Research On The Knowledge Integration Constructs And Its Realization Mechanisms In Supplier Involvement In New Product Development:the Perspective Of Supplier Network

With the increasing complexity of product architecture and manufacturing process,there is a need to capture the valuable knowledge resources of key suppliers in external network and conduct joint NPD projects with key suppliers for buying firms.Academics and practitioners have realized that supplier involvement in new product development(SINPD)and supplier network-based knowledge resource integration are of great value to buying firms’ product innovation,but it is very difficult to effectively integrate and utilize network knowledge resources in reality.Meanwhile,most of the existing studies have disclosed knowledge integration from the conventional perspective of buyer-supplier collaborative NPD projects and have focused on buyer-supplier knowledge integration(i.e.,dyadic level)in SINPD.SINPD was seen as an important way to bring about product innovation through effective knowledge integration between the buyer and the supplier.However,few have focused on knowledge integration in the context of supplier network involvement.Based on this research gap,this study focuses on the following research questions:"how to understand the concept of knowledge integration in the context of supplier network involvement",and "how the buying firm creates favorable conditions to effectively integrate valuable knowledge resources of supplier network in SINPD processes?"Combing with literature basis and theoretical analysis,this paper utilizes the coding procedures of grounded theory to conceptualize constituent dimensions of supplier network-based knowledge integration and develop corresponding measuring scale,thus help us to judge whether buying firms integrate valuable knowledge resource in supplier network effectively.Then the framework of social network theory(i.e.,embeddedness→accessibility→mobilization→return)was applied to build the influence path of key research variables(i.e.,network embeddedness,supplier network location,supplier network-based knowledge integration and new product development performance).Taking Chinese knowledge-intensive manufacturing firms as key informants,a large-sample survey is conducted and research hypotheses involved in this study were empirically tested.The theoretical guidance and operational advice about how to organize knowledge management activities at network level and conduct collaborative NPD activities with suppliers effectively are discussed.Research innovations are summarized as follows:First,this study explores and summarizes the structural dimensions and measurement items of supplier network-based knowledge integration in SINPD.The results indicate that supplier network-based knowledge integration in SINPD consists of three main dimensions:knowledge gap filling,transactive memory system operation and joint problem solving.Our study addresses the research limitation in prior literature which mainly focuses on knowledge integration at the dyadic level,and provides support for understanding knowledge integration behaviors at the network level.This construct(i.e.,supplier network-based knowledge integration)not only reflects the relevant ideological essence of supplier network management,but also covers the main activities of knowledge management.Second,this study explores the key factors enabling the realization of supplier network-based knowledge integration from the approach of constructing network embeddedness advantage.Meanwhile,this study clearly probes into the effects of network cohesion,network connectedness,and network centrality on supplier network-based knowledge integration.In this study,we adopt network cohesion,network connectedness,and network centrality to represent,respectively,the relational,structural,and positional embeddedness.When the network embeddedness demonstrates the characteristic of "3Cs":cohesion,connectedness,and centrality,we can conclude that supplier network-based knowledge integration is realized effectively.This paper seeks the "intersection" between the research domains of supplier network governance/management and buyer-supplier knowledge management.The findings provide important ideas and meaningful enrichment for the research on supplier network governance/management and knowledge management.Third,this study introduces the mediating role of supplier network location and reveals the"black-box" transformation process between network embeddedness and knowledge integration.Thus,the "essential part" of the realization mechanism of knowledge integration at the network level can be revealed and predicted more effectively.As the important role of supplier network location is overlooked,previous research may have provided incomplete views of the value of network embeddedness in knowledge integration.This study combines the role of the supplier network’s qualitative(i.e.,supplier network innovation value)and quantitative attributes(i.e.,supply base rationalization),and emphasizes these two aspects of supplier network location.These two aspects may provide us with new insights into what constitute a superior supplier network for knowledge integration.This study reveals the "bridge role" of supplier network location.The new "dual mediators" path provides a powerful explanation for how network embeddedness advantage can be translated into effective knowledge integration outcome.Moreover,this study focuses on the new research situation of supplier network and applies the framework of social network theory(i.e.,embeddedness→accessibility→mobilization→return)to uncover the complete theoretical logic chain of "network embeddedness→supplier network location→supplier network-based knowledge integration→new product development performance".The effect of knowledge integration on new product development performance is important.On this basis,this paper uncovers the realization path of knowledge integration at network level.The results indicate that the buyer’s embeddedness level in supplier network greatly promotes or restricts the effectiveness of supplier network location,and thus determines whether knowledge integration can be effectively realized or not.Buying firms need to form embedded exchange relationships to gain better insight into a superior supplier network.In addition,this study suggests that precise supplier network location enables the buyer to integrate network knowledge resources more effective.This study not only enriches the research perspective of knowledge integration in new product development,but also addresses this important gap in our understanding of how a buying firm’s supplier network can enable it to achieve effective knowledge integration and superior new product performance.The findings provide the new perspective and approach for buying firms to realize new product development success through getting access to supplier network and integrating valuable network resources.Buying firms should not only focus on the network embeddedness advantage,but also on the superior supplier network insight/location.The network embeddedness advantage and superior supplier network insight/location enable buying firms to integrate the valuable resources and capabilities residing in supplier networks,and utilize these resources and capabilities in the process of new product development effectively.The exploration of supplier network-based knowledge integration construct and its implementation mechanism not only plays an important role in promoting theory development,but also provides action strategy supports for guiding Chinese manufacturing enterprises to build network embeddedness advantages,focus on a high-quality supplier network,integrate valuable knowledge resources,and effectively improve product innovation performance.