信息交互能力的构成要素探索及形成机理研究——基于腾讯公司的纵向案例分析

Research on the Components and the Formation Mechanism of Information Interaction Capabilities:A Longitudinal Case Study of Tencent

基于信息交互能力的现有研究,尝试揭示信息交互能力构成要素及其形成机理,解析互联网企业的新型企业能力和竞争优势来源,进一步完善信息交互能力的理论研究。首先采用经典扎根理论研究方法,通过多次深度访谈,将互联网企业的信息交互能力构成要素提炼归纳为自知力、同理力、变易力和生态力;接下来,为了探究信息交互能力形成机理,根据典型的标志事件将腾讯的成长过程划分为4个阶段:初创期、成长期、转型期和二次腾飞期,进而展开纵向案例分析。结果发现,腾讯公司的信息交互能力从无到有,由弱变强,最终形成了一个相对成熟、比较强大的信息交互能力。而在每个发展阶段,其信息交互能力表现出的特点、内部构成的强弱、起到的作用既有相似,又有不同。总的来说,自知力和同理力是信息交互能力的基础,变易力是信息交互能力的核心,生态力是信息交互能力的方向和指引,四力相互影响,相互促进,共同形成了信息交互能力变化的内在机制。

With the spread of COVID-19 since 2020,the digital economy represented by Internet companies has been forging ahead against the trend,presenting organizational agility and becoming a new engine for high-quality development in economic growth.However,Brick-and-mortar businesses which are dominated by the traditional business mode had suffered a huge impact,and incumbent firms face significant challenges.Digital transformation has become the only choice for them to adapt to deep uncertainty in digital economy.Digital transformation requires not only the application of technologies,but also the upgrading and transformation of existing organizational capabilities.But,how do incumbent firms in traditional industries build new digital capabilities?The Internet enterprises which are originated in digital economy undoubtedly has very good references.Based on the existing research on information interaction capabilities(IICs),this paper tries to reveal the components of IICs and its formation mechanism,analyzes the sources of capabilities and competitive advantages of Internet enterprises,and improves the theoretical research on IICs.Based on the grounded theory methodology and according to steps of open coding,axial coding and selective coding,this paper explores components of IICs by three in-depth interviews;Secondly,through elaborating on the history and growth path of typical Chinese Internet company-Tencent Corporation in the past 20 years,we explore the formation mechanisms of IICs.Following SPS(Structured-Pragmatic-Situational)approach,this paper divides the growth into four stages based on typical landmark events in Tencent’s history.Using the exploratory case analysis method,this paper conducts the longitudinal case analysis and the formation mechanism of IICs is deeply explored.Through theoretical construction,four constructs are obtained.Variability capability plays a core role,self-cognition capability and empathy capability serve as the foundation,and ecology capability guides and indicates the direction.These four elements interact with each other and are unified under the framework of the IICs four-force model,constituting the basic elements of IICs.Through the literature review,we compare these four constructs with the literature and find that these constructs have similarities and differences with relevant constructs in literature.Self-cognition capability includes an enterprise’s capability of self-awareness and self-reflection.Empathy capability includes the ability to insight into and perceive user,partners,and suppliers and their needs,as well as their roles in and interactions with their environment.Variability capability includes"change","non-change"and"simplicity",which is the ability of enterprises to achieve transformation and innovation,"change and keep value"and simplify complexity.Ecology capability is the ability of enterprises to build business ecosystem.According to the case study,the formation of IICs is the process of facilitate mutually and evolve collaboratively between internal components and external circumstances.The external circumstances include information interactive technology,information interactive resources,strategic goal of a firm and business ecosystem.Under the joint action of internal component and external circumstances IICs can evolve beyond where it currently is and become something more.Stronger and more sustainable.The organization also enters a newer stage of development accordingly.This study reveals that the components of IICs and the black box of formation mechanism of IICs.Through additional empirical studies,which examine IICs,it will be possible to achieve a deeper understanding of the critical capabilities and the theoretical foundation based on information theory,interaction design theory,resource-based theory for the successful definition.This study supplement that IICs is the strategic organizational capabilities of"Interactive and co-created experience"-oriented.The components of IICs not only include these categories-sensing,seizing,and transforming,which also reside in dynamic capabilities,but also include new categories-variability,self-cognition,and value co-creation,which are not available for dynamic capabilities and reflect the features of Internet enterprises’capabilities.A major implication of our results is that IICs is a new and high-level capabilities of Internet firms,which has specific components and relatively clear boundaries,and it has the dynamic feature that is to adapt to the rapidly changing external environment,which is similar to dynamic capabilities.Compared to dynamic capabilities,IICs provide a better explanation for the rapid rise of Chinese Internet companies.Firms with strong IICs make good decisions in the environment of the next generation information technology.The formation mechanism of IICs provides of a model of how firms can create competitive advantages in the circumstances of the next generation information technology and high uncertainty.