Zhengyi Zhang, Jun Jin, Ting Wen and Zan Chen
With the fierce competition in a knowledge economy, knowledge-intensive enterprises (KIEs) make technological progress in their catching-up processes through implementing product…
Abstract
Purpose
With the fierce competition in a knowledge economy, knowledge-intensive enterprises (KIEs) make technological progress in their catching-up processes through implementing product innovation and process innovation. In this study, the aim is to understand the determinants of enterprise innovation type in China's catch-up environment. Further, this paper intends to deal with two related questions. First, what effect does the internal knowledge base have on KIEs' technology innovation activities? Second, considering the technology gap and technology development speed, what are the different impacts of the knowledge base on the type of technology innovation activities?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper collected data from 212 KIEs in China through a two-stage questionnaire survey, combined with statistical data for research. The hypothesis was tested by regression analysis. Specifically, descriptive statistics and regression analysis are introduced to test the hypothetical relationship between the knowledge base and technology innovation. Meanwhile, multiple regression is used to test whether there is any difference in the influence of technology gap and technology development speed on enterprise knowledge base and technology innovation. Finally, the corresponding robustness tests are done.
Findings
This study finds that in a sample of Yangtze River Delta KIEs, firms' knowledge base influences innovation types. Specifically, the knowledge base width (KBW) and knowledge base depth (KBD) positively influence process innovation, and KBD positively affects product innovation. Regarding the effects of catch-up context factors on KIEs’ innovation choice, a wide technology gap tends to positively influence product innovation in industries with high levels of KBW. Moreover, when technology development speed is high, its potential positive influence on process innovation will be more significant for industries with deeper knowledge bases.
Originality/value
This paper fills the research gap that existing studies ignore the relationship between types of technology innovation and knowledge base dimensions, especially for KIEs. First, this paper deepens the understanding of the impact mechanism of KIEs' existing knowledge base on innovation activities; the unique use of resources by enterprises is the basis of enterprises' competitive advantage and will become enterprises' competitive advantage. Second, this study indicates that against different backdrops of technology gap and technology development speed, enterprises with different knowledge bases will adopt different types of technology innovation activities. Third, this paper shows that a wider technology gap provides broader innovation space, so the technology gap plays a pulling role in KBW and product innovation, thus pushing forward enterprises' technological catch-up.
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Jun Jin, Zan Chen and Shijing Li
The objective of this paper is to empirically test and verify the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) capability on environmental performance (EP) of…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to empirically test and verify the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) capability on environmental performance (EP) of manufacturing, as well as the moderating effect of heterogenous factors and the mediating effect of ambidextrous innovation in the context of the Chinese manufacturing firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The data come from the World Bank Enterprise Survey of China conducted from December 2011 to February 2013. The logistic regression is applied with Stata 15, and the robustness test by three methods is employed to verify the reliability of the results in this paper.
Findings
The research results suggest that the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is moderated by two heterogenous factors, including main market and industry attributes. Meanwhile, the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is mediated by ambidextrous innovation.
Originality/value
This work highlights ICT capability as an important, yet underexplored antecedent in improving the EP of manufacturing firms. This research further uncovers the moderating role of main market and industry attributes, as well as the mediating mechanism by introducing ambidextrous innovation in the relationship between ICT capability and EP.
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Jun Jin, Shijing Li, Zan Chen and Liying Wang
Although scholars in strategic management have identified innovating and exit as firms’ two sequential strategic responses to long-run crisis, the potential interdependency has…
Abstract
Purpose
Although scholars in strategic management have identified innovating and exit as firms’ two sequential strategic responses to long-run crisis, the potential interdependency has yet remained implicit. Specifically, in the context of Chinese Privately Owned Enterprises (POEs), this study investigates the interrelationship of these two strategic responses during long-run crisis. Building on resource redeployment perspective, the authors propose that firms tend to simultaneously leverage innovating and exit responses.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the data from the 2010 Chinese POEs survey to verify how firms in the long-term crisis made strategic responses after the 2008 financial crisis. Besides, the authors utilize Probit regressions as the basic analysis and further employ bivariate Probit regressions to conduct robustness tests.
Findings
This study provides empirical evidence confirming that firms in the long-run period of the crisis tend to adopt both exit and innovating strategies at the same time, that is, the strategy of resource redeployment. Moreover, this study further finds that government subsidies, the degree of marketization and firm’s organizational capability could all accentuate the decision-making of firms’ resource redeployment.
Originality/value
The authors thus contribute to the study of strategic responses to crisis in strategic management by dynamically find out the interdependency of two responses and enrich the research on resource redeployment perspective by identifying three influential positive antecedents, adding to the ongoing investigation on positive drivers of resource redeployment.
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Zhu Yunxia and Herbert W. Hildebrandt
This paper aims to compare the Greek and Chinese rhetorical traditions and explore their influences on today’s business and marketing communication across relevant cultures. In…
Abstract
This paper aims to compare the Greek and Chinese rhetorical traditions and explore their influences on today’s business and marketing communication across relevant cultures. In particular, it uses the Aristotelian persuasive orientations as reference points to introduce the Chinese rhetoric, and interpret cultural differences in persuasion from a historical and sociocultural perspective. It has been found that Greek and Chinese rhetoric and persuasion were developed to meet the needs of the social and cultural environments and this rule still applies to today’s business communication. The logical approach has been emphasised in the English rhetorical tradition while both qing (emotional approach) and li (logical approach) are the focus of persuasion in the Chinese tradition. This difference is also the root of cultural differences in modern business communication. Findings from both English and Chinese texts and data are examined to substantiate our focal argument.
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The rapid advancement of digital transformation requires a shift in firms’ focus from past met needs to both latent future and unmet past needs. However, how boundary-spanning…
Abstract
Purpose
The rapid advancement of digital transformation requires a shift in firms’ focus from past met needs to both latent future and unmet past needs. However, how boundary-spanning search with future orientation and past orientation affects breakthrough innovation remains unclear. This study thus aims to investigate the relationship between boundary-spanning search and breakthrough innovation from the perspective of search orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
In terms of search orientation, this study divides boundary-spanning search into forward-looking search and backward-looking search. Drawing on resource-based view, this study develops a theoretical model in which big data analytics capability moderates the effects of forward-looking and backward-looking searches on breakthrough innovation. Empirical analyses were conducted on data from China’s advanced manufacturing firms. Research model and hypotheses were tested through multiple regression.
Findings
The results confirm that forward-looking search has a positive effect on breakthrough innovation, and big data analytics capability strengthens this positive effect. Furthermore, backward-looking search has an inverted U-shaped effect on breakthrough innovation. Interestingly, as big data analytics capability increases, this inverted U-shaped curve flattens and becomes almost linear.
Originality/value
This study uncovers the different effects of boundary-spanning search with different orientations on breakthrough innovation and extends the research on the relationship between boundary-spanning search and breakthrough innovation by incorporating search orientation. Furthermore, by demonstrating the moderating role of big data analytics capability, this study provides a crucial condition under which boundary-spanning search can enhance breakthrough innovation.
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Yogesh Mahulkar and Chetankumar Sedani
Miniature loop heat pipes (MLHPs) are highly efficient passive heat transfer devices, which have considerable advantages over conventional heat pipes. Currently, miniature LHPs…
Abstract
Purpose
Miniature loop heat pipes (MLHPs) are highly efficient passive heat transfer devices, which have considerable advantages over conventional heat pipes. Currently, miniature LHPs with ammonia and water as working fluids have been developed and utilized in electronics cooling within temperature range of 50°C-70°C at any orientation in 1-g conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors studied the standard procedure for the development of bi-porous nickel wicks and their characterization. Three different shaped nickel powders were studied, and best fitting nickel powder for electronics cooling application was reported. The manufacturing of bi-porous wick structures was analyzed with parameters such as porosity, permeability, capillary pressure and effective thermal conductivity for efficient performance of MLHP.
Findings
The study investigated the sintering process for number of samples to identify effective sample for the particular application. It is found that carbonyl nickel powder (type 287) with particle size of 2.6-3.3 µm gives promising results. Permeability and porosity were found to be highest in this case.
Originality/value
It is found that carbonyl nickel powder type with particle size gives promising results. Permeability and porosity was found to be highest in this case.
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Mohammad Farahbakhsh Kargosha, Abbasali Motallebi, Ebrahim Rahimi, Amir Shakerian and Hamidreza Kazemeini
This study aims to prepare probiotic sodium caseinate-gelatin films containing Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus plantarum, and evaluate their…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to prepare probiotic sodium caseinate-gelatin films containing Lactobacillus paracasei, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus plantarum, and evaluate their application on the microbiological, chemical, mechanical and sensory properties of rainbow trout fillets during 12 days of refrigerated storage.
Design/methodology/approach
The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the designed films were assessed. In addition, the rainbow trout fillets were examined for microbiological, chemical parameters and sensory attributes.
Findings
According to the results, a negative correlation was found between the survival of probiotic bacteria and the storage time of the films. The counts of L. paracasei, B. bifidum and L. plantarum showed a decreasing trend during the study, starting from (2.9, 3.9 and 1.9 log CFU/g, respectively) at day 0 and reaching (6.79, 5.84 and 6.14 log CFU/g, respectively) at the end of the study (day 12).
Originality/value
It was observed that the sodium caseinate-gelatin probiotic films delayed the microbial growth in rainbow trout fillets compared to the control group. Furthermore, significant differences in chemical changes were found in all treated fish fillets compared to the untreated group.
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Huanhuan Chen, Yanhong Yao, Ao Zan and Elias G. Carayannis
Building on the resource- and knowledge-based views, this paper aims to explore how coopetition affects radical innovation and the roles of knowledge structure and external…
Abstract
Purpose
Building on the resource- and knowledge-based views, this paper aims to explore how coopetition affects radical innovation and the roles of knowledge structure and external knowledge integration in the relationship between coopetition and radical innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes a research model to examine the mediating role of external knowledge integration on the coopetition-radical innovation link, where the mediation is moderated by the firm’s knowledge structure (including component knowledge and architectural knowledge). The authors use regression and bootstrapping to test the proposed model with survey data from 241 Chinese technology firms.
Findings
This study finds that coopetition positively affects radical innovation and the effect is fully mediated by external knowledge integration. Additionally, component knowledge negatively moderates the coopetition-external knowledge integration link and architectural knowledge positively moderates this relationship. Further, the mediating effect of external knowledge integration is also moderated by component knowledge and architectural knowledge.
Practical implications
Firms should engage in coopetition to promote radical innovation. Further, it is necessary for firms to appropriately manage coopetition according to their internal knowledge structure.
Originality/value
This study explains why scholars have different ideas about the relationship between coopetition and radical innovation by exploring the mediating role of external knowledge integration and the moderating effect of knowledge structure. Firms possess increased possibilities for knowledge leakage and partner opportunism with high levels of component knowledge, which will reduce the positive effect coopetition on external knowledge integration; thus, they are less likely to realize radical innovation. Instead, firms possess increased opportunities for resource sharing with high levels of architectural knowledge, thus improving the positive effect coopetition on external knowledge integration and they are more likely to achieve radical innovation.
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Xiaoyan Chen, Weina Zhu, Yajiao Chen and Qinghua He
The development and evolution of stakeholder collaborative innovation in megaprojects is impacted by various influencing factors. The effect of influencing factors on…
Abstract
Purpose
The development and evolution of stakeholder collaborative innovation in megaprojects is impacted by various influencing factors. The effect of influencing factors on collaborative innovation performance (CIP) in megaprojects is not a simplistic linear relationship but an iterative and non-linear relationship that requires a dynamic perspective to analyze. Therefore, this paper adopts the system dynamic (SD) approach to investigate the dynamic and interactive relationships between the CIP and the influencing factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The study first develops a research framework with the system boundary of “CIP system – organizational collaboration subsystem – knowledge collaboration subsystem – strategic collaboration subsystem”. Then, the causal relationship model, the stock-flow model, and the mathematical equations were determined based on the literature review and the expert interviews. Finally, five performance improvement scenarios were designed according to the practice context of CIP in megaprojects, and simulations were performed using the Vensim PLE software to investigate the CIP from a dynamic perspective.
Findings
The findings reveal that the effect of different influencing factors on CIP grows non-linearly, with the cumulative effect becoming more pronounced as time advances. The incentive mechanism has the most significant effect, and the combined effect of multiple influencing factors has a highly significant facilitating effect on improving CIP. Strategic collaboration, organizational collaboration and knowledge collaboration are mutually conditional and reinforcing with each other, which ultimately promotes the improvement of CIP.
Originality/value
This study uncovers the inherent pattern and the interactive dynamic mechanism of factors for improving CIP in the context of megaprojects. It enriches the theoretical research in the area of collaborative innovation in megaprojects and provides practical management strategies for improving CIP.
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Chaw Thet Zan and Hayato Yamana
The paper aims to estimate the segment size and alphabet size of Symbolic Aggregate approXimation (SAX). In SAX, time series data are divided into a set of equal-sized segments…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to estimate the segment size and alphabet size of Symbolic Aggregate approXimation (SAX). In SAX, time series data are divided into a set of equal-sized segments. Each segment is represented by its mean value and mapped with an alphabet, where the number of adopted symbols is called alphabet size. Both parameters control data compression ratio and accuracy of time series mining tasks. Besides, optimal parameters selection highly depends on different application and data sets. In fact, these parameters are iteratively selected by analyzing entire data sets, which limits handling of the huge amount of time series and reduces the applicability of SAX.
Design/methodology/approach
The segment size is estimated based on Shannon sampling theorem (autoSAXSD_S) and adaptive hierarchical segmentation (autoSAXSD_M). As for the alphabet size, it is focused on how mean values of all the segments are distributed. The small number of alphabet size is set for large distribution to easily distinguish the difference among segments.
Findings
Experimental evaluation using University of California Riverside (UCR) data sets shows that the proposed schemes are able to select the parameters well with high classification accuracy and show comparable efficiency in comparison with state-of-the-art methods, SAX and auto_iSAX.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper is the way to find out the optimal parameters of SAX using the proposed estimation schemes. The first parameter segment size is automatically estimated on two approaches and the second parameter alphabet size is estimated on the most frequent average (mean) value among segments.