IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i22p15705-d1275747.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Relationship between Alumni Network and Exploratory Innovation: The Mediating Role of Enterprise Risk-Taking

Author

Listed:
  • Mengxing Song

    (Management and Business School, North China University of Water Resource and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China)

  • Lingling Guo

    (Management and Business School, North China University of Water Resource and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China)

  • Jianwei Shen

    (Management and Business School, North China University of Water Resource and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450045, China)

Abstract

In an increasingly open innovation environment, executives, as the core of corporate management and the main body of decision-making and execution, play a significant role in implementing innovation-driven development strategies. Based on executives’ educational background, we constructed an executive alumni network platform using data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2019, and calculated the centrality indicators. The aim was to comprehensively explore the relationship between alumni networks and exploratory innovation in enterprises, and examine the mediating effect of enterprise risk-taking. Empirical results show that executive academic background networks can promote the development of exploratory innovation activities in enterprises. In other words, these networks provide the social relationships and trust foundation necessary to support innovation effectively. Enterprise risk-taking plays a mediating role in the relationship between alumni networks and exploratory innovation, underscoring the importance of risk-taking. Further research reveals that alumni networks have a significant positive impact on the sustainability of innovation, emphasizing the long-term value for corporate innovation. These findings demonstrate that alumni networks play a critical role in corporate innovation activities and provide theoretical support for advancing research in corporate innovation and sustained development.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengxing Song & Lingling Guo & Jianwei Shen, 2023. "The Relationship between Alumni Network and Exploratory Innovation: The Mediating Role of Enterprise Risk-Taking," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15705-:d:1275747
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/22/15705/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/22/15705/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jean Chrysostome KANAMUGIRE, 2022. "The Regulation Of Financial Markets For Low-Income Earners In South Africa," Perspectives of Law and Public Administration, Societatea de Stiinte Juridice si Administrative (Society of Juridical and Administrative Sciences), vol. 11(2), pages 226-240, June.
    2. Lauren Cohen & Andrea Frazzini & Christopher Malloy, 2008. "The Small World of Investing: Board Connections and Mutual Fund Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(5), pages 951-979, October.
    3. Tomáš PerÃ¡Ä ek & Michal KaÅ¡Å¡aj, 2023. "The influence of jurisprudence on the formation of relations between the manager and the limited liability company," Juridical Tribune - Review of Comparative and International Law, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 43-62, March.
    4. Michael Lubatkin & John Florin & William S. Schulze, 2003. "A social capital model of high growth ventures," Post-Print hal-02311715, HAL.
    5. Cristina Elena Popa (Tache), 2020. "International investment protection in front of the states role in crisis times to managing disputes," Juridical Tribune - Review of Comparative and International Law, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, vol. 10(3), pages 455-465, December.
    6. Michael Lubatkin & John Florin & William S. Schulze, 2003. "A social capital model of high growth ventures," Post-Print hal-02276699, HAL.
    7. Stefan Wagner & Karin Hoisl & Grid Thoma, 2014. "Overcoming localization of knowledge — the role of professional service firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(11), pages 1671-1688, November.
    8. Zhang, Kevin Honglin, 2014. "How does foreign direct investment affect industrial competitiveness? Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 530-539.
    9. Manuel Gómez‐Solórzano & Marco Tortoriello & Giuseppe Soda, 2019. "Instrumental and affective ties within the laboratory: The impact of informal cliques on innovative productivity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(10), pages 1593-1609, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shao, Yan & Sun, Lingxia, 2021. "Entrepreneurs’ social capital and venture capital financing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 499-512.
    2. Li, Dan, 2013. "Multilateral R&D alliances by new ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 241-260.
    3. de Camargo Fiorini, Paula & Roman Pais Seles, Bruno Michel & Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel Jose & Barberio Mariano, Enzo & de Sousa Jabbour, Ana Beatriz Lopes, 2018. "Management theory and big data literature: From a review to a research agenda," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 112-129.
    4. Enrico Santarelli & Hien Tran, 2013. "The interplay of human and social capital in shaping entrepreneurial performance: the case of Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 435-458, February.
    5. Bozeman, Barry & Mangematin, Vincent, 2004. "Editor's introduction: building and deploying scientific and technical human capital," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 565-568, May.
    6. Watson, John, 2007. "Modeling the relationship between networking and firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 852-874, November.
    7. Chong Kyoon Lee & Griffin W. Cottle & Sharon A. Simmons & Johan Wiklund, 2021. "Fear not, want not: Untangling the effects of social cost of failure on high-growth entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 531-553, June.
    8. Williams, Christopher, 2024. "Peacebuilding by MNE subsidiaries: The role of intangible capital and local initiative," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 711-725.
    9. Tatiana S. Manolova & Nancy M. Carter & Ivan M. Manev & Bojidar S. Gyoshev, 2007. "The Differential Effect of Men and Women Entrepreneurs’ Human Capital and Networking on Growth Expectancies in Bulgaria," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(3), pages 407-426, May.
    10. Criaco, Giuseppe & van Oosterhout, J. (Hans) & Nordqvist, Mattias, 2021. "Is blood always thicker than water? Family firm parents, kinship ties, and the survival of spawns," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(6).
    11. Julie L. Hotchkiss & Anil Rupasingha & Thor Watson, 2022. "In-migration and Dilution of Community Social Capital," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 45(1), pages 36-57, January.
    12. Chuang, Shu-Hui & Lin, Hong-Nan, 2013. "The roles of infrastructure capability and customer orientation in enhancing customer-information quality in CRM systems: Empirical evidence from Taiwan," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 271-281.
    13. Patel, Pankaj C. & João Guedes, Maria & Pagano, Michael S. & Olson, Gerard T., 2020. "Industry profitability matters: The value of sustainable growth rate and distance from bankruptcy as enablers of venture survival," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 80-92.
    14. Walter, Jorge & Lechner, Christoph & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2007. "Knowledge transfer between and within alliance partners: Private versus collective benefits of social capital," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(7), pages 698-710, July.
    15. Domingo Soriano & Gary Castrogiovanni, 2012. "The impact of education, experience and inner circle advisors on SME performance: insights from a study of public development centers," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 333-349, April.
    16. Moedt, Kristel & Lechner, Christian & Khapova, Svetlana, 2024. "Growing pains during scale-up hypergrowth: Integration and future research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    17. Jared Allen & Regan Stevenson & Tang Wang, 2021. "Creative and resourceful: How human, social, and psychological resources affect creative workers’ ability to rebound after failure," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 705-719, August.
    18. Pankaj C. Patel & Jack I. Richter, 2025. "Self-Interest over Ethics: Firm Withdrawal from Russia After the Ukraine Invasion," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(2), pages 365-391, June.
    19. Meuleman, Miguel & De Maeseneire, Wouter, 2012. "Do R&D subsidies affect SMEs’ access to external financing?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 580-591.
    20. Celestine Katongole & John C. Munene & Muhammed Ngoma & Samuel Dawa & Arthur Sserwanga, 2015. "Entrepreneur’s Intrapersonal Resources and Enterprise Success among Micro and Small Scale Women Entrepreneurs," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(04), pages 405-447, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15705-:d:1275747. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.