技术多元化促进了合作创新吗?——阴阳范式的实证研究

Does Technological Diversification Promote Cooperative Innovation? An Empirical Study Based on Yin-Yang Paradigm

基于"阴阳范式"的视角,构建了相关和非相关技术多元化与合作创新的关系模型,并利用电子信息行业专利等数据进行实证分析。结果显示:相关技术多元化与合作创新之间存在倒U型关系,非相关技术多元化对合作创新具有促进作用;辩证性视角下的多元化平衡增强了非相关技术多元化对合作创新的促进作用;"累加整体效应"和"协同整体效应"均对合作创新具有倒U型影响;技术多元化对合作创新的作用取决于相关和非相关多元化之间的"动态性",在技术多元化中前期,保持多元化平衡更有利于合作创新。研究深化了技术多元化的理论研究,也是对中国本土化阴阳范式的初步尝试,研究结果对组织开展技术多元化战略提供重要的理论参考。

Cooperative innovation(CI)involving multiple innovators has become a driver of technological breakthroughs.Different from internal development,organizations have to effectively search potential partners,manage cooperative relationships and coordinate collaborative projects.Thus,how to improve the performance of CI has attracted extensive attention of scholars.A central debate is how technological diversification(TD)of participants shapes the performance of CI.On the one hand,organizations with a diversified technology portfolio generally hold more cross-domain knowledge,and greater absorptive and integration capabilities,which are critical in cooperative innovation.On the other hand,participants with a more focused technological portfolio are considered more effective in utilizing economies of scale by division of innovative labor Empirical results also provide no definite conclusion on the question.Thus,the relationship between TD and innovation performance of CI deserve more dedicated research with new perspectives.Based on perspective of“Yin-Yang balance”,we regard related technological diversification(RTD)and unrelated technological diversification(UTD)as both sides of“Yin”and“Yang”and constructs the framework of the integration,dynamics and dialectics of RTD and UTD on CI.Using patent data of electronic information industry,national enterprise credit information publicity system data and enterprise geographic information,this paper makes an empirical analysis of the how related and unrelated technological diversification affect CI.The result shows that(1)there is an inverted u-shaped relationship between RTD and CI and the UTD has a significant catalytic effect on CI;(2)The balance of RTD and UTD enhances the positive effect of UTD on innovation performance of CI;(3)The combination of RTD and UTD have a reverse U effect on CI.(4)The relationship between TD and CI also depends on the dynamic balance between RTD and UTD:in the early stage of diversification,balance between RTD and UTD is more contributive to CI.This paper is a novel attempt to study the complex relationship between technological diversification and CI performance using the Chinese“Yin-Yang”management theory framework.We provide a new perspective that when debating whether diversification is beneficial to CI performance,it is not enough to compare firms diversify and those do not,but study firms who manages a balance between RTD and UTD,and those fails to do so.Besides,the balance should be viewed from a dynamic view.Our empirical findings support the new perspective inspired by the“Yin-Yang”management theory framework.Our contribution can be highlighted as follows.Firstly,based on the“Yin-Yang”paradigm,we constructed a framework of TD and CI,and explored the influence of RTD and UTD on CI,which extends the content of CI theory.Secondly,we empirically examined the moderating effect of the balance between RTD and UTD and the influence of dynamic portfolio and interactive integrity on CI,which is a further deepening of the relationship between TD and CI.Thirdly,based on the“Yin-Yang paradigm”,this study makes an empirical study on the relationship between relevant and NTD and CI,which is a good complement to the quantitative analysis of China's Yin-Yang balance paradigm,and also a practice and attempt to localize management theory.The results of our research also provide implications for practice.On one hand,developing TD strategy is an effective way to improve the performance of CI.RTD helps to enhance the depth of organizational technology research and development.However,it should follow the principle of moderation.Excessive RTD will also produce“resource curse”and hinder organizational cooperation and innovation.UTD reflects the breadth of the knowledge base of the organization.It is an important strategy for the organization to effectively expand the scope of cooperation between the organization and the diversified innovators,and reduce R&D risks through the scale of technological innovation.On the other hand,in developing TD,we should grasp the balance between relevant and non-related TD,give full play to their synergistic advantages,expand the technological field with non-related diversification,and establish their core competence in new fields with related diversification.Particular attention should be paid to continuing intensive farming in this field rather than“dragonfly water”after diversifying non-related technologies.