How does network intermediary affect collaborative innovation?Evidence from Chinese listed companies

Purpose:This study aims to explore how network intermediaries influence collaborative innovation performance within inter-organizational technological collaboration networks.Design/methodology/approach:This study employs a mixed-method approach,combining quantitative social network analysis with regression techniques to investigate the role of network intermediaries in collaborative innovation performance.Using a patent dataset of Chinese industrial enterprises,the research constructs the collaboration networks and analyzes their structural positions,particularly focusing on their role as intermediaries,characterized by betweenness centrality.Negative binomial regression analysis is employed to assess how these network characteristics shape innovation outcomes.Findings:The study reveals that firms in intermediary positions enhance collaborative innovation performance,but this effect is nuanced.A key finding is that network clustering negatively moderates the intermediary-innovation relationship.Highly clustered networks,while fostering local collaboration,may limit the innovation potential of intermediaries.On the other hand,relationship strength,measured by collaboration intensity and trust among firms,positively moderates the intermediary-innovation link.Research limitations:This study has several limitations that present opportunities for further research.The reliance on quantitative social network analysis may overlook the complexity of intermediaries’roles,and future studies could benefit from incorporating qualitative methods to better understand cultural and institutional factors.Additionally,cross-country comparisons are needed to assess the consistency of these dynamics in different contexts.Practical implications:The study offers practical insights for firms and policymakers.Organizations should strategically position themselves as network intermediaries to access diverse information and resources,thereby improving innovation performance.Building strong trust helps using network intermediary advantages.For firms in highly clustered networks,it is important to seek external partners to avoid limiting their exposure to new ideas and technologies.This research emphasizes the need to balance network diversity with relationship strength for sustained innovation.Originality/value:This research contributes to the literature by offering new insights into the role of network intermediaries,presenting a comprehensive framework for understanding the interaction between network dynamics and firm innovation.

Rural sustainable development:A case study of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone in China

Sustainable development is the central theme of modern global development.With the arrival of the urban era,the vulnerability and instability of rural areas have significantly increased,and rural sustainable development faces serious challenges.To address these issues,the study took the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone in China under the National Sustainable Development Agenda as a case,combined with economic,social and land use data during 2016-2020,and applied Granger causality test method to explore the theoretical and practical pathways of“innovation-driven rural sustainable development”.The results showed that rural sustainable development and economic sustainability displayed a trend of synergistic change,with“explosive”growth from 2018 to 2020.The social sustainability steadily increased from 2016 to 2020.Ecological and spatial sustainability continuously declined during the study period.Moreover,the rural innovation capacity of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone displayed rapid growth during 2016-2020.Although the rural innovation capacity of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone has rapidly improved,it has a weak driving effect on rural sustainable development and economic sustainability.There are two primary challenges that must be overcome to ensure the rural sustainable development of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone.The first challenge is the imbalance among the multi-dimensional relationships in the process of rural sustainable development,and the second challenge is the weakening of rural innovation capacity to drive rural sustainable development.To overcome these challenges,this study proposed a systematic pathway for rural sustainable development in the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone from multidimensions,such as policy actions,technologies,projects,and institutional guarantees,and formed a universal and representative“Zaozhuang model”.This study expands the theoretical foundation of rural sustainable development and provides theoretical and practical support for innovation-driven rural sustainable development.

Entrepreneurship corporate social responsibility and flexible innovation networks： On the interaction between TNCs＇ R＆D activities and local development

Entrepreneurship corporate social responsibility is concerned with obligations that should be undertaken by an enterprise or ＂enterprise citizen＂ to the society including interrelationship between enterprise and some related interest dependents. And it is a sense of value, discipline and respect to the people, community and environment-related policies of the enterprise. Obviously, the core of the notion refers to a commitment of the enterprise in order to improve living standard of related interest counterparts. Nowadays, entrepreneurship corporate social responsibility has been not only an ethical call, but also an institutional constraint. The consensus is that in operation process an enterprise should take into account of its economic, social and ethical effects on consumers, staffs, shareholders, communities, local governments and environment and make a better prospect to them. Based on this point of view, by field work and questionnaire method, this paper discusses specifically the interaction between TNCs＇ R＆D activities and local development of the Pudong New Area, a China＇s largest special economic zone in Shanghai to explore dynamics of the TNCs＇ R＆D activities, growth of the local economy and their roles in promoting flexible innovation networks for sustainable futures. This involves： a. notion of the entrepreneurship corporate social responsibility; b. current state and trend of TNCs＇ R＆D activities; c. mode and linkage tightness between TNCs＇ R＆D activities and the local economy; d. main problems of the TNCs＇ R＆D activities in Pudong; e. the context of flexible innovation networks; and f. manner and ways in creation of flexible innovation networks.

Enterprise innovation, corporate social responsibility and their interactive relationship: A review

Under the new normal economic growth, lack of motivation, structural imbalances in the economy, the shortage of resources, resource utilization inefficiency, environmental damage and other issues have become increasingly prominent, enterprises as the carrier of economy is one of the root of the problem. Research on enterprise innovation and corporate social responsibility issues, it is conducive to the development of enterprise itself and the transformation of Chinese economy. This paper reviewed the research status of relationships between innovation and corporate social responsibility, through comb the aspects of the definitions and evolution of enterprise innovation and social responsibility, also include both the relationship and the new way(responsible innovation) of combination of them, we found the presence of index system is not perfect, and lack of in-depth comprehensive study and opportunities for future research is prospected.

Generational Dynamics of Innovation Adoption in Chinese Consumer Markets: A Comprehensive Analysis

This extensive and comprehensive study delves into the intricate dynamics of generational responses to innovative marketing strategies within the dynamic landscape of the Chinese consumer market.Given China’s rapid economic growth and technological advancements,it has become imperative for businesses and marketers to grasp how different generations engage with marketing innovations.This study encompasses Baby Boomers,Generation X,Millennials,and Generation Z,each shaped by unique life experiences and societal contexts,resulting in distinct preferences and behaviors.Furthermore,the study offers a thorough analysis of how diverse generations in China interact with and respond to innovative marketing strategies,providing academic researchers and businesses operating in the rapidly evolving Chinese consumer marketing landscape with actionable insights.Understanding these generational dynamics is crucial for developing marketing strategies that resonate with diverse generational segments and harnessing the power of technology to connect with consumers across all age groups.The dynamic landscape is further enriched by the proliferation of digital technologies,social media platforms,and e-commerce ecosystems.This study scrutinizes how these generational cohorts interact with innovation in marketing,considering preferences,technological adoption patterns,cultural influences,and attitudes toward trust and privacy.Additionally,it examines generational disparities in marketing channel preferences,offering valuable insights for companies aiming to tailor their marketing strategies to effectively engage diverse generational segments in China.Importantly,this research underscores the strategic significance of understanding generational differences in marketing innovation adoption.It emphasizes that this knowledge is not solely an academic pursuit but rather a critical necessity for companies seeking to thrive in one of the most competitive consumer markets globally.By acknowledging and responding to the distinct preferences and behaviors of various generational cohorts,businesses can forge meaningful connections,optimize return on investment,and adeptly navigate the evolving consumer landscape.

Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects: A Review of Innovative Pavement Technologies and Integrated Solutions

In this review paper,we present a thorough investigation into the role of pavement technologies in advancing urban sustainability.Our analysis traverses the historical evolution of these technologies,meticulously evaluating their socio-economic and environmental impacts,with a particular emphasis on their role in mitigating the urban heat island effect.The evaluation of pavement types and variables influencing pavement performance to be used in the multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)framework to choose the optimal pavement application are at the heart of our research.Which serves to assess a spectrum of pavement options,revealing insights into the most effective and sustainable practices.By highlighting both the existing challenges and potential innovative solutions within thefield,this paper aims to offer a directional compass for future urban planning and infrastructural advancements.This review not only synthesizes the current state of knowledge but also aims to chart a course for future exploration,emphasizing the critical need for innovative and environmentally sensitive pavement tech-nologies in the creation of resilient and sustainable urban environments.

Integrating Social Mapping with Geographic Information Systems： Community Network Analysis in Sharing Sweetpotato Innovations in Papua New Guinea

This research drew from social learning and international development literature. The purpose of this community research was to trace the spread and impact of sweetpotato flour in two rural communities in Papua New Guinea. Research strategy was participatory learning and action utilizing participatory mapping. The paper mapping process was documented using a video recorder and field notes. Geographic Information Systems technology was then used to incorporate local spatial knowledge on scale maps to show spread of knowledge. The main finding was the identification of social networks through tracking of sweetpotato knowledge： identifying who used the knowledge and whether there were any modifications, the location of those who used the knowledge and whether this was shared and with whom. Most significant was the enabling factors that strengthened existing and potential future networks. Community leadership styles determine success of development projects. Rural communities are diverse needing participatory multi-layered methodologies that are people oriented for agricultural technologies to be learnt and utilized for improved livelihood.

Construction Approaches of Enterprise Innovation Network from the Perspective of Social Network

As an important means for enterprises to promote technological progress,product development and service level,innovation has an absolute role in enhancing enterprises'innovation strength and market strength.In the context of frequent and rapid product replacement and shortened technological innovation cycle in modern society,through the embedding of social networks,forming platforms for higher education institutions,governments,capital markets,research institutions and intermediary links to promote the integration of innovation and capital development and make the most of every resource has become an important way.From the perspective of social network,the methods and necessary approaches for the establishment of enterprise innovation network are studied in this article.

From social management to social governance: Evolution, characteristics and innovation

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC firstly required innovative social governance in 2013. This is the CPC's focus on safeguarding the fundamental interests of the majority of the people, to maximize social harmony, and to enhance the vitality of social development. The differences between governance and management are embodied in such as the governance system, legality, resource management, and comprehensive measures, etc. Compared with the way of social management, in which the government was used to controlling and ordering all social affairs, social governance pays more attention to the process of co-operations among different parties, to more emphasis on parties' co-operations and co-governance, with a continuous and interactive process of coordinated negotiations among multiple stakeholders. Social governance pays more emphasis on respect to social and political rights of members in the society, trying to stimulate the potential of social members, so that members of the community, in the process of social governance, have rights to speak, to choose and to influence; it pays more emphasis not only on maximizing autonomy of the social organizations and community, but also emphasizes the comprehensive use of a variety of means. The constructions of social governance system should mainly consist of four aspects: first, it is to improve the quality of social grassroots governance; second, it is to stimulate the vitality of social organizations; third, it tries to become an innovative and effective system to prevent and resolve social conflicts; fourth, it is to improve the public security system. To innovate the social management system, it is not only to achieve the transformation of the idea from control to service, but also to change the governance way from inflexible to flexible, thus, to finally form the social governance structure of Party leadership, government responsibility, social coordination,and public

Innovations on Online Journalism： Discussing Social Business Design Models

The main focus of this paper is the analysis on how social business recent management proposals fit to a media/journalistic business environment. The discussion was based on three research questions focusing on： the drivers and the constraints of disruption innovation strategies; the adequate social business design framework to promote innovation; and an evaluation over the practices/experiences related to disruption, innovation, and creativity in journalistic businesses. A conceptual framework the Latour/Law Actor-Network Theory （ANT） has been taken as. Six possible dimensions of action to make this framework valuable some successful practices have also been identified, and in this paper the authors view over these concepts. The main conclusion goes through the understanding of journalistic culture and legitimacy embedded for centuries over society, and to change this will depend on multiple enablers.

Social Media Use Among Youth and Innovations of Moral Education Work With University Students in China

The new media especially the use of mobile phone for information has a profound impact on contemporary university students＇ behavior, psychology, and way of thinking. This article will elaborate on the moral education work with university students to explore innovative ideas and innovative approaches from the perspective of interpersonal communication, political science, and sociology under the new media environment. Then the article will put forward countermeasures and improvement strategies.

Methological Approaches of Seminal Importance for Synergetic Education and Social and Solidarity Economy in Promoting Creativity and Innovation

This paper examines whether and in what ways the education system and the pedagogical culture particularly prevailing in Higher Education could be enriched with an alternative pedagogical model. A model that is differentiated from the prevalent pedagogical concepts is inspired by values and principles that form the core of a synergetic education and a social and solidarity economy. From an epistemological perspective, ＂ssociationnisme＂ that social and solidarity economy promotes is at stake and education must play an important role. The paper also examines the attitude of students towards such a perspective, mainly through exploring the current options as well as its potential expansion thereof in a way that promotes creativity and innovation. This study draws on previous research by P. Vathi （2014） on the topic of ＂A multidimensional-interdisciplinary approach and evaluation of University students＇ creativity, with emphasis on the utilization of statistical analyses＂ in order to assess the influence of education on students＇ creativity

Research on Innovation of Foreign Language Teaching under the Thought of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

On the subject of integrating and implementing the spirit of the 19th national congress,Liu Guiqin,director of the department of social science and technology of the ministry of education,made a thematic report entitled“earnestly studying,propagating and implementing the spirit of the 19th national congress of the party and accelerating the introduction of the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era into textbooks,classrooms and minds”.According to the report,as well as the ideological and political theory courses,the curriculum integration indepth course education“the thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics to blend in new era.This paper analyzes from the foreign language teaching with Chinese characteristics under the background of new era.The current college English teaching under the new situation of permeation of moral education present situation analysis,this is a natural fit with the research of this project.

A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Firm’s Social Capital on Innovation Performance

Despite a surge of studies examining the impact of firm’s social capital on the innovation performance,empirical research shows controversial results.To resolve this problem,this paper conducted a meta-analysis to restudy the impact of the firm’s social capital and its three dimensions on innovation performance based on the previous empirical research results of independent samples.This paper also explored some moderators affecting this relationship from culture,industry,firm and methodology.The results indicated that the firm’s social capital and its three-dimension had positive impact on innovation performance.At the same time,the age of the firm and the cultural context can also affect the impact of social capital on innovation performance to a large extent.Based on these findings,this paper developed recommendations for future research.

Research on the Collaborative Innovation Model in Regional Social Governance

Reforms in social governance are promoted by changes in social environments.Social governance models cannot be constant,and the rise of every innovative governance model is inseparable from an ever-changing society.The theoretical connotation of the collaborative innovation model in regional social governance is mainly reflected in its agents,actions,and processes.The fundamental requirements of the collaborative innovation model in regional social governance are de-administration and market-based.The key elements of the collaborative regional social governance model include:delegating power from central authorities,transferring selected social governance affairs,enhancing the development of governance capabilities in social governance agents,diversifying these agents by giving full play to the agency to strengthen the concept of collaborative governance for social governance agents,strengthening the establishment of the governance system,and ensuring the normal progress of the governance processes.The collaborative innovation model in regional social governance should be built in three aspects:a system of institutional norms,an evaluation indicator system,and law-based collaborative governance.

Study on Implementing Social Media With Teaching in Course of Technology and Innovation for Teachers for Undergraduates of the Faculty of Education, Naresuan University

The objectives of this research were （1） to study on students＇ achievement after implementing social media with teaching in course of Technology and Innovation for Teachers; （2） to study on students＇ opinions on implementing social media with teaching in the course for undergraduates; and （3） to study on behavior of 38 students in Thai Language major, Faculty of Education, towards implementing social media with teaching in the course for undergraduates who attended the course in academic year 2014. The data was collected by using a learning achievement test before and after implementing social media in the course and a questionnaire for students concerning their opinions regarding implementing social media with the course. The data was analyzed by finding percentage, mean, standard deviation （SD）, t-test dependent, and behavioral observation. The result showed that （I） the post-study achievement of 38 students was significantly higher than pre-study achievement with a statistical significance of .05; （2） the students ＂mostly agreed＂ on implementing social media with the course （μ = 4.40, σ = .37）. After considering in each aspect, it was found that the three aspects that reached highest score respectively were overall image of implementing social media in classes （μ= 4.74, σ = .45）. Followed by those that reached the same score, which were, ＂implementing social media allowed students to exchange experience, knowledge, and attitudes between each other more＂ with （μ = 4.66, σ = .48）, ＂implementing social media allowed students and teachers to exchange experience, knowledge, and attitudes with teachers more＂ with （μ = 4.66, σ = .48）, ＂allowed students to work with each other or do more self-study＂ with （μ = 4.66, σ = .48）, ＂allowed students to study by themselves＂ with （μ = 4.66,σ = .48）, and ＂implementing social media in classes allowed students to submit assignment, and receive suggestions for improvement at all times＂ with （μ = 4.66, σ = .48）. The third was ＂implementing social media in classes allowed more methods for students to communicate with teachers＂ with （μ = 4.53, σ = .51）; and （3） behaviors of implementing social media with the course showed that （a） in terms of promoting knowledge, social media helped promoting knowledge between friends and between students and teachers in various concepts, which was the part that linked to practicing living together in society with others; （b） in terms of communication, students had a change to participate in more socialization by debating or asking questions via Facebook; （c） in terms of strengthening motivation, students were enthusiastic to learn and used the Facebook group for communication; （d） in terms of adjusting an opened-learning environment, this promoted the behavior that students would study and learn anywhere outside of classrooms,which helped learners to always learn not just in their classes; moreover, this would form the behavior of being able to work anywhere anytime, improve, and adjust their works by having records of the changes as well; and （e） in terms of supporting and promoting two-way communication, students were able to communicate and exchange information more than just in class and they were also encouraged to compete by producing portfolios and present them on Facebook and YouTube.

The Impact of Strategic Leadership on Innovation Ambidexterity:The Mediating Effect of Social Capital

This study focused on the strategic leadership in the organization and the internal and external social capital can be seen as the ambidexterity innovation assets for building organization capability.The research selected 500 top managers and 385 ones were returned,using purposive sampling in Southern Tainan Real Estate firms as subjects to explore the interactions and relationships among strategic leadership,social capital,innovation ambidexterity,and contextual ambidexterity,and examines the fitness of model in this study.The data were analyzed by a variety of statistical methods,such as regression analysis,hierarchical regression analysis,ANOVA,and SEM to test the hypotheses of this study and model fitness.The conclusions are as follows:(1)Strategic leadership has significant positive influence on social capital and innovation ambidexterity.(2)Social capital has significant positive influence on innovation ambidexterity.(3)Good model fitness of relationship exists among each construct,and the social capital has significant mediating effects between strategic leadership and innovation ambidexterity.(4)The relationship between social capital and innovation ambidexterity has a moderating influence of contextual ambidexterity.

Relationship Between Firm’s Social Capital and Innovation Performance:A Meta-Analysis

Despite a surge of studies examining the impact of firm’s social capital on the innovation performance,empirical research shows controversial results.To resolve this problem,this paper conducted a meta-analysis to restudy the relationship between firm’s social capital and innovation performance based on the empirical research results of 63 independent samples.This paper also identified some moderators affecting this relationship.The results indicated that the firm’s social capital-innovation performance link was positive and significant(r=0.363),and the age of the firm and the cultural context affected the impact of social capital on innovation performance to a large extent.Based on these findings,this paper developed recommendations for future research.

Shifting the paradigm:A critical review of social innovation literature

In this review of ten years of social innovation research(2012e2022),we define and explore three paradigms in the field:instrumentalist,strong,and democratic.We investigate how language usage and geography play a central role in identifying which paradigms recently published scholarship falls into.While we do not insist that sharp divisions exist between each paradigm,we do find that on the“instrumentalist”side,language tends to abstract or neutralize power relations.Further,these perspectives tend to derive from Western or Eurocentric orientations or biases.The“strong”paradigm accepts the necessity of institutional and stakeholder engagement and seeks to engage socially excluded populations.In contrast,geographical diversity,attendance to historicized and systemic inequalities,and elevation of the most marginalized communities are more likely to be centered in the“democratic”paradigm.We apply this discussion to recent research in arts-related social innovation and the related field of social entrepreneurship.

Sustainability-oriented social responsibility and corporate innovation

This paper empirically examines how sustainability-oriented social responsibility influences corporate innovation quantity and radical innovation from the perspectives of environment-and employee-oriented social responsibility.Both forms of social responsibility are found to contribute significantly to corporate innovation.Corporate environment-oriented responsibility increases innovation by increasing R&D.Employee-oriented responsibility increases innovation by helping firms retain talent;by motivating employees,employeeoriented social responsibility promotes both innovation quantity and radical innovation.Furthermore,both environment-and employee-oriented responsibility can alleviate financing constraints,and the positive effects of environment-and employee-oriented responsibility on radical innovation and innovation quantity,respectively,increase total factor productivity.Following sustainable development theory,this paper analyzes the heterogeneous mechanisms of the influences of environment-and employee-oriented social responsibility on corporate innovation and provides empirical evidence of high-quality,innovation-driven corporate development through social responsibility.