A Theoretical And Empirical Study On Innovative Interfirm Network And It's Performance

In the changing world, there's seldom a firm that has all the competitive resources in the long term, such as capital, techniques, information, knowledge and so on. And it becomes harder for firms to maintain a competitive position based on its own power. Facing this situation, many firms began to make use of the outside resources, and be active in facilitating this kind of co-operation.From the introduction of the Theory of Cask, and the latest development of this theory-New Theory of Cask, I naturally bring my research field out, which is the interfirm network. After differentiate and analysediscriminate this quite broaden concept, I gradually narrow the research object onto the Innovative Interfirm Network, and give out a quite strict definition for it.In the process of this research, four main methods are adopted, they are: the multi-subjective research method, the structuralism method, the literature review method and the case-study method. This dissertation is arranged as follows:Chapter one, the source of the interfirm network is introduced, which also includes the theoretical back grounds. In this chapter, a brief review of the relationship between interfirm network and innovation is presented. According to this brief review, a general conclusion could be made that interfirm network has a positive role on innovation performance.In the chapter two, I emphasize on how to create a innovative interfirm network. After reviewing the latest research on innovation, I classify innovation into two kinds: the incremental innovation and the radical innovation, and apply this classification into the research object. Here, quite a lot of effort is made on the diversification of the innovative interfirm network.In the chapter three, the governance of the innovative interfirm network is being deeply investigated. In order to find the best road map for the governance, the structure of the network is being reviewed in advance. We could figure the structure of the network with some key dimensions: the barycenter, the mid center, the density, the information redundancy. After this, I find that trust is the best way to activate and maintain the innovative interfirm network.In the chapter four, a case study is employed in order to link the theory and the practice. The IGRS innovative interfirm network almost matches all the aspects of the theoretical requirement. I made efforts in order to find something new that could complement the theoretical indications.In the last chapter, chapter five, I give some suggestions based on the theory research and practical indication. A brief conclusion and the future research expectations are also presented in this chapter.