企业网络对技术创新绩效的作用机制研究：利用性—探索性学习的中介效应

【作者】 彭新敏；

【导师】 吴晓波；

【作者基本信息】 浙江大学 ， 企业管理， 2009， 博士

【摘要】 全球制造网络为我国本土企业提供了融入国际分工体系、进行技术学习与知识积累的重要战略机遇。在以低成本比较优势及时占据全球制造网络的各个节点之后,我国本土企业如何整合利用该网络中的优质资源以提升自身的技术创新能力,从而实现价值链的高端攀升,就成为我国制造业面临的一个重大现实问题。当前,在创新范式日益网络化发展的背景下,企业网络对技术创新的重要性已经得到了广大学者的认同,学习与创新也成为我国本土企业在全球制造网络中实现战略升级的关键途径和必然要求。但综观相关研究可以发现,已有的理论研究虽然勾勒了企业网络的特性及其给企业带来的竞争优势,但对于企业网络影响技术创新绩效的机理及其作用情景的研究仍显不足,并且现有的研究结论还存在一定的分歧性。本文以全球制造网络中的我国企业为研究样本,围绕“企业如何构建恰当的网络模式来提升技术创新绩效”这一基本问题,在借鉴企业网络化创新机制研究成果的基础上,构建了“位置中心度-联结强度-网络规模”三位一体的企业网络特征分析构架,遵循“结构-行为-绩效”的分析逻辑,建立了“企业网络结构-组织学习类型-技术创新绩效”的理论框架,逐层深入地探究了以下三个逻辑紧密相关的子问题:①企业网络对技术创新绩效的作用机制是怎样的?②不同的环境特性和企业特性对此作用机制有何影响?③企业网络与组织学习如何动态演变?为了解答上述研究问题,本文相应地通过三个子研究循序渐进地进行了论述。(1)子研究一首先提出了企业网络不同特征通过利用性学习和探索性学习影响技术创新绩效的概念模型与相关研究假设,并通过235家企业的问卷调查,运用探索性因子分析、验证性因子分析、结构方程建模等方法进行了实证研究,最终形成了企业网络对技术创新绩效的作用机制模型。(2)在子研究一的基础上,子研究二引入环境动态性和技术战略导向两类调节变量,考察了不同情境下企业网络对组织学习的影响机制,并通过185家企业的问卷调查,运用多元线性回归等方法对调节效应模型进行了验证与修正。(3)鉴于企业网络是一个随着行业和技术的发展而不断演变的过程,子研究三在前述机制模型的基础上,进一步利用纵向案例研究方法探讨了企业网络与组织学习的演变关系及对技术创新绩效的影响。通过上述研究工作,本文主要得出如下结论:(1)企业网络通过影响利用性学习和探索性学习进而作用于技术创新绩效本文通过对235家企业数据的结构方程建模发现,企业网络对技术创新绩效的影响是以利用性学习和探索性学习为中介实现的:企业网络通过影响利用性学习进而影响技术创新绩效;另外,企业网络也可以通过影响探索性学习从而影响技术创新绩效,这两条路径一起构成了企业网络对技术创新绩效的作用机制。具体来说,本文剖析了企业网络位置中心度、联结强度及网络规模三类网络特征对组织学习及技术创新绩效的影响,实证研究结果表明这种影响是多维度的。其中,位置中心度对利用性学习和探索性学习都有显著的正向影响;联结强度对利用性学习也有显著的正向影响,但对探索性学习是显著的负向效应;网络规模对利用性学习有显著的正向影响,但对探索性学习没有显著的影响;另外,利用性学习对探索性学习具有显著的促进作用,二者对技术创新绩效都有直接的正向影响。(2)环境动态性和技术战略导向在企业网络对组织学习的作用机制中发挥着重要的调节作用随着网络理论的发展,学者们逐渐注意到企业网络效用的发挥还取决于重要的情景因素。本文引入了环境动态性和技术战略导向来共同考察企业网络不同特征对组织学习的权变效应,实证研究表明,企业所在的环境动态性越高,位置中心度和网络规模对利用性学习的正向效应相对下降,但弱联结对企业探索性学习的促进作用更加明显;企业技术战略导向越高,位置中心度对利用性学习和探索性学习都具有更大的促进作用,同时网络规模对利用性学习的促进作用也更加显著。(3)企业网络结构和组织学习类型之间存在着耦合及协同演化关系企业在不同的发展阶段所面临的环境和战略利益会发生变化,企业网络也势必走向一个动态的调整过程。本文结构方程建模表明,企业网络中的强联结有利于企业利用性学习,弱联结有利于企业的探索性学习,即联结强度与组织学习之间存在耦合性;本文纵向案例研究进一步表明,企业网络与组织学习可以协同演化,企业网络结构的动态变化会影响到企业的组织学习类型,同时企业选择不同的组织学习类型也需要网络结构进行相应的转变,企业网络结构与组织学习类型的相互匹配可持续提升企业技术创新绩效。纵观全文,本文主要在以下三个方面进行了拓展和深化:(1)深入剖析了企业网络影响技术创新绩效的本质过程,在一定程度上有效解决了“企业网络二重性”和“利用性学习与探索性学习平衡困境”的难题。企业网络在企业的生存和发展过程中表现出了多个相互联系和相互对应的二重性,如中心位置与边缘位置、强联结与弱联结、宽大开放型结构与狭小封闭型结构,犹如～架天平的两端,企业总是在网络构建和治理的动态过程中追求它们之间一种精妙的平衡。利用性学习与探索性学习是企业两种不可缺少也不能相互替代的组织学习类型,但从单个组织内部来看,企业要同时掌控这两类性质截然不同的学习困难极大。本文以全球制造网络为对象的实证研究表明,网络带来了丰富的资源流动从而突破了单个企业内部资源稀缺的限制,利用性学习对探索性学习具有正向促进作用,而且企业网络的位置中心度、联结强度与网络规模等特征对这两类组织学习的作用大小和方向也不尽相同:与少数核心合作伙伴长期的、多重的、信任的强联结关系有利于开展利用性学习,而与大量外围的、多元的、弱联结的合作伙伴的联系有利于企业探索性学习。因此在全球制造网络中,企业可以充分发挥网络的二重性来战略性地设计网络架构来实现两种学习的平衡,由此将“企业网络二重性”和“利用性学习与探索性学习的平衡困境”这两对矛盾进行了调和并有机地统一起来。因此,本文这一研究结论推动了企业网络化创新机制理论研究的深入,也拓宽了组织学习的研究视角。(2)详细阐释了不同环境动态性和技术战略导向下企业网络对组织学习的影响机制,对于企业根据外部环境特征与内部战略需要构建相应的网络模式具有一定的参考价值。本文实证研究表明环境动态性在位置中心度与利用性学习、联结强度与探索性学习以及网络规模与利用性学习之间存在显著的调节作用;技术战略导向在位置中心度与利用性学习、位置中心度与探索性学习以及网络规模与利用性学习之间也存在显著的调节效应,这一研究结论深化了对企业网络作用情景的理解,并为企业根据其所在的行业环境特点有效选择战略突破口、以恰当的网络模式进行技术创新提供了一种新的思维,从而丰富了我国企业网络化创新模式研究的理论成果。(3)充分揭示了企业网络与组织学习的协同演化规律及其对技术创新绩效的影响,为我国企业在全球制造网络中的学习演化和战略升级提供了一个崭新的视角。动态变化的企业网络并非在任何情况下都能促进技术创新,只有当企业技术创新所需的资源与获得这些资源所能借助的网络关系之间相匹配,只有当企业网络结构与组织学习目标之间形成协同效应,企业网络的功效才能得到充分地发挥。因此,在全球制造网络中,企业要动态调整其与合作伙伴的联结机制来适应不断变化的工作任务和环境的需要,使其与自身的资源、战略相适应,才能达到最佳的学习效果从而持续地提升其技术创新绩效。本文这一研究结论使得企业网络与技术创新绩效关系的研究得以纵向拓展,对企业网络和技术创新理论做了有益的补充。更多还原

【Abstract】 Global Manufacturing Network(GMN) opened an opportunity window for Chinese local firms to integrate into international labor division system,learn technology and accumulate knowledge.After held the nodes of GMN using relative low-cost advantages,how to integrate the resources embedded in the networks and enhance technological innovation capability is the key practical issue for Chinese local firms to upgrade in the global value chain.At present,against the background of a growing network innovation paradigm,the importance of technological innovation brought about by enterprises has been agreed by the majority of scholars,learning and innovation have also become the key ways and necessary requirements for Chinese local firms to strategical upgrade in GMN.However,the overview of related research shows that although the existing theoretical research outlined the characteristics of the interfirm network and the competitive advantages it brings up,the research on mechanism and context of how interfirm network impacts technological innovation performance are still inadequate,besides,the existing research findings also have some of the differences.In the dissertation,the author takes Chinese firms in GMN as the research sample,focusing on "How to build an appropriate network architecture to enhance the performance of technological innovation",referring to relative research results of the mechanisms of interfirm networked innovation,building the triune analyzing configuration of "position centrality - tie strength - network size ",according to the logic of "structure - conduct - performance",establishing the theoretical framework of "interfirm network structure - organizational learning type - technological innovation performance",exploring the following three closely related sub-questions step by step:First,what are the mechanisms of interfirm network on technological innovation performance? Second,what impacts will be brought about on this mechanism in various environmental characteristics and organizational features? Finally,how do interfirm networks and organizational learning dynamically evolve? In order to answer these above-mentioned questions,the dissertation carried out its research gradually and orderly through the corresponding three sub-researches.The first sub-research firstly brought forward the conceptual model and research hypothesis of the different characteristics of the interfirm network impacting on technological innovation performance.235 firms in Zhejiang Province China are investigated via questionnaires,and Explorative Factor Analysis(EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA) are conducted to establish and verify the measures,and Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) is applied to testify and modify the concept model.Based on the first sub-research,the second sub-research introduces two types of moderate variables as the environmental dynamism and technology-oriented strategy to examine the influential mechanisms of interfirm network on organizational learning using 185 questionnaires.In view of interfirm network is a dynamic changing process,the third sub-research explored the evolution relationship among interfirm network and organizational learning and their effects on technological innovation performance through a longitudinal case study.Through the above research,some conclusions are as follows:(1) Interfirm network indirectly influences technological innovation performance through the mediating role of exploitative and exploratory learning.In detail,the empirical results suggest that interfirm network promote innovation performance through three distinct ways:position centrality has positive effects on both organizational learning;tie strength positively influence exploitative learning,but has a negative effect on exploratory learning;network size enhance the exploitative learning,but has no significant effect on exploratory learning.And,exploitative learning promote the exploratory learning,both learning can directly enhance technological innovation performance.(2) The environmental dynamism and technology-oriented strategy play an important moderating role in the mechanism that interfirm network affects the organizational learning.Empirical studies have shown that the more dynamic business environment an enterprise has,the positive effects attached on exploitative learning by position centraliy and network size will relatively decline,but the weak tie contributes more to the exploratory learning.The higher the orientation of technology strategy,the more the position centraliy contributes to the exploitative and exploratory learning,at the same time,network size promotes a more prominent role in exploitative learning.(3) Interfirm network architecture and organizational learning have coupling and co-evolution relations.The results showed that the strong tie contributes to the exploitative learning,while the weak tie the exploratory.That is to say it is coupling between the tie strength and organizational learning,and tie strength and organizational learning can co-evolve.The dynamic changes of interfirm network architecture will affect organizational learning types,in the meantime,different organizational learning types call for network structure to correspond.The mutual matching between interfirm network mode and organizational learning types can lead to sustainable technological innovation performance in enterprises.Overview the whole research,this dissertation tries to make some innovation in the following fields:Firstly,the dissertation deeply revealing the nature process of interfirm network influencing on technological innovation process.To a certain extent,it solves the conundrum of "duality of the interfirm network" and "balancing dilemma between exploitation and exploration".The optimal network configurations combine seemingly conflicting elements of both centrality and periphery,strong and weak ties, and cohesion and sparse,silimilar to two ends of a scale.It is necessary for a firm to achieve the balance of between exploitation and exploration,but it’s difficult to acquire in a single firm.This dissertation concludes that the position centrality,tie strength and network size of interfirm network will have different effects on the exploitative and exploratory learning.Therefore,the firms in the GMN can give full play to the duality of the network to build a proper network structure in order to achieve a balance between exploitation and exploration,such as integrating a large periphery of heterogeneous weak ties and a core of strong ties.The findings promote the in-depth theoretical study innovation mechanism of interfirm network and broaden the perspectives of organizational learning theory.Secondly,the disseratation interprets in detail the influential mechanism of different characteristics of interfirm network under different environmental dynamism and technology-oriented strategy to organizational learning,which has a certain reference value for the enterprises to build corresponding network models according to external environmental characteristics and organization strategy orientation.The environmental dynamism and technology-oriented strategy have moderating role between interfirm network and organizational learning.The conclusions deepen the understanding of context of function of interfirm network,and provide a new thought for enterprises effectively choosing strategic breakthrough and according to business environment to engage technology innovation by an appropriate network structure.Thirdly,the dissertation analyzes adequately the co-evolution law of interfirm network and organizational learning,and offers a new perspective for the learning evolution and strategic upgrading of Chinese enterprises in the GMN.Intefirm network is a process of dynamic building and adjustment.The enterprises only give full play to the role of the network by making their own network structure to adapt to change job tasks and environment requirements.From the perspective of evolution, the enterprises can dynamically build proper interfirm network to realize the balance between exploitative and exploratory learning according to external environmental characteristics,enterprises’ strategies and learning targets to eventually bring continual promotion of technology innovation performance.Therefore,the conclusion makes a useful supplement for the research of interfirm network theory and organizational learning theory.更多还原