【前沿追踪】企业创新网络
企业创新网络前沿追踪
Innovation Network
近年来，随着数字经济的发展，云计算、大数据、网络化等新一代数字技术正在与各个行业企业实现深度融合，数字经济日益成为驱动经济社会持续健康发展的重要驱动力，同时，这也意味着企业所处的外部环境日趋复杂，不确定性快速提高，对企业创新活动的持续性提出了巨大挑战，企业以网络等数字化形式进行创新实践的快速发展也吸引了学者们的广泛关注，因此，网络结构特征及其对企业创新绩效的作用机制研究逐渐占据企业创新网络研究主流，并逐渐引申出了网络结构，网络位置，网络异质性，开放网络等多个研究主题。
有学者探讨了社会网络结构如何影响企业的创新绩效，如发表在International Journal of Research in Marketing 的The effect of social networks structure on innovation performance: A review and directions for research一文，研究讨论了网络的整体特征、二元特征、内在个体特征和基于位置的个体特征对创新绩效的作用；发表在IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management的Network Centrality and Open Innovation: A Social Network Analysis of an SME Manufacturing Cluster一文，使用社会网络分析和网络中心度来探究一个由33个爱尔兰低技术中小企业制造商所组成的集群的开放式创新，探讨了该集群所处的广泛网络、其在网络中的位置以及所处位置对其开放式创新的影响，验证了网络活动与创新绩效之间的正相关关系。另外，有学者关注了创新搜索、专有性和开放网络特征对企业创新绩效的影响，如发表在Journal of Business Research的Overcoming openness paradox in open networks: A configurational approach一文，通过分析中国制造业企业的创新绩效和创新活动，探讨了不同的开放式战略如何影响企业的创新绩效，并揭示了研发网络在企业开放式战略中的关键作用。
PART.1
The effect of social networks structure on innovation performance: A review and directions for research
社会网络结构对创新绩效的影响：研究综述与方向
Keywords：
Assortativity；Centrality；Clustering；Degree；Diffusion of innovations；New products；Seeding；Social networks
关键词：
同配性；中心度；聚类；程度；创新扩散；新产品；传播；社会网络
Abstract：
Research on growth of innovations introduced to the market has gradually shifted its focus from aggregate-level diffusion to exploring how growth is influenced by a given social network structure's characteristics. In this paper, we critically review this branch of literature. We argue that the growth of an innovation in a social network is shaped by the network's structure. Borrowing from the field of industrial organization in economics, which defines itself as the study of the effect of market structure on market performance, we describe this new wave of research on growth of innovations as the effect of social network structure on innovation performance. Hence, social network structural characteristics should be incorporated into research on new product growth as well as into managerial marketing decisions such as targeting and new product seeding. We review how social network structure influences innovations' market performance. Specifically, we discuss (1) a networks' global characteristics, namely average degree, degree distribution, clustering, and degree assortativity; (2) dyadic characteristics, or the relationships between pairs of network members, namely tie strength and embeddedness; (3) intrinsic individual characteristics, namely opinion leadership and susceptibility; and (4) location-based individual characteristics, namely the degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality of an individual network member. Overall, we find that growth is particularly effective in networks that demonstrate the “3Cs”: cohesion (strong mutual influence among its members), connectedness (high number of ties), and conciseness (low redundancy). We identify gaps in current knowledge, discuss the implications on managerial decision making, and suggest topics for future research.
摘要：
针对于引入市场的创新增长的研究，逐渐从关注总量层面的扩散，转移到探索创新增长是如何受特定社会网络结构特征的影响上来。本文批判性地回顾了这一分支文献，认为社会网络中创新的增长是由网络结构所塑造的。借鉴经济学中产业组织领域的研究，本文将这一创新增长研究的新浪潮描述为社会网络结构对创新绩效的影响。因此，应将社会网络结构特征纳入新产品成长的研究中，同时也将其纳入目标市场选择、新产品传播等管理营销决策之中。本文回顾了社会网络结构如何影响创新的市场绩效。具体来说讨论了( 1 )网络的整体特征，即平均程度、程度分布、聚类、度的同配性；( 2 )二元特征，或者说成对的网络成员之间的关系，即关系强度和嵌入性；( 3 )内在个体特征，即意见领导力和易感性；( 4 )基于位置的个体特征，即个体网络成员的程度中心性、亲密中心性和中介中心性。总体而言，本文发现创新增长在具有内聚性(其成员之间相互影响较强)、连通性(连带数量高)和简洁性(低冗余)的 " 3Cs "特征的网络中尤为有效。本文识别了现有研究的不足，讨论对管理决策的影响并进一步提出了未来研究的主题。
参考文献：
Muller E, Peres R. The effect of social networks structure on innovation performance: A review and directions for research[J]. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 2019, 36(1): 3-19.
PART.2
Network Centrality and Open Innovation: A Social Network Analysis of an SME Manufacturing Cluster
网络中心度和开放式创新:对于中小企业制造业集群的一项社会网络分析
Keywords：
Low-technology sector, network centrality, open innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), social network analysis.
关键词：
低技术企业；网络中心度；开放式创新；中小企业；社会网络分析
Abstract：
Research on open innovation has, in the main, focused on large, high-technology firms and tended to adopt an organization-centric approach in examining external links. In contrast, this article uses social network analysis and network centrality to explore open innovation among a cluster of 33 low-technology small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) manufacturers in Ireland. Adopting a mixed-methods approach this article looks beyond the immediate external links that SMEs form with external organizations and explores the wider network in which such firms are located, their position in these networks and the impact of such positioning on open innovation. This article reports a generally positive relationship between networking activity and innovation performance. Within the context of the low-technology cluster it is apparent that the positioning of a firm within the network may serve to enhance or impede its innovation activity in product development. Despite factors such as fears of appropriation limiting the degree of knowledge and resource exchange within the network, this evidence suggests that those firms occupying central network positions and thus connected to a greater number of other members of the cluster, typically demonstrate greater degrees of innovation activity. Finally, as a means of elucidating the factors that may influence a firm’s position the article illustrates that firm size, absorptive capacity, and managerial orientation serve as antecedents of network position.
摘要：
当前开放式创新的相关研究主要围绕大型的高科技公司展开，并倾向于采用一种以组织为中心的方法来考查公司与外部的联系。相比之下，本文使用社会网络分析和网络中心度来探讨一个由33个爱尔兰低技术中小企业制造商所组成的集群的开放式创新。本文采用混合方法，超越中小企业与外部组织形成的直接外部联系，探讨这些企业所处的广泛网络、它们在这些网络中的位置以及位置对其开放式创新的影响。本文发现网络活动与创新绩效之间一般存在正相关关系。在低技术集群的背景下，一个公司在网络中的位置显然可能有助于或阻碍其在产品开发方面的创新活动。尽管有一些因素会限制网络内部的知识和资源的交换程度，但这一证据表明那些占据网络中心位置的公司能够与集群中更多的成员相联系，因此通常呈现更大程度的创新活动。最后，为进一步阐明可能影响企业网络位置的因素，本文证明了企业规模、吸收能力和管理方向是网络位置的前因。
参考文献：
Woods J, Galbraith B, Hewitt-Dundas N. Network centrality and open innovation: A social network analysis of an SME manufacturing cluster[J]. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 2019, 69(2): 351-364.
PART.3
Overcoming openness paradox in open networks: A configurational approach
克服开放网络中的开放悖论:一种组态分析方法
Keywords：
Inter-firm R&D network; Network knowledge diversity; Structural holes; Exploitative innovation; Exploratory innovation
关键词：
开放性悖论；开放网络；开放策略；模糊集定性比较分析
Abstract：
The research on how to manage the openness paradox in corporate innovation networks makes for an interesting topic in the innovation literature. This study investigates the configurational effects of innovative search, appropriability, and open network characteristics on corporate innovation performance. To this end, the study samples 593 Chinese manufacturers using the qualitative comparative analysis method. Empirical findings show that three open strategies improve innovation performance-the patent applicant-dominant, balanced, and explorative search-dominant strategies in low-level, high-level, and high-or low-level geographic and organizational research and development (R&D) networks, respectively. This study also reveals the critical role of an R&D network in open strategies. Specifically, firms with high-level geographic or organizational R&D networks tend to adopt complementary open strategies, whereas those with low-level R&D networks prefer substitutive open strategies. These findings guide firms to choose suitable open strategies in innovation networks.
摘要：
研究如何管理企业创新网络中的开放性悖论是创新文献中一个有趣的话题。本研究探讨了创新搜索、专有性和开放网络特征对企业创新绩效的组态效应。为此，本研究采用定性比较分析方法对593家中国制造企业进行了抽样调查。实证结果表明，专利申请人主导战略、平衡战略和探索式检索主导战略等三种开放式战略分别在低水平、高水平、高或低水平的地域和组织研发( R & D )网络中提高了创新绩效。这项研究还揭示了研发网络在开放式战略中的关键作用。具体而言,具有高水平地域或组织研发网络的企业倾向于采取互补性开放战略,而具有低水平研发网络的企业倾向于采取替代性开放战略。以上研究发现指导企业在创新网络中选择合适的开放战略。
参考文献：
Ding Yixin and Wu Jianfeng. Overcoming openness paradox in open networks: A configurational approach[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2022, 150: 528-537.
PART.4
To explore or exploit: The influence of inter-firm R&D network diversity and structural holes on innovation outcomes
探索还是利用：企业间研发网络多样性和结构漏洞对创新成果的影响
Keywords：
Inter-firm R&D network; Network knowledge diversity; Structural holes; Exploitative innovation; Exploratory innovation
关键词：
企业间研发网络；网络知识多样性；结构洞；利用式创新；探索式创新
Abstract：The degree to which inter-firm research and development (R&D) networks benefit a firm's exploitative and exploratory innovation depends on two factors: (1) the kind of knowledge that the firm can access from networks and (2) how the firm acquire these knowledge resources through its connections. Utilizing a knowledge-based view of the firm, we argue that related and unrelated network knowledge diversity differ in their effect on a company's innovation outcomes and that the existence of structural holes in an inter-firm R&D network has a discrepant, moderating effect on performance. Empirical analyses based on archival data from 158 Chinese automobile companies from 1996 to 2010 indicate that the inter-firm R&D network that emphasizes diversified unrelated knowledge is more beneficial for enhancing a firm's exploratory innovation outcomes. Conversely, the inter-firm R&D network that relies on diversified related knowledge can be more helpful for companies that engage in exploitative innovation. Further, structural holes are expected to be complementary to unrelated network knowledge diversity while a dense neighborhood is complementary to related network knowledge diversity in improving firm exploitative and exploratory innovation outcomes.
摘要：
企业间研发（R&D）网络在多大程度上有利于企业的利用式创新和探索式创新取决于两个因素：（1）企业可以从网络获得的知识类型（2）企业如何通过其联系获得这些知识资源。利用企业的知识基础观，我们认为相关和不相关的网络知识多样性对公司创新成果的影响不同，并且企业间研发网络中存在的结构洞对绩效的调节作用存在差异。基于158家中国汽车公司1996-2010年档案数据的实证分析表明，强调多元化不相关知识的企业间研发网络更有利于提升企业探索式创新成果。相反，依赖于多样化相关知识的企业间研发网络对从事利用式创新的企业更有帮助。此外，结构洞预计与不相关的网络知识多样性相辅相成，而密集邻域在改善企业利用式和探索式创新成果方面与相关网络知识多样性相辅相成。
参考文献：
Jinyan Wen and William J. Qualls and Deming Zeng. To explore or exploit: The influence of inter-firm R&D network diversity and structural holes on innovation outcomes[J]. Technovation, 2021, 100: 102178.
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图文：刘红妹 尚文琪
编辑：白丽艳
审核：姜忠辉 桑小凡