Research Of The Impact Of Knowledge Network On Technology Innovation Performance

In the 21st century, the characteristic of modern economy is globalization, rapid market changes and the rapid development of Internet technology. In this trend, a new form of technological cooperation between enterprises has emerged, which is named by "Knowledge Network". Existing network relevant theoretical research outlines the characteristics of network resources, as well as the relationship with business performance. However, scholars from different research backgrounds have put forth different theoretical mechanism, and some even formed a "paradox of embeddedness"; Moreover, most of the current academic research focuses on corporate networks, the study of knowledge networks is little. Academics have already pointed out that the knowledge networks and corporate networks are different and the knowledge networks have a greater impact on technology innovation.Against that background, this paper studies the mechanism between the knowledge networks and technology innovation performance. Around this issue, this article explores the following two research questions:(1) In different technology strategy, how do enterprises configure the knowledge networks, in order to achieve a better technology innovation performance?(2) What is the impact mechanism between knowledge networks and technology innovation performance, and how does the technology competence play an intermediary role in it?In order to elaborate the above questions, this paper adopts theoretical study and empirical study. In this paper, a sample of 177 companies is collected to conduct the statistical empirical study, using multiple linear regression and other statistical methods to verify the conceptual models and assumptions. Results show that the vast majority assumptions of this study are supported by data validation. This paper concluded these following findings:(1) The results show that in exploring technology strategy, large-scale, low-density, high openness, high-dual nature of knowledge networks can facilitate the capabilities of technology search and technology application; in exploitating technologies strategy, large-scale, high - density, high openness, high-dual nature of knowledge networks can promote the capabilities of technology search and technology application.(2) The results show that the four characteristics of knowledge networks affect the company's technical capabilities, and technological capabilities are conducive to impact technological innovation performance. Therefore, the technical capacity plays an intermediary role in the relationship between knowledge network and innovation performance.These are three theoretical contributions in this study.(1) In the network research, scholars often view the enterprise as a black box, that each company is the same individual. This study opens the black box, and points out that in different technology strategies, knowledge network has different impact on technology innovation performance. In exploratory technology strategy, enterprises need more flexible, loose knowledge networks, and in exploitating technology stategy, enterprises need more closely and deeply knowledge network.(2) In the network relationship embeddness field, based on the existing research, this article gives an effective explanation in the theory pardox between weak and strong network relationships.This theoretical analysis and empirical studies have shown that enterprises should adopt a dual network, which means the network of relationships should have a certain percentage of strong network relationships, but also have a large number of weak network relationships. Empirical studies have shown that the dual network can help to improve technological innovation.(3) At present, most scholars focused on the enterprise network, few researches on knowledge network. Some academics have already pointed out that the knowledge networks are different from corporate networks and the knowledge networks have a greater impact on technology innovation. This paper, by theoretical research and empirical research, established a theoretical framework of "knowledge network - technical capability - technical innovation performance" which uncovers the nature of the action process of knowledge network and emphasizes the mediating effect technical capability.