An Empirical Study On The Relationship Among Knowledge Coupling,Trust And Organizational Learning In University-Industry Collaboration

The university-industry collaboration is an important support for China to implement the innovation-driven development strategy.However,because the structure of technological capability is difficult to match and adapt,there is "structural dilemma" between enterprises and universities(or research institutes)in the implementation process.Undoubtedly,this has become the core issue of the trouble cooperation.To solve this dilemma,this paper points out that the structure of technological capability is the beginning and end point of the university-industry collaboration.This needs to be solved from the structure of technological capability and the breakthrough path.Based on this,this study starts from the perspective of capability structure,and intends to systematically analyze how enterprises can promote their organizational learning and improve innovation capability by the university-industry collaboration depending on their own technological capability under the realistic situation of the development of university-industry collaboration in China.At the micro level,Knowledge is a very important concept and a representation of the nature of ability to explore the nature of capability.The degree of knowledge coupling coordination provides a new way to solve this problem,and provides a fundamental power source for improving capability.At the same time,organizational learning is the key and core for enterprises to play a "springboard role" by the university-industry cooperation.Therefore,this study further decomposes the core topics into four sub-problems:(1)Why is the knowledge coupling of university-industry collaboration considered?(2)How does the knowledge coupling of university-industry collaboration affect organizational dual learning?(3)How to explain the phenomenon that cooperation partners sometimes succeed and sometimes fail with the same degree of knowledge coupling? How does the knowledge coupling of university-industry collaboration affect the deep logic of trust?(4)The knowledge gatekeepers are the key persons who can clearly express "what" and explain "why" in the university-industry collaboration.Can they be the "knowledge platform" for enterprises to contact with universities and research institutes? Accordingly,corresponding to three basic theories,it includes resource-based logic,social network theory and organizational learning theory.Firstly,based on the existing theories and concepts,this study adopts multiple case study methods to discuss the effect path and influence mechanism of the knowledge coupling,trust and knowledge gatekeeper on exploratory learning and exploitative learning with the different degree of knowledge coupling coordination deeply.Secondly,this study believes that knowledge is highly heterogeneous at the organizational level,rooted in organization behavior patterns,and attached to R&D input,personnel,equipment,organizational structure and projects,which becomes the basis of internal and external knowledge absorption and utilization.According to this,this study further constructed the measurement index system of the degree of knowledge coupling coordination for university-industry collaboration.And the knowledge coupling is calculated and classified based on the evaluation model.In addition,based on the mechanism and path of the exploratory case study and the existing theoretical studies,this study deduces the relationship among the knowledge coupling,trust,knowledge gatekeepers and organizational learning(including explorative learning and exploitative learning)with strict logical inference.And an assumption of correspondence among the knowledge coupling,trust type and organization binary learning is put forward.Furthermore,the regulating effect of knowledge gatekeeper on the relationship between the knowledge coupling and organizational learning is further proposed.Finally,with 226 data samples,this study applies the structural equation model and multiple regression analysis to verify the relevant research hypothesis,and the mediating and regulating effects were tested.Based on the above research,this study draws the following conclusions,which also constitutes the main innovation points of this study:(1)The knowledge coupling of the university-industry collaboration has significant positive effect on explorative learning and exploitative learning.The knowledge coupling provides diversified and novel knowledge,aiming to reveal new knowledge areas,which is conducive to explorative learning.At the same time,the knowledge coupling provides complementary resources and similar empirical knowledge,increases the existing knowledge base and capacity set,and promotes the exploitive learning to some extent.This study is a beneficial attempt to integrate knowledge coupling into university-industry collaboration,which enrich existing research results on the knowledge-based theory,provide a more active perspective for the relationship between university-industry collaboration and enterprise innovation capability,and provide ideas and reference for follow-up research.(2)Only cognitive trust plays a part of mediating role among the knowledge coupling,the explorative learning and exploitative learning.Specifically,the knowledge coupling has a significant promotion effect on cognition-based trust,rather than affect-based trust.Both cognition-based trust and affect-based trust have positive effects on explorative learning and exploitative learning.Meanwhile,there is a matching correspondence between them.Compared with exploitative learning,affect-based trust has a more significant impact on explorative learning and cognition-based trust has a more significant impact on exploitative learning.Existing studies have made no dimensional distinctions on trust mechanisms.Mainly cognitively oriented,that is,cooperation is more about rational choices made after weighing advantages and disadvantages,and there is a general lack of attention to emotional factors.This study argues that cognition-based trust makes universities(research institutes)prefer passive knowledge sharing,while emotional trust also includes active knowledge sharing.This study is an advance in the field of trust,with a deeper research perspective.(3)The interaction between the degree of knowledge coupling coordination and knowledge gatekeepers is conducive to promoting explorative learning and exploitative learning.That is,the relationship between the degree of knowledge coupling coordination and organizational ambidexterity learning is stronger under the effect of knowledge gatekeepers.Knowledge gatekeepers play the role of "knowledge platform" in the innovation system of university-industry collaboration,which can explain the knowledge of universities and research institutions better,and help to match external knowledge resources and enterprise's own knowledge base better.This study understands the whole process of knowledge transfer from a more microscopic view.The knowledge gatekeeper is introduced into the framework of university-industry collaboration more appropriately in the way of regulating effect,that is,the knowledge transfer system is established from the individual level to the organizational level,highlighting the role orientation and function of individual actors in enterprise innovation.