| Users,as the main external innovation resources of enterprises,play an important role in the process of enterprise open innovation.The interactive open innovation platform(OIP for short)based on the Internet provides become an important tool for enterprises to attract users to participate in open innovation.At present,a number of successful open innovation platforms for enterprises have emerged at home and abroad,such as DELL,Starbucks,Lego,and domestic Media and Haier.However,there are still many platforms facing the problems of insufficient user innovation output and poor innovation quality,which need relevant theoretical guidance.At the same time,the rise of social network theory has brought a new perspective to innovation research,emphasizing the impact of social network relationship and network structure on innovation behavior and output.Under the context of interactive open innovation platform,it is necessary to explore how to improve user innovation from the perspective of user interaction and user network.In recent years,scholars have begun to pay attention to the social network factors affecting Internet user behavior,for example,the impact of user interaction on user knowledge sharing and continuous use behavior.However,most studies measure user interaction using questionnaires(e.g qualitative description of the number and frequency of online relationships),or using the overall interactions(e.g.the total amount of comments from other users),which lack of clear and accurate description of user interaction and user network.It is necessary to further explore how the user relationship network affects user innovation,basing on the accurately description of user relationship network.Because of the specific characteristics of Internet—openness,sharing,virtuality and anonymity,the virtual relationship formed by Internet users is significantly different from the traditional social relationship,and can not fully apply the basic theory of traditional social network research,such as social capital theory.Therefore,firstly,this paper deeply analyses the connotation and characteristics of the virtual relationship of OIP users,and summarizes the new rules when OIP user relationship network creats social capital.Based on knowledge creation theory and social learning theory,the paper deduces the mechanism of OIP user relationship network influencing innovation through knowledge exchange and clarifies the specific impact path.Secondly,using social network analysis method,this paper accurately describes the characteristics of OIP user relationship network(i.e.,relational characteristics and structural characteristics),both from the node subnetwork perspective and the whole network perspective.Then the effects of different network characteristics on user innovative are explored sequencely,which answers how to improve user innovation based on OIP user relationship network.Among them,the study of impact path is the theoretical basis for the effect study of user network characteristics on innovation.Only by clarifying the impact path of OIP user relationship network on innovation,can we further explore how network characteristics affect user innovation.By constructing multiple empirical regression models,and integrating multiple regression estimation methods(e.g.,OLS regression,Poisson regression,negative binomial regression),this paper empirically studies the specific impact path and the effect of OIP user relationship network on user innovation,which clarifies the exact relationship between user network characteristics(i.e.,relational characteristics and structural characteristics)and user innovation(i.e.,idea quantity and idea quality).This paper uses web crawler to obtain open innovation platform’s open data,and uses a variety of softwares and software packages(e.g.,Pajek,Python NetworkX,NLTK,Pandas)to mine the original data and construct OIP user network,and then calculate network characteristic variables and other related variables.The main conclusions are summarized as follows.(1)Two influence paths for the impact of OIP user relationship network on user innovationFirstly,this paper analyzes the mechanism of OIP user relationship network influencing user innovation through knowledge exchange.OIP user relationship refers to the virtual "follow" relationship established by OIP users,which includes entering relationship(i.e.,the follow relationship from others to the focal user)and outgoing relationship(i.e.,the follow relationship from the focal user to others).The different orientation between entering relationship and outgoing relationship determines the difference between them in knowledge exchange.According to different forms of knowledge expression,knowledge exchange is divided into proactive knowledge exchange and responsive knowledge exchange.The knowledge in proactive knowledge exchange is embodied in the user’s published ideas,and the knowledge in responsive knowledge exchange is embodied in the user’s comments and feedback on published ideas.Based on the mechanism analysis,this study finds two specific paths for OIP user relationship network to influence user innovation:①entering relationship responsive knowledge exchange → user innovation.Entering relationship can bring users the benefit of responsive knowledge exchange and improve the quantity and quality of user innovation.Responsive knowledge exchange is an important mediation in the impact of entering relationship on user innovation.For the quantitative dimension of user innovation,responsive knowledge exchange is a partial mediation;for the quality dimension of user innovation,reactive knowledge exchange is a complete mediation②outgoing relationship → proactive knowledge exchange→user innovation.Outgoing relationship can bring users the benefit of procative knowledge exchange and stimulate users to produce new ideas,but cannot improve the quality of user innovation Outgoing knowledge exchange is the mediation in the impact of entering relationship on only the quality of user innovation(2)The heterogeneous effects of relational and structural characteristics of OIP user network on user innovationFrom the perspective of both node subnetwork and whole network,this paper studies the local effect and overall effect of OIP user networks on user innovation,and compares the effects with the traditional social network research① Node subnetwork perspective:The impact of network relational characteristics on user innovationDifferent relational characteristics of OIP user networks have different impacts on user innovation.There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of user relationships and user innovation(quantity and quality).This indicates that there is a certain threshold of the number of user relationships.The relationship intensity positively affects the quantity and quality of user innovation.The higher the relationship intensity is,the more and more inovative knowledge and information are exchanged among users,benefiting the user producing more high-quality innovations.This conclusion is contrary to the traditional social network research,which is caused by the special connotation of OIP user relationship intensity.Neighbors’ innovation level could not promote user innovation,which is also inconsistent with the traditional social network research.This conclusion is largely restricted by the sample platform(LEGO Ideas)and needs more tests.②Whole network perspective:The impact of network structural characteristics on user innovationOIP user relationship network is basically consistent with traditional social network in terms of its impact on innovation through social network structure.Network centrality positively affects the quantity and quality of user innovation.In the offline world,the traditional hierarchy status depends resource benefits.In the online world,network center status depends resource benefits.The central position can provide users with more power and opportunities for knowledge exchange,and help to enhance user innovation.Network bridge location positively affects the quantity and quality of user innovation.Because of the openness of Internet,everyone is equal in accessing Internet information.But people’s limited time and energy makes it impossible for Internet users to fully access the vast amount of Internet information.Hence,there still exists a strategic position in the network—the bridge location,which would help to enhance user innovation.The main innovations are as follows:(1)This paper theoretically summaries the differences between OIP user network and traditional social network,reveals the mechanism and specific influence path of OIP user network influencing user innovation,and finds the important mediation—knowledge exchange.(2)This paper uses the social network analysis method to constructe the virtual relationship network of OIP users,and respectively describe the social relationship and social structure from the the node subnetwork perspective and the whole network perspective.Through transforming the sociology concepts into an accurately measurable network sindicators,the impact of user relationship network on innovation is studied in depth.(3)Under the context of open innovation platform,this paper finds the similarities and differences between the virtual relationship network and the traditional social relationship network on user innovation.Under the context of open innovation platform,this paper deeply discusses the relationship between Internet relationship network and user innovation,expands the application of social capital theory in virtual social network.And this paper enriches the theory of knowledge creation and user innovation by clarifying the mechanism and influence path of OIP user network influencing user innovation through knowledge exchange.Furthermore,the conclusions of this paper can be used to guide the open innovation platform for better user interaction design and user management to improve the user innovation. |
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