IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v126y2021i9d10.1007_s11192-021-04089-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Employee co-invention network dynamics and firm exploratory innovation: the moderation of employee co-invention network centralization and knowledge-employee network equilibrium

Author

Listed:
  • Guiyang Zhang

    (Nanjing University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Drawing on a dynamic approach, increasing research investigates network dynamics at the inter-firm level in recent years. However, little is known about intra-firm employee network dynamics and their consequences for firm exploratory innovation. This paper addresses the gap by focusing on employee co-invention network dynamics conceptualized as employee turnover and across-team movement. Based on the knowledge-based view and transactive memory system theory, this research elaborates on the dual mechanism of employee co-invention network dynamics and proposes an inverted U-shaped relationship between employee co-invention network dynamics and firm exploratory innovation. Furthermore, employees and their innovation are structurally embedded in the intra-firm networks. This paper investigates the moderation effect of intra-firm network structures. First, employee co-invention network centralization, indicating a core-periphery co-invention structure among employees, may negatively moderate the inverted U-shaped relationship. Second, knowledge-employee network equilibrium, indicating an evenly- and broadly- distributed knowledge structure among employees, may positively moderate the inverted U-shaped relationship. Based on patent data of 76 high-tech firms over 31 years from 1990 to 2020, this paper develops novel quantitative measures and conducts panel regression analysis. Results support all the above predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Guiyang Zhang, 2021. "Employee co-invention network dynamics and firm exploratory innovation: the moderation of employee co-invention network centralization and knowledge-employee network equilibrium," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(9), pages 7811-7836, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:126:y:2021:i:9:d:10.1007_s11192-021-04089-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-04089-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-021-04089-5
    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/s11192-021-04089-5?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.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gautam Ahuja & Giuseppe Soda & Akbar Zaheer, 2012. "The Genesis and Dynamics of Organizational Networks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 434-448, April.
    2. Jack A. Nickerson & Todd R. Zenger, 2002. "Being Efficiently Fickle: A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Choice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(5), pages 547-566, October.
    3. Justin J. P. Jansen & Frans A. J. Van Den Bosch & Henk W. Volberda, 2006. "Exploratory Innovation, Exploitative Innovation, and Performance: Effects of Organizational Antecedents and Environmental Moderators," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(11), pages 1661-1674, November.
    4. Hong Hong & Qiang Ye & Qianzhou Du & G. Alan Wang & Weiguo Fan, 2020. "Crowd characteristics and crowd wisdom: Evidence from an online investment community," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(4), pages 423-435, April.
    5. Jingbei Wang & Naiding Yang, 2019. "Dynamics of collaboration network community and exploratory innovation: the moderation of knowledge networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(2), pages 1067-1084, November.
    6. Gilsing, Victor & Nooteboom, Bart & Vanhaverbeke, Wim & Duysters, Geert & van den Oord, Ad, 2008. "Network embeddedness and the exploration of novel technologies: Technological distance, betweenness centrality and density," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1717-1731, December.
    7. Zhang, Gupeng & Duan, Hongbo & Zhou, Jianghua, 2017. "Network stability, connectivity and innovation output," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 339-349.
    8. Nicolette Lakemond & Lars Bengtsson & Keld Laursen & Fredrik Tell, 2016. "Editor's Choice Match and manage: the use of knowledge matching and project management to integrate knowledge in collaborative inbound open innovation," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 333-352.
    9. Enno Siemsen & Aleda V. Roth & Sridhar Balasubramanian & Gopesh Anand, 2009. "The Influence of Psychological Safety and Confidence in Knowledge on Employee Knowledge Sharing," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 429-447, April.
    10. Uwe Cantner & Andreas Meder, 2007. "Technological proximity and the choice of cooperation partner," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 2(1), pages 45-65, June.
    11. Scuotto, Veronica & Garcia-Perez, Alexeis & Nespoli, Chiara & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio, 2020. "A repositioning organizational knowledge dynamics by functional upgrading and downgrading strategy in global value chain," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(4).
    12. Singh, Jasjit, 2008. "Distributed R&D, cross-regional knowledge integration and quality of innovative output," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 77-96, February.
    13. Srikanth Paruchuri, 2010. "Intraorganizational Networks, Interorganizational Networks, and the Impact of Central Inventors: A Longitudinal Study of Pharmaceutical Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 63-80, February.
    14. Linda Argote & Yuqing Ren, 2012. "Transactive Memory Systems: A Microfoundation of Dynamic Capabilities," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(8), pages 1375-1382, December.
    15. Srikanth Paruchuri & Snehal Awate, 2017. "Organizational knowledge networks and local search: The role of intra‐organizational inventor networks," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 657-675, March.
    16. Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio, 2019. "Trading knowledge for status: Conceptualizing R&D alliance formation to achieve ambidexterity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 36-42.
    17. Torben Schubert & Martin Andersson, 2015. "Old is gold? The effects of employee age on innovation and the moderating effects of employment turnover," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1-2), pages 95-113, March.
    18. Prithwiraj Choudhury, 2017. "Innovation Outcomes in a Distributed Organization: Intrafirm Mobility and Access to Resources," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 339-354, April.
    19. Zhi Yang & Xuemin Zhou & Pengcheng Zhang, 2015. "Discipline versus passion: Collectivism, centralization, and ambidextrous innovation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 745-769, September.
    20. Guiyang Zhang & Chaoying Tang, 2018. "How R&D partner diversity influences innovation performance: an empirical study in the nano-biopharmaceutical field," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 1487-1512, September.
    21. Lee Fleming, 2001. "Recombinant Uncertainty in Technological Search," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 117-132, January.
    22. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    23. Guan, Jian Cheng & Yan, Yan, 2016. "Technological proximity and recombinative innovation in the alternative energy field," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1460-1473.
    24. Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, Pia & Olander, Heidi & Blomqvist, Kirsimarja & Panfilii, Victoria, 2012. "Orchestrating R&D networks: Absorptive capacity, network stability, and innovation appropriability," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 552-563.
    25. Guiyang Zhang & Chaoying Tang & Yong Qi, 2020. "Alliance Network Diversity and Innovation Ambidexterity: The Differential Roles of Industrial Diversity, Geographical Diversity, and Functional Diversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    26. Zhang, Zhengang & Luo, Taiye, 2020. "Network capital, exploitative and exploratory innovations——from the perspective of network dynamics," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    27. Szulanski, Gabriel, 2000. "The Process of Knowledge Transfer: A Diachronic Analysis of Stickiness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 9-27, May.
    28. Diane L. Rulke & Joseph Galaskiewicz, 2000. "Distribution of Knowledge, Group Network Structure, and Group Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(5), pages 612-625, May.
    29. Alessandra Arcuri & Giuseppe Dari-Mattiacci, 2010. "Centralization versus Decentralization as a Risk-Return Trade-Off," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(2), pages 359-378, May.
    30. Samina Karim & Charles Williams, 2012. "Structural knowledge: how executive experience with structural composition affects intrafirm mobility and unit reconfiguration," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(6), pages 681-709, June.
    31. Yan, Yan & Guan, JianCheng, 2018. "Social capital, exploitative and exploratory innovations: The mediating roles of ego-network dynamics," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 244-258.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Guiyang & Gao, Yuchen & Qi, Yong, 2022. "National depth and R&D alliance portfolio international expansion: The moderation of technological discontinuity and long-term orientation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).

    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. Jiuling Xiao & Yuting Bao & Jiankang Wang, 2023. "Which neighbor is more conducive to innovation? The moderating effect of partners’ innovation," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 33-67, February.
    2. Xiaoxiao Shi & Qingpu Zhang, 2020. "Network inertia and inbound open innovation: is there a bidirectional relationship?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(2), pages 791-815, February.
    3. Goossen, Martin C. & Paruchuri, Srikanth, 2022. "Measurement errors and estimation biases with incomplete social networks: replication studies on intra-firm inventor network analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    4. Guiyang Zhang & Chaoying Tang & Yong Qi, 2020. "Alliance Network Diversity and Innovation Ambidexterity: The Differential Roles of Industrial Diversity, Geographical Diversity, and Functional Diversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    5. Yan, Yan & Guan, JianCheng, 2018. "Social capital, exploitative and exploratory innovations: The mediating roles of ego-network dynamics," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 244-258.
    6. Zhang, Guiyang & Gao, Yuchen & Qi, Yong, 2022. "National depth and R&D alliance portfolio international expansion: The moderation of technological discontinuity and long-term orientation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    7. Min Guo & Naiding Yang & Jingbei Wang & Yanlu Zhang, 2021. "Multi-dimensional proximity and network stability: the moderating role of network cohesion," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 3471-3499, April.
    8. Rajat Khanna & Isin Guler, 2022. "Degree assortativity in collaboration networks and invention performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(7), pages 1402-1430, July.
    9. Na Zhang & Lu Cheng & Chao Sun & Julie Callaert & Bart Looy, 2023. "The role of inter- and intra-organisational networks in innovation: towards requisite variety," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(7), pages 4117-4136, July.
    10. Castellani, Davide & Perri, Alessandra & Scalera, Vittoria G., 2022. "Knowledge integration in multinational enterprises: The role of inventors crossing national and organizational boundaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    11. Xiaoli Li & Kun Li & Hao Zhou, 2022. "Impact of Inventor’s Cooperation Network on Ambidextrous Innovation in Chinese AI Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Christina Fang & Jeho Lee & Melissa A. Schilling, 2010. "Balancing Exploration and Exploitation Through Structural Design: The Isolation of Subgroups and Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(3), pages 625-642, June.
    13. Andreea N. Kiss & Dirk Libaers & Pamela S. Barr & Tang Wang & Miles A. Zachary, 2020. "CEO cognitive flexibility, information search, and organizational ambidexterity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 2200-2233, December.
    14. Zakaryan, Arusyak, 2023. "Organizational knowledge networks, search and exploratory invention," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    15. Yang, Hongyan & Steensma, H. Kevin, 2014. "When do firms rely on their knowledge spillover recipients for guidance in exploring unfamiliar knowledge?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(9), pages 1496-1507.
    16. Zhi Yang & Xuemin Zhou & Pengcheng Zhang, 2015. "Discipline versus passion: Collectivism, centralization, and ambidextrous innovation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 745-769, September.
    17. Slavova, Kremena & Jong, Simcha, 2021. "University alliances and firm exploratory innovation: Evidence from therapeutic product development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    18. Guo, Min & Yang, Naiding & Wang, Jingbei & Zhang, Yanlu & Wang, Yan, 2021. "How do structural holes promote network expansion?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    19. Guan, Jiancheng & Liu, Na, 2016. "Exploitative and exploratory innovations in knowledge network and collaboration network: A patent analysis in the technological field of nano-energy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 97-112.
    20. Lampert, Curba Morris & Kim, Minyoung, 2019. "Going far to go further: Offshoring, exploration, and R&D performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 376-386.

    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:scient:v:126:y:2021:i:9:d:10.1007_s11192-021-04089-5. 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: 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.