| In the 21st century, with the increasing complexity of technological innovation, the single enterprise may not have enough knowledge to achieve innovation. As a result, more and more enterprises consciously build and manage knowledge network in order to make up the knowledge gap and improve the innovation performance. However, many enterprises fail to build knowledge network and many enterprises successfully building knowledge network have different technological innovation performance. These phenomena show that enterprises'knowledge network competence is heterogeneous. How to build and manage knowledge network to improve technological innovation has become an urgent problem in practice. Enterprises needs to develop a new competence, which named Enterprise Knowledge Network Competence (EKNC), to build and manage knowledge networks. EKNC can help enterprises optimize knowledge network and improve technological innovation performance.However, research on knowledge network and technological innovation is just starting, little attention paying to the special properties of knowledge networks. Most studies claimed knowledge network as exogenous variables, which dissevers the interdependence between them and ignores the impact enterprises playing on knowledge network formation and evolution. In fact, knowledge network related with technological innovation is often built consciously by enterprises. In a sense, it is EKNC that determines the success and efficiency of knowledge network, influents technological innovation performance. But to date, little research pays attention to EKNC, which limits studies from the perspective of building knowledge network, leads the lack of analytical framework "knowledge network competence—knowledge network—technological innovation performance".So this paper starts from the new perspective of building knowledge network and does many exploratory studies. Firstly, the theoretical framework and constituent dimensions of EKNC is explored. Secondly, this paper constructs the analytical framework "knowledge network competence—knowledge network—technological innovation performance".Thirdly, empirical research is carried out based on 186 samples from technological enterprises in Shandong province. As a result, this paper systematically explains the mechanism of EKNC influencing technological innovation performance, reveals the path to build and manage knowledge network improving technological innovation performance.This paper mainly answers three questions:(1) Based on construction theory and fuzzy cluster analysis, this paper reveals the theoretical framework, constituent dimensions and measurement system of EKNC. (2) By theoretical and empirical research, this paper explains the mechanism of EKNC influencing technological innovation performance, reveals every dimension of EKNC how to directly or indirectly influence technological innovation performance. (3) This paper studies the mediate impact of knowledge network, reveals every dimension of EKNC how to influence the structure and relationship of knowledge network, argues how the structure and relation of knowledge network influences technological innovation performance.The conclusions and enlightenments of this paper include five aspects as follows:Firstly, EKNC is a crossed construct based on Resource-based View, Enterprise Network Theory and Knowledge Management Theory, and consists of four dimensions which named network programming, network management, network knowledge absorption and network knowledge transmissions. This conclusion not only clears the logical path of research on EKNC, but also supplies the method to identify, measure and improve EKNC in practice.Secondly, EKNC has significant positive effect on technological innovation performance. On the one hand, four dimensions of EKNC have direct positive effect on technological innovation performance. On the other hand, EKNC has indirect positive effect on technological innovation performance through influencing the centeredness, openness, dual degree and relation quality of knowledge network. This conclusion indicates enterprises can consciously cultivate EKNC to improve technological innovation performance in practice.Thirdly, every dimension of EKNC has different effect on knowledge network. Network programming mainly influences the centeredness, openness, dual degree of knowledge network. Network management mainly influences the size, centeredness, dual degree and relation quality of knowledge network. Network knowledge absorption mainly influences the size, centeredness and relation quality of knowledge network. Network knowledge transmission mainly influences the centeredness, openness and relation quality of knowledge network. This conclusion indicates enterprises can consciously cultivate and combine EKNC to build and manage knowledge network in practice. For example, when the company plans to expand its size of knowledge network, it can focus on developing network management capabilities and network knowledge absorption capabilities.Fourthly, the centeredness, openness, dual degree and relation quality of knowledge network has significant positive effect on technological innovation performance. With the third conclusion, this conclusion indicates, according the stage of knowledge network, enterprises can differently cultivate and combine EKNC to improve technological innovation performance in practice. For example, when the company plans to improve technological innovation performance by strengthening the openness of knowledge network, it can focus on developing network programming capabilities and network knowledge transmission capabilities.Fifthly, knowledge network plays a partly mediate role in EKNC influencing technological innovation performance, and every feature's role is different. Network programming influences technological innovation performance indirectly mainly through affecting the centeredness, openness, dual degree of knowledge network. Network management influences technological innovation performance indirectly mainly through affecting the centeredness, dual degree and relation quality of knowledge network. Network knowledge absorption influences technological innovation performance indirectly mainly through affecting centeredness and relation quality of knowledge network. Network knowledge transmission influences technological innovation performance indirectly mainly through affecting the centeredness, openness and relation quality of knowledge network.The main innovation of this paper is:(1) Breaking through the bottleneck of research on EKNC, this paper deeps EKNC from conception into construct which has theoretical framework, constituent dimensions and measurement system. (2) Breaking through the limitation of knowledge network as exogenous variables, from the new perspective of building knowledge network, this paper reveals the mechanism of EKNC influencing knowledge network and technological innovation performance, constructs the analytical framework "knowledge network competence—knowledge network—technological innovation performance". (3) From the special character of knowledge network, this paper rebuild the explanatory variables of knowledge network and reveals the mediate role of knowledge network in EKNC influencing technological innovation performance.
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