Research On The Effect Of Main Manufacturer's Network Position On Its Ability To Dominate Technological Standardization

Complex products and systems innovation is an important focus of national manufacturing strategy of China.Complex products and systems(such as highspeed trains,large aircraft,large ships,etc.)refer to products,systems,networks and infrastructures with large R&D investment,high technology,and small-batch,customized production characteristics.The high level of technological complexity lead to the product structure and organizational structure significantly different from that of large-scale manufactured goods.Technological standardization is an important way to reduce complexity.The standardization design can facilitate the modularity of the complex products and systems,enhance the technology compatibility between the modules,as to promote the development efficiency of the system overall.Due to the high level of complexity,systematicness,high capital,customization and other attributes of the complex products and systems,its standardization process is different from that of the large-scale manufacturing goods.However,there is rarely relevant analysis in the standardization of complex products and systems in existing studies."Main manufacturer-supplier" is the main form of complex products and systems development.The main manufacturer is responsible for overall product architecture design,development of core components,module integration,product assembly and delivery.Main manufacturer's capability is one of most critical issues in the research of complex products and systems innovation.As the most core enterprise in the innovation of complex products and systems,the main manufacturer faces the bigger challenge of technological complexity than suppliers.The ability to dominate technological standardization is an indispensable capability for the main manufacturer to lead the research and development of complex product system,which is directly related to the smooth development and innovation of the system.Although more and more relevant research on complex products and systems innovation has gradually realized the importance of this capability,there is seldom targeted analysis in the context of complex products and systems innovation.For the main manufacturer,how to accumulate the ability to dominate technological standardization,and what are the influential factors of that capability,etc.,there is no clear internal mechanism.Considering significance of the ability to dominate technological standardization for the main manufacturer,and in order to fill in relevant research gap,this paper will conduct explorative research based on complex products and systems theory,technology standard economic analysis,social capital theory,knowledge base theory and so on,comprehensively using co-word analysis,evolutionary game theory,content analysis,social network analysis,econometric regression analysis and other research methods.At the beginning,the following problems are clarified: firstly,the characteristics of standardization of complex products and systems are summarized;Secondly,the formation and influential factors of the ability to dominate technological standardization of the main manufacturer are sorted out;Thirdly,the formation and evolution of the complex product system industrial cooperative innovation network and the position of the main manufacturers are analyzed.The results show that the standardization process of complex products and systems is more comprehensive,more specific and requires more cooperation.The formation and accumulation of the ability to dominate technological standardization of the main manufacturers are affected by a variety of factors,among which the cooperative innovation network is an important source of knowledge and influence,the integration of resources is an important internal mechanism,and the technological environment is a contingency factor that cannot be ignored.The formation and evolution of the cooperative innovation network is the result of the formation and dissolution of the cooperative relationship.The network position of the main manufacturer also changes over time and presents individual differences,which are mainly manifested in two types of positions: the central and the intermediary position.On the basis of the above,the core research part of this paper is carried out.We put the network position,the ability to dominate technological standardization and technological environment into one research framework to analyze how the network position of the main manufacturer affects its ability to dominate technological standardization and the moderating effect of the technological environment variables.The cooperative innovation network was established based on the 9310 joint patent application data of 245 enterprises in China's rail way transportation industry,and 30 main manufacturers were selected as samples to carry out empirical analysis from the perspective of benefits-cost and based on the knowledge integration and influence mechanism.The results show that the influence of network position on the ability to dominate technological standardization is nonlinear.The main manufacturer's degree centrality and the structural hole both have an inverted U-shaped influence on its ability to dominate technological standardization,but their internal mechanism are different.Technological diversity,technological complexity and technological dynamism all weaken the inverted U-shaped impact of degree centrality on ability to dominate technological standardization,and the intensity of intellectual property rights protection enhances the inverted U-shaped impact of structural hole on the ability to dominate technological standardization.In addition,the empirical results further support the “double-edged sword”effects of technological complexity,the intensity of intellectual property rights protection,technological dynamism,which both have stimulating and impeding effects.The research conclusions have theoretical contributions and practical implications.Theoretically,from the perspectives of learning and cooperation in the network,we propose a systematic framework of the formation mechanism of the ability to dominate technological standardization of main manufacturers.This study deepens the research on the development mechanism of the standardization of complex products and systems and fills the research gap related to the innovation of complex product systems.It provides a new analytical perspective for understanding the relationship between the network position and the ability to dominate technological standardization and expands the boundary of the research object of standardization.The practical significance of the research conclusions lies in the following points: Firstly,the conclusions have important enlightenments for the main manufacturer to implement more efficient strategy orientation of network position,invest network efforts reasonably and carry out cooperative innovation and standardization;Secondly,the research conclusions also helps the main manufacturer to better exert the effect of external social capital on the ability to dominate technological standardization according to its own technology control advantages and external technology environment,so as to improve its ability to dominate technological standardization;Thirdly,the conclusions further points out that the main manufacturer should pay more attention to the important role of tacit knowledge in the process of cooperative innovation with the aim of technological standardization;Finally,The research also helps the government formulate and implement effective policies,create a good environment for standardization development,and guide and support the standardization efforts in an industry.