外部搜寻、联结强度、吸收能力与创新绩效的关系

Research on the Impact of External Search,Linking Intensity and Absorptive Capacity on Innovation Performance

从企业边界理论和知识基础观出发,研究搜寻宽度和搜寻深度对组织探索式创新绩效和应用式创新绩效的影响;引入联结强度和吸收能力作为情景变量,探讨二者对主效应的调节作用;利用三项交互方法,探讨外部搜寻战略、联结强度和吸收能力三者的交互作用对创新绩效的影响;以281家本土制造业企业为样本,利用分层回归分析和三项交互分析方法进行实证研究。研究结果表明,搜寻宽度与探索式创新绩效正相关,与应用式创新绩效呈倒U形关系,搜寻深度与应用式创新绩效正相关;联结强度负向调节搜寻宽度与探索式创新绩效之间的关系,正向调节搜寻深度与应用式创新绩效之间的关系;实际吸收能力正向调节搜寻宽度与探索式创新绩效之间的关系,潜在吸收能力正向调节搜寻深度与应用式创新绩效之间的关系;搜寻宽度、联结强度和实际吸收能力三者交互项与探索式创新绩效负相关,搜寻深度、联结强度和潜在吸收能力三者交互项与应用式创新绩效正相关。通过探讨外部搜寻、联结强度和吸收能力的三项交互作用对创新绩效的影响,发现搜寻宽度和搜寻深度对创新绩效的显著差异化影响,有助于从一个新的视角解释外部搜寻与创新绩效之间的"关系争论";已有外部搜寻研究往往忽略组织间的联结机制,通过引入联结强度,弥补了联结机制的缺失;区别于已有吸收能力的直接效应研究,将吸收能力作为调节变量分情景讨论,丰富了吸收能力的权变视角研究。研究结果有助于加强外部搜寻理论研究,并一定程度上有利于指导中国企业具体创新实践。

Based on enterprise boundary theory and knowledge-based view, this study researches on the impacts of search breadth and search depth on organizational exploratory and exploitative innovation performance. In this paper, we use linking intensity and absorptive capacity as contextual variables and explore their moderating effects. Then, we find three-way interaction effects among external search strategy, linking intensity and absorptive capacity on innovation performance. We used empirical research to test the hypotheses, and collected data from 281 manufacturing enterprises in China. Using the method of hierarchical regression analysis and three-way interaction, this paper finds that search breadth is positively related to exploratory innovation perform- ance, yet is boll-shaped related to exploitative innovation performance. Search depth is positively related to exploitative innovation performance. Linking intensity negatively moderates the relationship between search breadth and exploratory innovation performance, yet positively moderates the relationship between search depth and exploitative innovation performance. Actual absorptive capacity positively moderates the relationship between search breadth and exploratory innovation performance, while potential absorptive capacity positively moderates the relationship between search depth and exploitative innovation performance. The three - way interaction among search breadth, linking intensity and actual absorptive capacity is negatively related to exploratory innovation pedormance, and the three-way interaction among search depth, linking intensity and potential absorptive capacity is pesitively related to exploitative innovation performance. This study explores the three-way interaction effects of external search, linking intensity and absorptive capacity on exploratory and exploitative innovation performance. Compared to recent research, our innovative contributions reside in the following aspects ： First, this study serves us a new perspective different from prior debates whether the relationship between search and innovation is linear or nonlinear, and finds different influences of search breadth and search depth on exploratory and exploitative innovation performance. Second, we make up the absence of coupling mechanism in prior search research by introducing linking intensity. Third, we enriches absorptive capability research by introducing contingent view and find different moderate effects of potential and reality absorptive capability. This study helps strengthen external search theories, and serves as guidelines to inno- vation practices in some degree.