IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jknowl/v16y2025i1d10.1007_s13132-024-02002-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Strategizing Enterprise Dominance in Standards Associations: The Power of Relational Capital and Market Dynamics

Author

Listed:
  • Yushen Du

    (Jilin University
    Jilin University)

  • Hongli Bao

    (Jilin University
    Inner Mongolia Minzu University)

  • Fan Zhang

    (Industrial and Commercial Bankof China)

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving technological landscape, governance and influence over association standards have become a critical strategic battleground for corporations. This study embarks on an exploratory journey to dissect the intricate mechanisms through which relational capital and market power orchestrate enterprise control over competitive standards associations. Analyzing data from 966 A-share listed businesses in China between 2015 and 2019, our findings illuminate the pivotal roles of political affiliations, social organization participation, technological innovation capabilities, and industry status in amplifying corporate sway over association standards, with a marked prominence in the manufacturing sector. By synthesizing theories of social networks, technological innovation, and institutional economics, this research advances our understanding of firms’ multidimensional strategies to navigate and dominate the standards-setting arena. The results underscore the strategic importance of cultivating robust political and social networks, fostering innovation, and solidifying industry standing as levers for enhancing enterprise influence over the creation and governance of association standards. This study not only bridges a significant gap in the literature by shedding light on the underexplored domain of corporate control in standards associations but also offers pragmatic insights for firms strategizing to leverage standards for competitive advantage. Our discourse enriches the knowledge economy narrative by highlighting the symbiosis between relational capital, technological advancement, and governance in steering the direction of industry standards, thereby underscoring a critical avenue for entrepreneurial and societal progress within the technology-driven marketplace.

Suggested Citation

  • Yushen Du & Hongli Bao & Fan Zhang, 2025. "Strategizing Enterprise Dominance in Standards Associations: The Power of Relational Capital and Market Dynamics," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 501-532, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02002-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-02002-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-024-02002-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13132-024-02002-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    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:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02002-y. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.