“探索-利用”视角下企业技术能力分类建构与案例研究

Type Construction and Case Study of Firm's Technological Capability Under the View of‘Exploration-Exploitation’

单一维度的技术能力分类难以解释快速变化环境下特定企业如何获得竞争优势。为更全面地反映企业整体技术能力,提出包括技术探索能力和技术利用能力的二维构念,将企业技术能力分为探索导向型、利用导向型、二元Ⅰ型和二元Ⅱ型四类。通过对金陵药业、安科生物、华兰生物以及新和成四家上市公司的跨案例比较分析,从技术体制、研发活动、产品等维度归纳了不同技术能力类型特征,为全面理解技术能力提供了系统和动态的视角。

Technological capability(TC)refers to a firm's ability to combine or reorganize product components and establish connections between product components,methods,processes,and technologies using specific technical resources such as patents,databases,engineering design,and skilled engineers.TC is one of the most important resources for a firm to develop new products,improve financial performance,and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.Facing a rapidly changing environment,firms should not only focus on accumulating capabilities that support product renewal and efficiency improvement under the existing technology trail but also explore knowledge that adapts to technological change.Therefore,ambidextrous technological capability is needed to maintain the sustainable success of firms.Building on the work of Garcia-Muina et al.,who classify TC into technological exploratory capabilities and technological exploitative capabilities,we present a two-dimensional TC analysis framework and divide TC into four categories:exploration-oriented,exploitation-oriented,ambidextrous mode I,and ambidextrous mode II.Based on the data analysis of 2011-2020 panel data from 255 listed pharmaceutical firms in China,we summarize the characteristics of different types of TC by conducting a cross-case study of four listed firms,including JINLIN PHARMACEUTICAL,ANKEBIO,HUALAN BIO,and NHU,from the dimensions of technological regime,R&D activities,and products.We put forward three propositions.Proposition 1:A firm's degree of knowledge accumulation and appropriability together constitute the characteristics of the technological regime in observing TC type.Compared to explorationoriented and ambidextrous mode I firms,ambidextrous mode II and exploitation-oriented firms have a higher level of knowledge accumulation and a strong appropriation mechanism.Proposition 2:A firm's degree of R&D intensity and technology strategy together constitute the characteristics of R&D in observing TC type.Compared to ambidextrous mode I firms,others have a higher R&D intensity.Regarding technology strategy,ambidextrous mode II firms adopt an offensive strategy,exploitation-oriented firms take a dependent strategy,exploration-oriented firms take an opportunistic strategy,and ambidextrous mode I firms take an imitative strategy.Proposition 3:Product relatedness and product life cycle together constitute the product characteristics of TC type.Ambidextrous mode II and exploitationoriented firms have a high level of product relatedness,while exploration-oriented and ambidextrous mode I firms have a low level of product relatedness.The introduction stage is closely related to the exploration-oriented firms,the growth stage is closely related to the exploitation-oriented firms,and the maturity and decline stages are closely related to the ambidextrous mode I firms.The ambidextrous mode II firms play an essential role in generation upgrade.