Researchers have long studied the effect of network embeddedness on innovation outcomes, resulting in mixed findings. In this paper, we aim to take a novel approach to reconcile prior conflicting perspectives. We argue that previous seemingly discrepant findings may stem from ignoring different forms of network embeddedness and innovation. An innovator has doubly embedded relations in innovation networks: relational and structural embeddedness (SE). Additionally, innovations are categorized into two distinct types: exploratory and exploitative innovations. Our analysis is based on 2936 patent records involving 1561 inventors from a large U.S. company over a 16-year period. The findings indicate that, both relational and SE contribute to promoting exploitative innovation, while they have inverted U-shaped relationships with exploratory innovation. Furthermore, we argue that the whole network structure (e.g., the small-world quotient) must be considered to fully understand the effectiveness of network embeddedness. The implications of our findings are discussed for embeddedness, innovation, and network theory. For policy practice, researchers and knowledge workers should be more aware of modifying the levels of relational and SE, adopt appropriate embeddedness levels in a different situation, and match their embeddedness strategy with the whole structure of the intrafirm network.

中文翻译：

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网络嵌入与创新：来自替代能源领域的证据

长期以来，研究人员一直在研究网络嵌入对创新成果的影响，结果喜忧参半。在本文中，我们旨在采用一种新颖的方法来调和先前相互冲突的观点。我们认为，之前看似不一致的发现可能源于忽略了不同形式的网络嵌入和创新。创新者在创新网络中具有双重嵌入关系：关系嵌入和结构嵌入 (SE)。此外，创新分为两种不同的类型：探索性创新和开发性创新。我们的分析基于 2936 项专利记录，涉及美国一家大型公司 16 年间的 1561 名发明人。研究结果表明，关系型和社会经济型都有助于促进开发性创新，而它们与探索性创新呈倒 U 型关系。此外，我们认为必须考虑整个网络结构（例如，小世界商）才能充分理解网络嵌入的有效性。讨论了我们的发现对嵌入性、创新和网络理论的影响。对于政策实践，研究人员和知识工作者应该更加注意修改关系和SE的水平，在不同情况下采用适当的嵌入水平，并将其嵌入策略与公司内部网络的整体结构相匹配。