Empirical Research Of External Knowledge Acquisition、Internal And External R&D Configuration And Innovation Performance

To cope with fast-changing environment, more and more enterprises change from closed innovation to open innovation to achieve better innovation performance. Almost studies have the same conclusion that the external knowledge acquisition will enhance innovative performance, but studies mainly focus on external knowledge sources, knowledge types et al. There is few research about how it affects innovation performance. This paper examines the influence of external knowledge acquisition on innovative performance and the moderating role of internal R&D capacity. According to that, the rational allocation of internal and external R&D investment become an important factor for better innovative performance. This paper addresses to solve three questions:First, whether external knowledge acquisition can improve innovation performance; Second, whether internal R&D capacity plays the role of moderating; Third, how to balance internal and external R&D configuration to get the best innovation performance.Theoretical analysis and empirical research are used. First, explore scholars’ research in related field and set up the model. Second, turn 11 external knowledge sources, coming from innovation survey of industrial enterprises in 2007, into two categories:external industry knowledge and scientific knowledge with factor analysis. Third, research the influence of different types of external knowledge acquisition on innovation performance and the moderating role of internal R&D capacity or R&D configuration and the best configuration for the highest innovation performance. Moreover, the paper examines high-tech enterprises and non-tech enterprises for specific research.The findings suggest that:(1) External knowledge acquisition positively affect innovation performance, while high-tech enterprise external industry knowledge acquisition and non-high-tech enterprise external scientific knowledge acquisition are not significant. (2) Internal R&D capability moderates external knowledge acquisition and innovation performance, while high-tech enterprise external knowledge and non-high-tech enterprises have no such moderating effect. (3) R&D configuration moderates external knowledge acquisition and innovation performance, while high-tech enterprise external knowledge and non-high-tech enterprises have no such moderating effect. (4)The inverted U-shaped relationship between R&D configuration and innovative performance, while high-tech enterprise external industry knowledge acquisition and non-high-tech enterprise external scientific knowledge have no such effects. (5) For external industry knowledge acquisition, 47.65% of R&D configuration will achieve the best innovation performance, while for external scientific knowledge acquisition, the equilibrium point is at 50.70% of external R&D; high-tech enterprise external scientific knowledge acquisition, the equilibrium point is at 50.08% of external R&D; non-high-tech enterprise external industry knowledge acquisition, the equilibrium point is at 42.89% of external R&D.