Knowledge search, knowledge integration and enterprise breakthrough innovation under the characteristics of innovation ecosystem network: The empirical evidence from enterprises in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Enterprises acquire heterogeneous knowledge through external knowledge search and adapt to the change of external environment, which is of great significance to enterprise breakthrough innovation. This paper takes the innovation ecosystem as the boundary of the research paradigm. Based on innovation ecosystem theory, knowledge management theory and enterprise innovation theory, this paper constructs a moderated mediation model of the enterprise knowledge search, knowledge integration and breakthrough innovation under the characteristics of innovation ecosystem network. This model is tested on the survey data of 344 technology enterprise and manufacturing industries including R&D departments in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The research results show that: knowledge integration plays part of the intermediary role between knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation; the larger the network scale, the stronger the network connection, the stronger the intermediary role of knowledge integration on the relationship between knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation. The research results reveal the important role of the innovation ecosystem in enterprise breakthrough innovation. At the same time, the research on knowledge search and enterprise breakthrough innovation should consider the network characteristics of innovation ecosystem and the ability of enterprise knowledge integration.

Knowledge search strategies and corporate entrepreneurship: evidence from China's high-tech firms

PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of search breadth and depth on corporate entrepreneurship (CE) through the mediating effect of opportunity discovery under the consideration of the technological environmental dynamism as a moderating factor.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative method, collecting 246 questionnaires from high-tech firms in the national industrial park of the Yangtze River Delta zone in China. The authors examine the hypotheses using multiple hierarchical regressions and conduct Sobel and bootstrapping tests to further assess the mediating and moderated mediating effects of the variables.FindingsThe results indicate that both the relationship between search breadth and CE and the relationship between search depth and CE are mediated by opportunity discovery. The authors further show that technological environmental dynamism positively moderates the indirect effect of knowledge search breadth on CE and negatively moderates the indirect effect of knowledge search depth and CE.Originality/valueThis study provides a valuable theoretical framework for entrepreneurship literature by differentiating the effects of search depth and search breadth on the promotion of CE in established firms and pioneers the examination of the mediating role of opportunity discovery and the moderating role of technological environmental dynamism in these links as well.

The Impact of Specialized Knowledge Search on Enterprise Innovation

Against the backdrop of the fierce competition in the market nowadays, a closed innovation model based on internal knowledge is no longer sufficient to support enterprises in search of high-performance innovation. Instead, corporations are desperately required to search for resources of external knowledge to meet their innovation goals. Existing studies on open innovation in corporate management failed to fully elaborate on the mechanism of how the external knowledge search could impose an impact on sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. In this study, the external knowledge search was divided into three categories according to the knowledge-based theory, namely, the scientific knowledge search, the market knowledge search, and the supply-chain knowledge search. While taking into account the moderating role of the focus of attention of the manager, we analyzed the statistical results of 485 questionnaires collected from manufacturing enterprises to elaborate on the mechanism of how the specialized knowledge search could impose an impact on sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. Our research conclusions are expected to enrich existing studies on the factors contributing to corporate innovation, including but not limited to sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. In addition, the research findings are expected to lay an empirical foundation by summarizing previous theoretical opinions while providing references for subsequent in-depth studies in the meantime. Moreover, the paper has put forward practical management measures and suggestions that could enable enterprises in developing countries to search and effectively transform the external knowledge into innovative outcomes. Last but not least, this study is expected to provide both theoretical and practical guidance for enterprises to further facilitate innovation by means of knowledge search.

Whether and how managers' negotiable fate belief and knowledge search affect enterprise innovation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanism and boundary condition of the effect of managers' negotiable fate belief (NFB) on enterprise incremental and radical innovation based on social cognition theory and social network theory.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used Mplus and SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) to test the proposed model with data from 278 enterprises that have established national or municipal enterprise technology centers. In this study, questionnaires were collected through commission and field investigation.FindingsThe results indicate that managers' NFB has a significant positive impact on local and cross-border knowledge search and on the incremental and radical innovation of enterprises. Knowledge search is positively correlated with enterprise innovation and can play a mediating role between the managers' NFB and enterprise innovation. Network capability can positively moderate the relationship between managers' NFB and cross-border knowledge search but has no significant impact on the relationship between managers' NFB and local knowledge search.Originality/valueAlthough there have been many studies of managers' cognition, little is known about how managers' NFB influences enterprise behavior and enterprise innovation. This study incorporates managers' NFB and knowledge search into the research model and examines the moderating effect of network capability between managers' NFB and knowledge search from an interactive perspective. By verifying the research model, this study offers original views on whether and how managers' NFB and knowledge search affect enterprise innovation.

Ambidextrous leadership and organizational innovation: the importance of knowledge search and strategic flexibility

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the potential process through which leadership exerts impacts on organizational innovation. A thorough analysis was conducted by highlighting the contribution of ambidextrous leadership to organizational innovation. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from companies located in mainland China. A total of 200 cases were included in the final sample. Hierarchical regression analysis was adopted to test the hypotheses in this study. Findings The results showed that exploitation knowledge search and exploration knowledge search partly mediated the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and organizational innovation, respectively. Strategic flexibility could positively moderate the relationship between exploitation knowledge search and organizational innovation and had no significant impacts on moderating the relationship between exploration knowledge search and organizational innovation. Research limitations/implications In this study, not only were managers provided with a sophisticated understanding of how and when ambidextrous leadership could influence organizational innovation but also concrete strategies were given for enhancing organizational innovation. Originality/value In this study, the interaction among ambidextrous leadership, knowledge search and organizational innovation were elucidated and the moderating impacts of strategic flexibility on the relationship between knowledge search and organizational innovation were explored. The findings of this study enriched the literature on leadership, knowledge management and innovation.