研发边界渗透性与企业创新:惯例复制的调节作用

Boundary permeability of research and development and innovation of enterprises:The regulatory role of replication of routines

随着研发联盟等网络组织的日趋紧密,企业能够获取和利用边界之外的其他参与者所拥有的知识、信息等技术资源进行创新活动,而无须拥有这些技术资源的所有权,因此如何突破企业研发边界获取异质性的溢出资源是企业创新中一项重要的战略选择。本文从研发联盟中难以厘清且不断渗透的溢出资源出发,提出研发边界渗透性这一概念,并且系统分析了研发边界渗透性、惯例复制对企业创新的作用机理。研究发现:研发边界渗透性与企业突破式创新呈倒U型关系,但是与渐进式创新的倒U型关系不明显,惯例复制强化了研发边界渗透性与企业突破式创新的倒U型关系,同时还发现,由于惯例复制,研发边界渗透性与企业渐进式创新也呈现出倒U型关系。研究结论对如何促进企业突破研发边界性约束,推动企业创新,提升企业核心竞争力具有重要的理论和实践意义。

Knowledge is an important resource in organizations.Resource-based view holds that knowledge is rooted in the culture,routines,system and many other aspects of enterprises,so the effective use of resources affects the innovation of the enterprise,and it can also bring sustainable competitive advantages to the enterprises.Innovation is the result of the interaction between a variety of heterogeneous resources,so alliance cooperation has become an important way to obtain innovation resources,and it may bring unexpected harvests——spillover resources that are difficult to identify and constantly permeate.But companies will face a risky option in the process of innovation cooperation:to use fewer but fully controlled resources,or to access a wider range of resources under limited control.In this paper,138 valid questionnaires were collected from the biopharmaceutical,electronic information and high-end manufacturing industries in Hefei.Based on knowledge management theory and innovation theory,this paper proposes the concept of R&D boundary permeability from the perspective of the spillover resources that are difficult to clarify and constantly permeate in the R&D alliance,and it systematically analyzes the mechanism of R&D boundary permeability and replication of routines on enterprise innovation.The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D boundary permeability and firm radical innovation,but the inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D boundary permeability and firm incremental innovation is not obvious.Replication of routines strengthens the inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D boundary permeability and firm radical innovation.It also found that replication of routines is a process of consolidating the relationship with other enterprises,which can strengthen the trust between enterprises,promote the resources flow between different enterprises,promote the enterprise incremental innovation.Thus,R&D boundary permeability and incremental innovation also has an inverted U-shaped relationship.The research results fill the gap of domestic R&D boundary permeability.Permeability is one of the key issues in early R&D boundary decision,so it has an important impact on the innovation capability of enterprises.However,scholars mostly focus on the relationship between network conventions and dual innovation,while ignoring the relationship between the R&D boundary permeability and dual innovation.Based on a review of the literature,this paper clarifies the concept of R&D boundary permeability,establishes the relationship between boundary permeability and firm innovation,and attempts to explore the moderating effect of replication of routines on the mechanism of boundary permeability on innovation capability.For the enterprises in the alliance network,the research results are helpful to the improvement of their dual innovation ability.Firstly,it is proved that moderate boundary permeability is the most beneficial to promote the improvement of innovation ability of enterprises.Secondly,according to different types of innovation activities,the selection of conventional or flexible replication of routines is conducive to the coordination management and resource acquisition and utilization in innovation activities,which can further promote the innovation of enterprises.The research conclusion also has the important enlightenment to the enterprise innovation practice.The modern era is highly open,and knowledge flows quickly.More than ever,leaders need to be open minded and inclusive.Enterprises should take the initiative to learn from excellent enterprises,maintain a good relationship and strengthen communication with excellent enterprise partners,effectively use organizational routines,promote the heterogeneous knowledge flow between different organizations,and provide guarantee for the improvement of innovation ability.