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When does investment in political ties improve firm performance? The contingent effect of innovation activities

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  • Jing Zhang

    ()

  • Justin Tan

    ()

  • Poh Wong

    ()

Abstract

Prior research on firm behavior in emerging economies like China has highlighted the extensive building and use of political ties by business managers. However, there are mixed findings regarding the value of political ties on firm performance. In this study, we propose a task-contingency approach to explain when the investment in political ties will improve performance and when they will not. In particular, we study how the value of investing managerial time to cultivate political ties with local government officials may vary when firms engage in different types of technological innovation activities. We hypothesize that when a firm pursues exploratory innovation involving high institutional uncertainty, such time investment will improve firm performance. In contrast, when a firm undertakes exploitative innovation that involves low institutional uncertainty but requires high internal operational improvement such as marketing and sales, such time investment in political ties would distract managers’ attention from internal improvement, and hence may harm firm performance. Results based on a World Bank survey of 1,500 Chinese manufacturing firms confirm these hypotheses. Our findings offer fresh insights on how firm managers in emerging economies should manage their institutional environment when pursuing innovation activities. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Jing Zhang & Justin Tan & Poh Wong, 2015. "When does investment in political ties improve firm performance? The contingent effect of innovation activities," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 363-387, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:32:y:2015:i:2:p:363-387
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-014-9402-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Chun Yang & Bart Bossink & Peter Peverelli, 2018. "The Value of Business–Government Ties for Manufacturing Firms’ Product Innovation during Institutional Transition in China," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 11(1), pages 1-1, December.
    2. Krammer, Sorin & Jimenez, Alfredo, 2019. "Do political connections matter for firm innovation? Evidence from emerging markets in Central Asia and Eastern Europe," MPRA Paper 94942, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Li, Weiwen & Bruton, Garry D. & Filatotchev, Igor, 2016. "Mitigating the dual liability of newness and foreignness in capital markets: The role of returnee independent directors," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 787-799.
    4. Gupeng Zhang & Qianlong Zhang & Dujuan Huang, 2020. "Impact of Political Connection Strength on the Internationalization Outcome of Chinese Firms: Perspectives from Market Exploration and Technology Acquisition," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 12(4), pages 1-1, February.
    5. Adomako, Samuel & Frimpong, Kwabena & Danso, Albert & Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Uddin, Moshfique & Kesse, Kwabena, 2020. "Home country institutional impediments and international expansion of developing country SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    6. Lin-Hua Lu & Poh-Kam Wong, 2019. "Performance feedback, financial slack and the innovation behavior of firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1079-1109, December.
    7. Natalia Germanjuk, 2018. "Investments In The Development Of Innovative Management In The Company," Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, Publishing house "Baltija Publishing", vol. 4(4).
    8. Hongjuan Zhang & Rong Han & Liang Wang & Runhui Lin, 0. "Social capital in China: a systematic literature review," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-46.
    9. Krammer, Sorin M.S. & Jiménez, Alfredo, 2020. "Do political connections matter for firm innovation? Evidence from emerging markets in Central Asia and Eastern Europe," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    10. Sheng Wang & Rebecca Guidice & Yuanyuan Zhou & Zhong-Ming Wang, 2017. "It’s more complicated than we think: The implications of social capital on innovation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 649-674, September.
    11. Weiqi Dai & Mingqing Liao, 2019. "Entrepreneurial attention to deregulations and reinvestments by private firms: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1221-1250, December.
    12. Sunny Li Sun & Mike W. Peng & Weiqiang Tan, 2017. "Institutional relatedness behind product diversification and international diversification," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 339-366, June.
    13. Landoni, Matteo, 2020. "Knowledge creation in state-owned enterprises," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 77-85.
    14. Jing A. Zhang & Xiling Cui, 2017. "In Search Of The Effects Of Business And Political Ties On Innovation Ambidexterity," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-27, February.

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