宗族网络与企业创新——农村创业者先前经验的协同与平衡

Clan Networks and Enterprise Innovation:Synergy and Balance of Prior Experience of Rural Entrepreneurs

现有研究已经认识到了宗族网络等社会资本的重要作用,但没有阐述清楚宗族网络中的什么因素是影响农村企业创新的关键,也没有认识到农村创业者先前经验的调节作用和地区间差异。在资源匮乏的农村地区,宗族网络一方面可以通过信任与资源供给对企业创新产生积极影响;另一方面又可能因为排斥局外人、限制知识与人员流动而对企业创新产生负面影响。与此同时,先前经验越丰富的创业者越有意识和能力去调动宗族网络的正面影响。为此,文章基于社会资本理论构建宗族网络、企业创新水平以及农村创业者先前经验之间关系的理论分析框架,并用我国"千村调查"的微观数据进行实证检验。研究发现:(1)总体而言,宗族规模对农村创业企业的创新水平的影响不显著,而宗族强度对企业创新水平具有显著的正向影响。(2)农村创业者先前经验能强化宗族强度与创新水平之间的正向关系,发挥协同作用;也就是说,经验越丰富的创业者越能发挥宗族网络在创新中的积极作用。(3)在经济发展水平高或者宗族文化强的地区,宗族规模对农村创业企业的创新水平的负向影响更为显著,同时宗族强度的正向影响也更为突出。文章拓展了宗族网络的创新效应研究,对农村创业者如何平衡宗族网络的利弊具有重要的实践意义。

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up,China’s sustained rapid economic growth is closely related to the effective solution of the three rural issues.Compared with cities,China’s rural areas have relatively low level of economic development,relatively closed information,narrow financing channels,weak infrastructure conditions,and a lack of human capital and professional knowledge.At the same time,the relatively stable population structure,genetic relationship and intergenerational inheritance make the rural areas have closer clan relations.In this situation,how rural entrepreneurs seek advantages and avoid disadvantages,and obtain resources needed for enterprise development is not only related to the quality of their innovation and entrepreneurship,but also of great significance to the revitalization of rural economy.Existing research has recognized the important role of clan networks and other social capital,but it has not explained clearly what factors in clan networks are the key factors affecting the innovation of rural enterprises,and it has not recognized the moderating effect and inter-regional differences of prior experience of rural entrepreneurs.This paper empirically tests the influence of clan networks on enterprise innovation based on the micro data of the"survey on thousand villages",including the coordination and balance of prior experience of entrepreneurs.This paper finds that clan intensity reflects the relationship and cognitive characteristics of social capital,and the supply of resource capital and normative capital can promote the innovation level of rural entrepreneurial enterprises.In regions with high level of economic development or strong clan culture,clan scale has a more significant negative impact on the enterprise innovation level.That is to say,clan scale reflects more network characteristics of social capital and inhibits enterprise innovation by excluding outsiders and restricting the flow of personnel and knowledge.At the same time,the competence view based on the social capital theory finds that the accumulation of prior experience can improve the knowledge,resource,cognitive level or personal ability of entrepreneurs,making rural entrepreneurs better play the positive role of clan strength in innovation and reduce the potential negative impact of the clan scale on innovation.That is to say,the prior experience of entrepreneurs plays a balance and synergy role between clan networks and enterprise innovation.This paper contributes to the following four aspects:Firstly,it enriches the existing literature’s understanding of the influencing factors of enterprise innovation,focuses on the unique social situation in China,and studies the internal mechanism of clan networks and enterprise innovation.Secondly,we divide clan networks into two levels:scale and intensity,to conduct a more comprehensive and detailed study,and find that the clan strength reflecting clan cohesion has a more positive impact on the level of enterprise innovation.Thirdly,we analyze how the prior experience of entrepreneurs moderates the impact of clan networks.Fourthly,we take 3311 Chinese rural entrepreneurs as samples to reveal the impact mechanism of regional clan networks on the enterprise innovation level in rural areas of China.