How Does Proximity Affect the Dual Innovation of Alliance Partner? The Role of Knowledge Coupling

Yongbo Sun,Jiajia Zhang,Ying Sun

doi:10.1109/access.2022.3150930

Abstract

Recent work on alliance partner selection focuses on the relationship between partner features and alliance performance, while ignoring the influence mechanism of alliance partner features on different innovation types of firms. In this paper, based on proximity perspective, the influence mechanism model of alliance partner features on firms’ dual innovation is constructed. Analyzing questionnaires and patent data of high-tech firms, it is found that (1) Technological proximity (TP) has a positive impact on focal firms’ exploratory innovation (EXR) and exploitative innovation (EXI); (2) Knowledge coupling (KC) mediates the relationship between TP and dual innovation; (3) Social proximity (SP) positively moderates the relationship between TP and dual innovation, and positively moderates the relationship between TP and KC; Meanwhile, (4) there is a moderating effect of different levels of SP on the magnitude of the mediating effect of KC. By constructing a theoretical framework based on “proximity – knowledge coupling – dual innovation”, this paper is helpful to draw scholars’ attention to the relationship between proximity and dual innovation, and provide theoretical reference for firms to select alliance partners reasonably and efficiently.

Highlights

With the rapid development of the fierce external competition, exploring new innovation opportunities and exploiting potential resources are becoming more and more prominent [1]
This paper proposes the following hypotheses: H5a: Social proximity positively moderates the mediating role of knowledge coupling between technological proximity and exploratory innovation; H5b: Social proximity positively moderates the mediating role of knowledge coupling between technological proximity and exploitative innovation
Technological proximity has a positive impact on organization's absorptive capacity and facilitates the transfer of knowledge elements from the provider to the receiver

Summary

Introduction

With the rapid development of the fierce external competition, exploring new innovation opportunities and exploiting potential resources are becoming more and more prominent [1]. Exploratory innovation refers to the extensive search for new technological knowledge to meet new market needs, and development of completely new products and services. Given that exploratory and exploitative innovation activities place heterogeneous demands on firms' resource acquisition and utilization practices, knowledge base, and organizational culture [2], they often contribute to firms facing barriers to innovation caused by resource constraints, which have a negative impact on organizational performance [3]. Some scholars argue that searching for innovative resources across organizational boundaries can alleviate the dilemma caused by resource constraints [4]. As a form of collaboration that crosses organizational boundaries, technology alliances can help reduce the cost of innovation and meet the heterogeneous demand for innovation resources

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