The Research On The Upgrade Paths Of Performance Of Knowledge-intensive Business Services Based On The Network Competence

Abstract:With the rapid development of knowledge economy and service economy, the world economy is undergoing a new round of structural adjustment and regional industry division. The service industry, especially knowledge-intensive business service is becoming new hot spot of the world economic development and focus of competing for the development by developed countries or regions. Knowledge-intensive business service is regarded as the engine of modern economic growth in developed countries; In China it is becoming development to become the new pillar industry. However, there are still some problems existing in knowledge-intensive business services, such as mostly small-scale, single-function, inefficient, lag development and so on. It is difficult to play their important role in the economic development. One of the important reasons is that many firms are not good at using their relations network of to acquire all kinds of resources and opportunities to develop their selves. Their network competences are weak.In the past few years, some scholars dedicated to the research on the influences of network competence to firm performance as well as its mechanism. Studies have shown that strong network competence will be transformed into competitiveness in firm which can highly support the development of firms, and even improve firm performance. Key input and output elements of knowledge-intensive business services are knowledge and they offer knowledgeable and high value-added services. The network competence of knowledge-intensive business services have special impacts on firm performance, and this paper based on theories of firm capabilities explores the paths and mechanism of how network competence makes improvement on performance of the knowledge-intensive business services.Firstly, the author fully read, sorted, and reviewed numerous relative literatures on knowledge-intensive business services, network competence, inter-organizational learning, Cooperative innovation, customer interaction, firm performance. Secondly, from a dynamic perspective of network of firms, the author constructed a structure model of the network competence of knowledge-intensive business services, and analyzed its particularity. On the basis of this, the author built a conceptual model of performances-improving paths of knowledge-intensive business services based on network competence. Then, the author theoretically analyzed the impact mechanism of network competence on performance of knowledge-intensive business services, and brought relative hypothesizes. Finally, the author proved above theoretical relationships using questionnaire research and structural equation model based on partial least squares method, and then, gave some suggestion.Through the research, the author gets the following main conclusions:(1) the way which network competence of knowledge-intensive business services firms improve firm performance contain knowledge path, innovation path and interaction path;(2) the way based on knowledge is that, network competence helps eliminate obstacles of inter-organizational learning by dynamic multi-dimensional network management, thereby affects firm performance;(3) the way based on innovation is that network competence provides backup of mutual trust, resources and knowledge for cooperative innovation,thus, affects firm performance;(4) the way based on interaction is that network competence spurs frequent and deep interaction between firms and customers, so affects firm performance;(5) the variables of inter-organizational learning, cooperative innovation, as well as interaction between firms and customers partly or fully plays mediating effect between network competence of knowledge-intensive business services and firm performance.Main innovative points of this paper are:(1) on the basis of analyzing the particularity of the network competence of knowledge-intensive service firms,this paper shows the ways which knowledge-intensive service firms improves firm performance including knowledge path, innovation path and interaction path;(2) individually intruducing the three variables of inter-organizational learning, corporative innovation, and customer interaction as mediating variable between network competence of knowledge-intensive business services and firm performance;(3) proving the above paths and mediating effects by structural equation model based on partial least squares method.