing capability can be divided into four factors： strategic capability, input capacity, organizing capability and innovative culture. Commercialization means taking innovation to markets. It includes market monitoring and analyzing, customer contacting, market planning, and selling. Its efficiency is mainly reflected in its degree of accuracy during market launching. To measure related factors, we used well-developed, reliable indices, such as the opportunity identifying index from Chandler Jansen, and the risk propensity index of senior executives in market orientation index from JaworskiKohli. Our measurement index is developed from the content analysis technique. Three doctorate candidates, two doctoral advisors, and nine managers provided their suggestions andconducted a preliminary content analysis before developing a questionnaire. Lastly, theexploratory factor analysis technique is used to develop innovation factors, organizing capacity and innovative culture based on the data from 335 manufacturing SMEs. These companies are mainly located in Zhejiang province. We identified two sub-factors of institutional culture and innovative climate from the innovative culture factor in the examining process.