资源拼凑与中小企业创新:智力资本的中介作用

Resource bricolage and innovation of SMEs:The mediating effect of intellectual capital

既有研究表明面临资源短缺的中小企业能够通过资源拼凑实现创新,然而其并未揭示资源拼凑促进创新的作用过程和机制。基于组织学习理论的视角,本文构建了智力资本(人力资本、组织资本、社会资本)在资源拼凑到创新过程中的中介模型,并基于珠三角地区200家中小企业的数据进行了检验。研究结果表明智力资本部分中介了资源拼凑到创新的关系:资源拼凑在直接促进创新的同时,也间接通过提升企业的智力资本促进创新。在理论上,本研究揭示了资源拼凑对创新的作用过程和机理,弥补了已有研究的不足;在实践上,本研究为面临资源短缺的中小企业如何克服资源短缺,提升智力资本,进而推动创新提供了重要参考。

Small and medium enterprises(SMEs)play an important role in economic growth,employment and innovation.However,most SMEs are difficult to raise enough capital,recruit skilled labors and attract other resources.Scholars have observed that some SMEs still innovate successfully under severe resource constraints.Why some SMEs under severe resource constraints innovate successfully?Bricolage theory provides one of feasible explanations.Bricolage refers to u making do by applying combinations of the resources at hand to new problems and opportunities".The existing studies have shown that SMEs can promote innovation through resource bricolage.Nevertheless,the process and mechanism that resource bricolage enhances innovation are still ambiguous.From the perspective of organizational learning,this paper constructs a model that intellectual capital(human capital,organizational capital and social capital)partially mediates the relationship between resource bricolage and innovation.Resource bricolage directly contributes to innovation by transforming see mi ngly useless resources to useful resources.Resource bricolage can also improve human capital,organizational capital and social capital.Intellectual capital that improved by resource bricolage can also lead to innovation.Because the direct effect of resource bricolage on innovation has been studied extensively,this paper mainly focuses on the mediating effect of intellectual capital.Human capital means knowledge like experience and skills embedded in employees.When facing resource constraints,bricoleurs do not passively wait for standard resources or give up,but act immediately to find workable solutions through trial and error.They need to excavate new value from existing resources.In this process,employees deepen their understanding of resources and opportunities,and their skills will be trained and improved accordingly.Resource bricolage emphasizes the combination of knowledge in varied fields,which can produce more complex knowledge.Based on above analysis,we hypothesize that resource bricolage is positively related with human capital.Organizational capital means knowledge embedded in database,patents and routines.In the process of bricolage,employees challenge existing standard solutions,break traditional institutions and create new rules.Resource bricolage can break organizational rigidity and foster flexibility.The outcome of resource bricolage may be successful or failed.Successful practices would be retained,and failed practices would be abandoned.As a result,the original routines and rules of enterprises are updated.Based on above analysis,we hypothesize that resource bricolage is positively related with organizational capital.Social capital means knowledge embedded in firms’intenial and external social network.Bricoleurs need to have the ability of building social network.During experimenting resources at hand,employees constantly communicate with each other,which can foster knowledge transfer.Resource bricolage is often accompanied by the interaction among enterprises,customers,suppliers and competitors,thus creatively introducing the ideas and skills of bystanders into organizational knowledge system.Based on above analysis,we hypothesize that resource bricolage is positively related with social capital.A number of studies have shown that intellectual capital is the determining factor of innovation.Skillful employees can identify market opportunities,propose new ideas,and transform them into new products or services.Excellent management system,business routines and knowledge management system are the determinants of new product development.Strong internal social capital can promote the exchange and sharing of information and knowledge among employees.External social capital is a crucial way for enterprises to obtain information and resources.Information and knowledge can improve innovation performance.Based on above analysis,we hypothesize that resource bricolage is positively related with human capital,organizational capital and social capital,and intellectual capital mediates the relationship between resource bricolage and innovation.We used questionnaires to collect data.We selected the sample from China Pearl River Delta region.We used random sampling method to delivery 312 questionnaires and retrieved 200 questionnaires.To ensure the validity and reliability of constructs,we adopted mature measured scales drawn from previous literature.All items were measured using the Likert scale.The validity test and reliability test show that our measurements are valid and reliable.Using SPSS 20.0,the result shows that:The problem of common method bias does not exist;All correlation coefficients do not exceed 0.80;The problem of multicollinearity does not exist.Multiple OLS linear regression indicates that all hypothesis are supported.Intellectual capital partially mediates the relationship between resource bricolage and innovation.This paper indicates that resource bricolage is an effective method for SMEs to overcome resource constraints and conduct innovation.In the process of resource bricolage,employees*experience and skills have been upgraded,organizational routines and process have been updated,and organizational social network has also been improved.Resource bricolage not only directly promotes innovation,but also enhances intellectual capital,which further promotes innovation.In theory,this paper uncovers the process and mechanism between resource bricolage and innovation.Existing studies reveal that resource bricolage can promote product innovation,service innovation,and business model innovation.Subsequent empirical studies verified that resource bricolage directly promotes innovation.However,previous studies have not clearly explained the process and mechanism.This study identifies the mediating effect of intellectual capital,which opens up the black box of resource bricolage to innovation.This paper also identifies a new antecedent of intellectual capital.This study enriches resource bricolage theory and innovation theory.In practice,this study provides helpful useful guidelines for SMEs to overcome resource constraints,promote intellectual capital and conduct innovation.Our study implies that SMEs should act immediately when facing resource shortage,view resources from a new perspective,and creatively explore new uses of cheap or waste resources at hand.Our research suggests that SMEs should actively carry out resource bricolage activities to increase intellectual capital,thus improve competitiveness.Managers of SMEs should take measures to embed the intellectual capital brought by resource bricolage into the employees,systems,processes and social networks of enterprises.The imitations of this paper are mainly sample selection and research design.We only selected samples in the Pearl River Delta region,which may lead to the generalization of research conclusions.The samples we selected are surviving enterprise,and there may exist surviving bias problem.Cross-sectional data are used in our study,and the causality needs to be further tested.In future studies,selecting a wider range of samples,collecting data of bankrupted SMEs and conducting periodic research are necessary.We have found the mediating effect of intellectual capital between resource bricolage and innovation,and the other paths of resource bricolage to innovation are still worth further explored.