创新网络架构特征组态对知识转移绩效的影响机制

Impact Mechanism of Innovation Network Feature Configuration on Knowledge Transfer Performance

创新网络为各类创新主体的资源共享、互动交流、知识转移等活动提供平台,是企业拓展知识边界,进而实现高效创新的重要途径。在提取影响创新网络架构多样化、技术水平、地域跨度和闭合性4个条件变量的基础上,以高质量知识转移绩效为结果变量构建概念模型,同时,收集63家高新技术企业数据,借助模糊集定性比较分析法(fsQCA),识别出3类创新网络架构特征组态并揭示其核心特征。研究发现,企业可通过搭建延伸互通型、行业区域联盟型、精准互通型等创新网络架构获得高质量知识转移绩效。研究结果不仅可为企业获取高质量知识转移绩效提供差异化路径,而且可为企业高效构建复杂创新网络架构提供参考。

In the era of science and technology, it is difficult for enterprises to maintain competitive advantages based on traditional innovation concepts. Innovation networks provide diversified external knowledge acquisition channels for enterprises to solve technical problems and break through knowledge bottlenecks. However, for the core enterprises in the innovation network, not all innovation networks can promote high-quality knowledge transfer performance, especially when there are problems in the innovation network such as resource redundancy, high management costs and knowledge transfer blocked due to the trust crisis, it is easy to lead to inefficient introversion of the innovation network. Therefore, the characteristics of innovation networks and knowledge transfer performance have attracted wide academic attention, and it is of significance to explore the impact mechanism of innovation network characteristics on knowledge transfer performance for enterprises so as to effectively use innovation networks in practice.Although the existing literature has explored the impact of innovation networks on knowledge transfer performance from multiple perspectives, there are still some limitations. First, for the research on the structure, relationship and content of innovation networks, scholars mostly focus on the linear relationship between several independent variables and dependent variables, and pay less attention to the nonlinear relationship between these characteristics and knowledge transfer performance and the combination effect of different types of network characteristics, and it is difficult to systematically explain how the characteristics of innovation networks impact the performance of knowledge transfer;secondly, most of the existing research studies the impact of innovation network characteristics on knowledge transfer performance from the resource perspective, ignoring the fact that enterprises may have diminished marginal returns in the process of building innovation networks with certain characteristics. It may offset the innovation benefits, and thus has a negative impact on knowledge transfer performance. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the innovation network to obtain high-quality knowledge transfer performance from the perspective of macro strategy based on the resource and cost view, explore the characteristic variables that affect the innovation network structure, and then study the innovation network structure to obtain high-quality knowledge transfer performance from the perspective of configuration thinking.On the basis of the extraction of four conditional variables that affect the diversification, technological level, geographical span and closure of the innovation network architecture, the conceptual model is constructed with high-quality knowledge transfer performance as the result variable. Then the data of 63 high-tech enterprises are collected, and with the help of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis(fQCA), three types of innovation network architecture feature configurations are identified and their core characteristics are revealed. The study extracts four macro-network architecture features that can guide the micro-network node configuration, and links the network node configuration(partner selection) with knowledge transfer performance, further expanding the scope of innovation network research. The fsQCA method suitable for solving the configuration problem is used to derive three types of innovation network architectures that can achieve high-quality knowledge transfer performance, providing decision support for different types of manufacturing enterprises to build innovation networks.The research results show that in order to achieve high-quality knowledge transfer among the innovation network subjects, the configuration effect of the innovation network architecture characteristics should not be ignored. Enterprises can achieve high-quality knowledge transfer performance by building three types of innovation network architecture. The following revelations are obtained. First, it is essential to build an extended and interconnected innovation network, efficiently absorb knowledge and technology in emerging fields, and properly improve the closure of the innovation network to enhance the stability of the cooperation environment;the second is to build an industrial regional alliance innovation network, further optimize the allocation of enterprise resources, and rely on the strength of regional alliances to improve the technical level and expand the market;third it is critical to build an accurate and interconnected innovation network, search for high-quality partners, avoid blind network expansion and accurately identify innovation opportunities.The research results can not only provide differentiated paths for enterprises to obtain high-quality knowledge transfer performance, but also reference for enterprises to efficiently build complex innovation network architecture.