Effects of technology lock-in on enterprise innovation performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhao ◽  
Jianxin Sun ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Pengfei He ◽  
Qiulu Yi

PurposeThis study explores the effects of different types of technology lock-in on enterprise innovation performance. On this basis, the authors aim to provide technological innovation suggestions for the long-term development of Chinese enterprises.Design/methodology/approachA total of 211 high-tech enterprises in China were taken as the research sample. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys and secondhand data. Linear and nonlinear regression models were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsDifferent types of technology lock-in had different effects on enterprise innovation performance. Initiative lock-in and passive lock-in showed an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovation performance. Economies of scale were positively correlated with innovation performance, while self-lock-in was negatively correlated with it.Practical implicationsThis research can help enterprises reconceptualize technology lock-in. It can also help enterprises in different stages of development carry out targeted technological innovation and management strategies.Originality/valueThis research enriches our understanding of technology lock-in. By breaking with previous conceptualizations of a simple linear relationship between technology lock-in and innovation performance, this study proposes and confirms different technology lock-in has different relationships with enterprise innovation performance. This study is important for enterprises to reassess their technology lock-in state and carry out targeted technological innovation strategies. This research enriches the theory of path dependence and its combination with other theories. And this study also reveals the current research on technology lock-in is insufficient.

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 03070
Author(s):  
Kun Xie ◽  
Zhengluan Zhang

Can government subsidies improve enterprises’ technological innovation performance? Based on the A-share high-tech listed enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2019, this paper empirically tests the micro policy effect of government subsidies on innovation performance of enterprises under the background of economic transformation, and the moderating effect of regional corruption, market competition and enterprise ownership concentration on this effect. The results show that the high quality signal transmitted by government subsidies is helpful for innovative enterprises to broaden the source of innovation resources and encourage enterprises to actively carry out innovative activities. Moderate level of regional corruption will promote the government subsidy effect, too high or too low level of corruption is not conducive to enterprise innovation; The higher the degree of market competition, the weaker the promoting effect of government subsidies on enterprise innovation; Corporate ownership concentration has a U-shaped moderating effect on government subsidies and innovation performance. Therefore, to improve the independent innovation ability of enterprises, on the one hand, we should continue to strengthen the government innovation subsidy and improve the subsidy system; on the other hand, we should strictly crackdown on corruption activities and supervise the establishment and improvement of the internal control system of enterprises, so as to give full play to the effect of government subsidies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 1143-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhao ◽  
Yang Xiang ◽  
Qiulu Yi

Purpose As a resource input in enterprise technological innovation, patents play an important role in influencing innovation performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of fuzzy front end (FFE) patent management on innovation performance, and the mediating role of patent commercialization and the moderating effect of technological lock-in. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a questionnaire survey from a sample of 203 high-tech Chinese enterprises across multiple industries. Structural equation modeling and the hierarchical regression method were used to test the hypothesis. Findings The results show that the FFE of patent management, namely, patent acquisition and patent protection, positively affect innovation performance. Specifically, patent commercialization mediates the relationship between FFE patent management and innovation performance. Moreover, technological lock-in moderates the relationship between patent management and innovation performance. Practical implications This study puts forward suggestions relating to institution innovation and mechanism innovation for effective patent management in firms, and provides some guidelines for firms to efficiently utilize patents to improve innovation performance. Originality/value This paper provides certain empirical evidence for the study of organizational structure, strategic management, and knowledge governance. As the main participators in technology innovation, high-tech enterprises should utilize both inside and outside resources to acquire patents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinwei Zhu ◽  
Yangyang Wang ◽  
Changyu Wang

Purpose This paper aims to examine the different impacts of six variables on firm technological innovation performance in different high-tech industries in China. Through a comparative analysis of data about growth enterprises market board (GEM)-listed companies, this study attempts to get some conclusions, to help firms in different high-tech industries use resources more rationally and to improve technological innovation performance more effectively. Design/methodology/approach This paper constructs semi-parametric models based on the relevant data of GEM-listed companies during 2010 to 2015 for different high-tech industries. These models can ensure that the influencing factors of firm technological innovation performance are no longer restricted to a particular aspect but can provide a comprehensive comparative analysis of the effects of factors on firm technological innovation performance in different high-tech industries. Findings The empirical results show that R&D expenditures have a significant positive impact on firm technological innovation performance in most high-tech industries, but not in electronic and communication equipment manufacturing industry; R&D personnel investment and government subsidies have significant positive impacts on firm technological innovation performance in knowledge-oriented industries; technology diversity has a significant positive impact on firm technological innovation performance in technology-oriented industries; the proportion of exports shows an inverted U-shaped relationship with firm technological innovation performance in electronic and communication equipment manufacturing industry, while firm size shows an inverted U-shaped relationship with firm technological innovation performance in general equipment manufacturing industry; and the effect of semi-parametric model fit is superior to the general parameters model. Originality/value Drawing on the resource dependence perspective, this paper is the first to consider a comprehensive treatment of differential effects of internal resources (R&D personnel, R&D expenditure), external resources (government subsides) and firm characteristics (firm size, export ratio) on firm technological innovation performance in different high-tech industries in an emerging country, in particular in contrast to previous studies that have focused on a single industry or taken the type of industry as a control variable. In addition, most studies about the determinants of firm innovation performance are based on survey questionnaires, which may introduce large subjective errors. Setting the relationship between variables in advance may also introduce fit error when using a general-parameter model. Semi-parametric regression which is used in this paper is able to prevent this shortcoming effectively. When constructing a regression model, this can be exempted from the formal constraints, thus estimating data more accurately and ensuring superior fit.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peinan Ji ◽  
Xiangbin Yan ◽  
Yan Shi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of the effects of information technology (IT) investment on firm innovation performance and examining the investment paradox effect in China. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of China’ public firms IT investment data between 2010 and 2016, the authors establish a test model of IT investment and innovation performance. Findings The result indicates that IT investment in firms have no effect on innovation performance in the investment period. However, in the full sample and manufacturing sample, the IT investment has a significant positive effect on innovation performance in the post-investment years. In addition, this study finds that large companies and low-age companies may contribute more to innovation when firm investment in IT. Research limitations/implications There are several limitations in this research. First, the authors are failed to obtain a larger sample about the IT investment information data set in China, so this study was compelled to use limited sample data from China, hence, this could lead to errors of too early generalization. Second, the authors use the number of invention patent applications to represent the performance of enterprise innovation, which may not show enterprise innovation effectively. Third, the firms in the sample are all in China Listed Companies, so this may not accurately reflect the entire environment of firm innovation performance, and could possibly. Practical implications The research confirms that there is a paradox and time lag effect in IT investment, which enterprises should pay attention to. Originality/value Existing research confirms that corporate IT investments can bring new products or services. However, the authors still do not know whether IT investment has improved the company’s ability of innovation. This study will fill this gap and the industry effect and time lag effect of the influence of IT investment on innovative performance are also examined.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pan Hu ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Tao Feng ◽  
Yuxin Duan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate three issues: how does an innovative search (local search and boundary-spanning search) impact firm innovation performance of latecomers; how does capability reconfiguration (capability evolution and capability substitution) mediates the relationship between innovative search and firm innovation performance; and how does the technological leapfrogging process (initial stage, following stage, synchronization stage and leading stage) moderate the relationship between capability reconfiguration and firm innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach A “resource-capability-performance” theoretical framework was developed to explore the relationships between local/boundary-spanning search, capability reconfiguration and firm innovation performance. The data were collected by sending out surveys to managers and employees in various industries in mainland China. These hypotheses were tested using structural equation models and hierarchical regressions. Findings The results showed that: innovative search has a direct causal relationship to capability reconfiguration; local search and boundary-spanning search are conducive to improve the innovation performance of latecomers; the impact of local search and boundary-spanning search on innovation performance is realized through the completion of mediating role of capability reconfiguration; there are differences in the path of local search and boundary-spanning search affecting the capability reconfiguration of enterprise innovation performance; and the relationship between innovative search, capability reconfiguration and enterprise innovation performance evolves with the enterprise in different stages of technological leapfrogging. Originality/value This study explores the relationship and the path of innovative search to firm innovation performance and analyzes the path difference between local search and boundary-spinning search, which enriches the research of organizational search and enterprise innovation. This paper reveals the whole path of innovative search affecting innovation performance, discusses the important role of capability reconfiguration and makes incremental contributions to dynamic capability theory. It studies the evolution of innovative search on innovation performance under the background of technological leapfrogging, which provides a new perspective for the study of organizational search and capability-based theory.


Author(s):  
David McHardy Reid ◽  
Guotai Chi ◽  
Zhi Chong Zhao ◽  
Ilan Alon

Purpose Performed over a five-year time horizon, this paper aims to analyze the progression rates of technological innovation across 15 sub-provincial Chinese cities. The authors quantify and rate innovation performance, then rank the cities based on a purpose-built index designed to gauge the rate of technological progress. Design/methodology/approach Using the inferior constraint method, and a variety of national sources of data, the authors construct an innovation index based in part on new product sales revenue, proportion of college students, research and development expenditure of industrial enterprises in relation to gross industrial output value, contract deals in technical markets per capita, hazard-free treatment rate of waste, enterprises with technical development agencies accounts for industrial enterprises, number of high-tech enterprises and invention patent ownership per million population. Findings The findings provide a methodology for indexing cities, with 15 Chinese provincial cities as examples. Among the top five cities with the highest technological innovation index were Shenzhen, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Wuhan. In the bottom were Shenyang, Changchun, Dalian, Xi’an and Harbin. Research limitations/implications This study applied a new model of innovation at the city level for China. Application to other industries (real estate, manufacturing, etc.) and countries will extend boundaries of this model and show its wider applicability. Practical implications Companies can use this research and methodology when seeking new investments in high tech and innovative products. Locations offering more hospitable environments should be prioritized ceteris paribus. Originality/value One weakness of much of the international business and competitiveness literature is that it often views the country as the primary unit of analysis. In this way, nuanced views of the institutional environments within countries are often overlooked. This paper proposes a measure of regional rates of innovativeness across China.


2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 1638-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Fang ◽  
Qing Zhou ◽  
Jian Wu ◽  
Xiaoguang Qi

Purpose Innovation networks provide an efficient mechanism for organizations to realize their potential for knowledge learning and innovation improvement. Firms situated within innovation networks require specific abilities to acquire the knowledge and the complementary assets that facilitate their innovation performance. Motivated by recent research studies in the area of social network and RBV, the purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the precise manner in which network capability affects a firm’s innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach Based on the data obtained from Chinese high-tech firms, the hypotheses are tested by using hierarchical multiple regressions. Findings This study identifies two types of network capabilities: network structural capability and network relational capability. The findings suggest that network structural capability has a greater positive impact on innovation performance than network relational capability does within an exploration-orientated network. However, network relational capability is more positively associated with innovation performance within an exploitation-orientated network. Practical implications A firm can enhance the value of its ego network by shaping and adjusting network configurations, rather than by passively reaping the benefits from existing relationships or ties with partners. Originality/value This paper contributes to strategic management theory and social network theory by illustrating how a networked firm can enable network value and appropriate this value according to its strategic purposes and by suggesting that a firm can improve its ego network’s value through exerting its network capabilities to shape and adjust network configurations. This paper also advances the contingent approach within social network research by offering a new complementary perspective and new evidence from a Chinese context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1757-1781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Buenechea-Elberdin ◽  
Josune Sáenz ◽  
Aino Kianto

Purpose This study aims to analyse the complementary role of structural and relational capital (as the outcomes of codification and personalisation knowledge management strategies) in renewal capital and innovation in high- and low-tech companies. Design/methodology/approach The primary data, which were collected through a structured questionnaire from 180 Spanish companies, are analysed using structural equation modelling based on partial least squares. Findings Overall, the study offers three fundamental findings. First, it demonstrates the outstanding role of renewal capital as an intellectual capital (IC) component; second, it provides a conceptual analysis of the connection between knowledge management strategies and IC; and third, it highlights the necessity of considering the technological level of the firm as a contingency variable affecting the IC–innovation relationship. Research limitations/implications The study has three apparent limitations: The sample of firms is restricted to Spanish companies, data concerning the main study variables were collected from only one person at each firm, and not all of the possible components of IC were included in the research model. Practical implications Business practitioners can find useful guidelines for making efficient use of knowledge resources when boosting innovation performance, depending on the technological level of their firms. Originality/value Although many studies have tried to disentangle the IC–innovation connection, this study is unique, as it considers knowledge management strategies, a novel combination of IC components and the level of technological sophistication in the same analysis.


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