ABSTRACT

Though the significance of social capital is highlighted in earlier studies, the findings of the impact of social capital on an organisation’s innovation outputs are not definite. This study highlights the conflicting results regarding the role of social capital in innovation by separately examining exploratory and exploitative innovation and investigates the influence mechanism in depth by introducing ego-network stability as a mediator. Furthermore, we argue that technological distance may moderate the relationship between social capital and ego-network stability. The empirical setting is based on the patent data of smartphone industry for the period 2004 to 2017. The regression results show that structural holes have positive effects on the organisation’s exploratory and exploitative innovation, and structural holes affect exploitative innovation through ego-network stability. Similarly, degree centrality of the organisation has inverted-U-shaped relationships with its exploratory and exploitative innovation, and degree centrality affects exploratory innovation through ego-network stability. Furthermore, technological distance moderates the relationship between social capital and organisation’s ego-network stability in such a way that when the technological distance is at a low level, structural holes have stronger positive effect on ego-network stability. Additionally, when the technological distance is at a low level, degree centrality has a stronger positive effect on ego-network stability.

摘要

尽管早期研究强调了社会资本的重要性，但社会资本对组织创新产出的影响的研究结果并不明确。本研究通过分别考察探索性创新和剥削性创新，突出了社会资本在创新中作用的矛盾结果，并通过引入自我网络稳定性作为中介深入研究了影响机制。此外，我们认为技术距离可能会调节社会资本与自我网络稳定性之间的关系。实证设置基于2004-2017年智能手机行业专利数据。回归结果表明，结构性漏洞对组织的探索性和开发性创新具有正向影响，和结构漏洞通过自我网络稳定性影响开发性创新。同样，组织的度中心性与其探索性和开发性创新呈倒U型关系，度中心性通过自我网络稳定性影响探索性创新。此外，技术距离调节了社会资本与组织的自我网络稳定性之间的关系，当技术距离处于较低水平时，结构漏洞对自我网络稳定性的正向影响更强。此外，当技术距离处于较低水平时，度中心性对自我网络稳定性有更强的正向影响。组织的度中心性与其探索性和开发性创新呈倒U型关系，度中心性通过自我网络稳定性影响探索性创新。此外，技术距离调节了社会资本与组织的自我网络稳定性之间的关系，当技术距离处于较低水平时，结构漏洞对自我网络稳定性的正向影响更强。此外，当技术距离处于较低水平时，度中心性对自我网络稳定性有更强的正向影响。组织的度中心性与其探索性和开发性创新呈倒U型关系，度中心性通过自我网络稳定性影响探索性创新。此外，技术距离调节了社会资本与组织的自我网络稳定性之间的关系，当技术距离处于较低水平时，结构漏洞对自我网络稳定性的正向影响更强。此外，当技术距离处于较低水平时，度中心性对自我网络稳定性有更强的正向影响。技术距离调节社会资本与组织的自我网络稳定性之间的关系，当技术距离处于较低水平时，结构漏洞对自我网络稳定性的正向影响更强。此外，当技术距离处于较低水平时，度中心性对自我网络稳定性有更强的正向影响。技术距离调节社会资本与组织的自我网络稳定性之间的关系，当技术距离处于较低水平时，结构漏洞对自我网络稳定性的正向影响更强。此外，当技术距离处于较低水平时，度中心性对自我网络稳定性有更强的正向影响。