External Knowledge and Innovation Performance in Clusters: Empirical Evidence from the Uruguay Software Cluster

The importance of geographic proximity for innovation has been widely stressed in the cluster literature. Yet, new insights from the inter-organisational network and cluster literatures underline the role of non-local linkages in enabling firms in networks to enhance learning and to innovate. This paper contributes to this literature by examining the importance of local and non-local knowledge networks for the innovation performance of firms in clusters. Our analysis is based on primary data from a survey of 95 software firms clustered in Montevideo, Uruguay. The results highlight that the most innovative firms in clusters heavily rely on non-local knowledge networks. Moreover, the number of indirect local ties to other firms is a better predictor of innovative performance than the number of direct local ties. Finally, our findings confirm the presence of knowledge gatekeepers in clusters and emphasise their role in enhancing innovation in clusters by absorbing knowledge from extra-cluster sources and diffusing it to other local firms.     

Collaborative ties and ambidextrous innovation: insights from internal and external knowledge acquisition

ABSTRACT

Building collaborative ties has become an increasingly important strategy for influencing firms’ ambidextrous innovation in transition economies, we examine the relationship between collaborative ties and ambidextrous innovation—with a focus on the mediating effect of knowledge acquisition using firm-level data in China. The empirical results reveal several important findings. First, collaborative ties among partners have a positive effect on firms’ ambidextrous innovation. Second, collaborative ties among partners are more beneficial to the firm’s external knowledge acquisition than internal knowledge acquisition. Lastly, the mediating effect of internal knowledge acquisition on the relationship between collaborative ties and ambidextrous innovation of firms is higher than that of external knowledge acquisition. These findings contribute to the literature on ambidexterity theory. Moreover, these findings also extend our understanding of the importance of the integration of internal and external knowledge acquisition in collaborative relationships, and enrich knowledge management literature within the collaborative ties framework.     

Investment Climate Constraints as Determinants of Political Tie Intensity in Emerging Countries: Evidence from Foreign Firms in Ghana

Foreign firms in emerging countries face various institutionally-driven challenges. Nonmarket strategy scholars argue that these challenges incite corporate political activity. Consequently, researchers have explored the influence of institutional factors on the choice and extent of political strategies. However, not much is known about how investment climate constraints affect the political ties of foreign firms in contexts other than US, Europe and Asia. Drawing on institutional theory, we propose that firms’ exposure to administrative and control constraints as well as the presence of public affairs (PA) functions will lead to political tie intensification. We test our propositions using data from foreign firms operating in Ghana, and find that whereas control constraints strengthen political ties, administrative constraints weaken these ties. The findings also suggest that PA functions and political ties can be substitutes, not complements, depending on the institutional contingencies. Altogether, our study enhances knowledge and understanding of how institutional environments and organizational structures affect the political behaviour of foreign firms in emerging countries.     

The formation of status asymmetric ties: a perspective of positive externality and empirical test

Previous studies have investigated the circumstances that motivate firms to form status asymmetric ties. However, these studies have mainly focused on firm attributes or environmental factors. Deviating from prior works, we propose that firms can take advantage of alliance portfolios to trade resources with potential partners’ status. Specifically, a firm that can access high-quality portfolio technological resources can better realize exchanges with partners’ status. The degree of positive externality depends on the relationships of focal firms with existing partners and their capabilities to utilize external knowledge resources. Data of alliances formed in the computer industry in the USA reveal that a focal firm is more likely to ally with a high-status partner if it can access high-quality portfolio technological resources. Such positive externality of portfolio technological resources is stronger when the focal firm has more repeated ties with its existing partners and when they utilize more external knowledge resources.     

Antecedents and Innovation Performance Implications of MNC Political Ties in the Chinese Automotive Supply Chain

The development of political ties represents a non-market strategy, which may substitute for formal contracts in safeguarding against transaction risks of innovation processes in emerging markets with weak institutions, such as China. Previous work has largely ignored the role political ties play in product innovation, and especially with respect to subsidiaries of foreign multinational corporations (MNCs). This study investigates the antecedents and role of political ties in relation to the innovation performance of foreign subsidiaries supplying automotive parts in China. Our analysis is based on survey data from 170 foreign MNC supplier firms in China. A partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach is employed to examine relationships through a ‘soft-modelling’ analysis, using SmartPLS 3. The results empirically confirm the positive impact of political ties, in terms of enhancing foreign MNCs’ product innovation performance in China. Furthermore, it is found that the extent to which foreign suppliers invest in and maintain political ties is driven by a mix of organizational and environmental factors, namely protection orientation, relationship-specific investment, technological dynamism and competitor opportunism. The paper contributes to the understanding of the antecedents and the implications of political ties with respect to the innovation performance of foreign MNC subsidiaries in emerging economies.     

Modelling default dependence in automotive supply networks using vine-copula

This paper presents an intuitive model for default dependencies in supply networks and its application in firms’ capital management. Modern supply chain networks are characterised by horizontal ties between firms within a particular industry or group, which are sequentially arranged based on vertical ties between firms in different layers. The recognition and accounting of these simultaneous interdependencies is crucial for a more advanced understanding of complex inter-organisational relations. Using the state-of-the art vine-copulae, we model these multidimensional interdependencies in the automotive industry, and capture the default tail dependency between alliance partners. Further, we apply our model to determine the optimal economic capital, such that companies can absorb unexpected losses from defaults in supply chain, while avoiding over-capitalisation. Our findings should spur managers to analyse their supplier networks with respect to default dependencies and to take this phenomenon into consideration when making sourcing decisions.     

Entrepreneurial networks and open innovation: the role of strategic and embedded ties

This paper considers the open innovation paradigm in the context of entrepreneurial firms. Based on an analysis of survey data, it examines the relationship between network ties and innovation. These are considered as the strategic network ties associated with open innovation and the embedded ties associated with entrepreneurial networks. It is found that both strategic and embedded ties are significantly associated with rates of innovation for entrepreneurial firms, although for the former this relationship is driven by a minority of larger or highly innovative firms. Strategic ties are most strongly linked to product and organisational innovations, whilst process innovations are more related to embedded network ties. There is some evidence of complementarity between the two forms of network tie. It is concluded that in the entrepreneurial context, the open innovation concept should be broadened to encompass the role performed by embedded network ties.     

The effect of co-inventors’ reputation and network ties on the diffusion of scientific and technical knowledge from academia to industry in South Africa

In this paper, it is found that the co-inventors' and coauthors linkages and h-indexes highly enhanced the flows of academic knowledge into industrial patents in South African firms. The findings are based on an in-depth analysis of 1702 patents and 332 science sources that had linkages with patents filed by South African enterprises at the USPTO and elsewhere between 1976 and 2010. The data on co-inventors and co-authors networks/ties as well as their h-indexes can improve prior art searches and the patent examination process. Such ties can boost knowledge diffusion in large R&D and innovation clusters and hubs, globally.     

Where do small worlds come from?

Interfirm networks often take on characteristics consistentwith the notion of a small world—they are locally clusteredinto dense sub-networks or cliques that are sparsely connectedby a small number of ties that cut across the cliques, linkingnetwork members through a relatively small number of intermediaries.Are these characteristics an emergent property of interfirmnetworks that result from chance connections among firms, ormore strategic partnering by firms to improve or protect theirnetwork positions? After outlining a behavioral account forthis frequently observed network topology, we show that theevolving investment bank syndicate network in Canada exhibitedsmall world properties from 1952 to 1990. We then identify theinvestment bank cliques comprising the network and the ‘spanning’ties that cut across them, and test three distinct scenariosthat may explain the formation of these ties, which are responsiblefor the small worldliness of the network: (i) chance partneringof firms in different cliques; (ii) insurgent partnering byperipheral firms to destabilize the network and improve theirnetwork positions; and (iii) control partnering by core firmsto maintain the network status quo and their positions withinit. All three scenarios played a role in explaining the formationof clique-spanning ties; however, chance and insurgent partneringplayed a greater role in our empirical setting. Our analysisof how small world structures emerge and evolve over time offersnew insight into the origins of a prevalent interfirm networktopology, and a baseline for constructing future models of interfirmnetwork evolution and dynamics.     

Knowledge Networks and Innovative Performance in an Industrial District: The Case of a Footwear District in the South of Italy

The traditional district literature tends to assume that: (1) the competitiveness of firms depends on external sources of knowledge; (2) all firms in a district benefit from knowledge externalities; (3) relying on external knowledge relationships necessarily means these are confined to the district area. Our case study of the Barletta footwear district in the South of Italy suggests otherwise. Based on social network analysis, we demonstrate that the local knowledge network is quite weak and unevenly distributed among the local firms. A strong local network position of a firm tended to increase their innovative performance, and so did their connectivity to extra-local firms. So, it mattered being connected either locally or non-locally: being co-located was surely not enough. Having a high absorptive capacity seemed to raise only indirectly, through non-local relationships, the innovative performance of firms.     

The influence of mechanical dispersion of MWCNT in epoxy matrix by calendering method: Batch method versus time controlled

The calendering approach has proved to be an effective alternative to chemical dispersion routes, but knowledge on the effectiveness of the different calendering parameters and methods used is still lacking. This study compared two different calendering methods widely used in the literature to evaluate possible differences in their dispersion effectiveness and their effect on the main properties of the nanocomposites being used. The nanocomposites’ thermal, electrical, mechanical and thermomechanical properties were evaluated to exhaustively analyze the influence of each calendering method on these properties. Slight differences were observed in the dispersion effectiveness of the two methods analyzed, and behavioral differences were found in the nanocomposites with high and low nanoreinforcement contents.     

System ductility and redundancy of FRP beam structures with ductile adhesive joints

This paper reports on a structural concept for engineering structures composed of FRP components to provide system ductility that compensates for the lack of material ductility inherent to FRP materials. The concept includes the use of redundant structural systems and ductile or flexible adhesive joints. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept, quasi-static experiments on pultruded GFRP beams were performed. The two-span beams were connected with flexible adhesive joints at the middle support. The flexible joints from highly non-linear adhesives provided a favorable redistribution of the internal and external forces in the statically indeterminate system compared to single-span and continuous beams, which were also examined. In the case of adhesive joint failure, structural collapse was prevented because of system redundancy. Due to the stiffness-governed design of the GFRP beams, the stresses in the flexible adhesive joints were small and creep deformations in the joints could be controlled.     

Knowledge context,learning and innovation: an integrating framework

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we develop a framework which identifies those elements of firms’ knowledge context which are important for innovation, and the mechanisms through which that knowledge impacts on firms’ innovation performance. We make four main contributions to the existing literature. First, our characterisation of knowledge context provides the basis for a more specific identification of which elements of firms’ knowledge environment are important for innovation, discriminating between spatial, sectoral and network influences. Second, we reflect the role of innovation ambition in shaping firms’ knowledge search strategies. Third, we differentiate between firms’ interactive and non-interactive knowledge search activities and recognise that these may be complemented by unanticipated and serendipitous knowledge spillovers. Finally, we employ the notion of encoding capacity to reflect firms’ internal ability to assimilate and apply external knowledge, and clarify its distinctiveness from the more general concept of absorptive capacity. Our framework provides an integrating mechanism for existing empirical studies, and suggests a number of new research directions related to the determinants of innovation performance and the heterogeneity of innovation outcomes.     

机构选型的改进多级模糊综合评判

 机构选型多级模糊评判的核心计算是实现隶属度转换；但是,现有隶属度转换方法包含冗余性,表现在指标隶属度中对目标分类不起作用的冗余部分也被用于计算目标隶属度.为此,用基于熵的数据挖掘方法,通过挖掘隐藏在各指标隶属度中关于目标分类的知识信息定义指标区分权；用区分权清除指标隶属度中对目标分类不起作用的冗余数值并提取有效值；有效值经指标重要性权重转化为可比值；用可比值计算目标隶属度实现隶属度转换.由此建立机构选型的改进模糊评判模型.     

一种基于属性约简和SOM的客户细分方法

客户细分是保险行业进行差异化营销的基础。由于知识冗余的存在,采用传统的聚类方法进行客户细分存在细分质量低的问题。为有效进行客户细分,提出基于属性约简和SOM的聚类模型。应用属性约简规则处理数据可有效识别冗余知识,找出关键属性;将关键属性作为SOM神经模型的输入,提高客户细分质量。以H保险公司作为实例,使用该模型进行客户细分,通过聚类结果比较,证明方法有效。     

Networks of Clusters: A Governance Perspective

This paper aims to further our emerging knowledge on the external linkages of regional clusters. We adopt a network governance perspective and study connected clusters as goal-directed, multilevel whole networks that we denote as “cluster networks.” Based on an analysis of four empirical cases varying in regional scope, age and industry context, we identify two governance forms: internally governed cluster networks are formed to establish ties among cluster representative organizations to share knowledge and pool resources on selected activities; externally governed cluster networks are formed to systematically develop cross-cluster ties and competences on and across levels and are brokered by a central intercluster administrative organization as well as several decentralized lead organizations. Our findings show that cluster connectivity can go beyond organization-based pipelines and personal relationships to include clusters as governed entities, albeit with different intensities regarding the brokerage of ties on lower levels.     

Industry-Public Knowledge Infrastructure Interaction: Intra- and Inter-organizational Explanations of Interactive Learning

This paper pursues the development and empirical exploration of a theoretical framework that explains the probabilities of interactive learning of innovating firms and actors in the public knowledge infrastructure. Our research question reads as follows: To what extent does the strength of innovator firms' internal knowledge resources, the complexity of their innovative activities, and the structuring of their innovative activities influence the probabilities of interactive learning between innovating firms and actors in the knowledge infrastructure? We contend basically that more complex innovative activities increase the probability of internal resource deficits/shortages in innovating firms. The higher the resource deficits/shortages and the lower the alignment of innovative activities, the more likely the search for complementary resources externally, which induces higher probabilities of interactive learning with actors in the knowledge infrastructure. In order to test the generality of our theoretical claims six models were examined, predicting the probability of interactive learning of innovating firms with the knowledge infrastructure (universities and research centres) controlling for sectoral differences in technological dynamics and size effects. Both monotonic and non-monotonic effects were tested. Our findings show that antecedents of patterns of interactive learning differ widely and are contingent upon sectoral technological dynamics and firm size. Our findings enhance a substantial refinement of the main theoretical arguments explaining the level of interactive learning. The absorptive capacity effect turns out to have an inverted U-shape only for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The complexity effect is monotonic in some cases and non-monotonic in others. The interaction effect turned out to be U-shaped. The internal integration of innovative activities has no effect at all. Support by bridging institutions had a very strong influence on levels of interactive learning between innovating firms and knowledge infrastructure, but only for SMEs.     

Small worlds,inheritance networks and industrial clusters

The performance of firms within industrial clusters has been the subject of a multitude of studies. The organizational attributes inherited by spinoffs from parent firms is one explanation behind performance premiums. This paper examines the relationship between a spinoff’s network and its geographic location in an industrial cluster. We hypothesize that there is a negative relationship between a spinoff’s network efficiency and its distance from the cluster’s centroid. Although recent literature infers that the transmission of knowledge in industrial clusters is accomplished via inherited network ties, this has not been directly measured. This paper aims to fill that research gap. We find that, after controlling for firm size, parent size and age, there is indeed a statistically significant and negative relationship between network efficiency and geographic distance to a cluster’s core.     

How do top management team characteristics affect digital orientation? Exploring the internal driving forces of firm digitalization

The top management team (TMT) plays a key role in the process of the firm digital transformation. However, few studies have focused on the impact of TMT characteristics on the digital orientation of firms. In this paper, we simultaneously explore the impact of the dispersion, aggregation, and background characteristics of TMT on the digital orientation of firms. Based on the upper echelons theory and strategic orientation theory, we propose that the diversity and average education level of TMT positively impact firms' digital orientation. The average age and tenure of TMT have a negative impact on the digital orientation of firms. The overseas and financial backgrounds of TMT members have a positive impact on the digital orientation of firms. Our hypothesis was tested using large-scale longitudinal data and computer-aided text analysis methods from Chinese listed companies. This paper provides useful supplements to early research on digital driving factors and digital orientation in emerging economies, and also provides more universal suggestions for digital practices in firms.     

Majority multiplexing-economical redundant fault-tolerant designs for nanoarchitectures

Motivated by the need for economical fault-tolerant designs for nanoarchitectures, we explore a novel multiplexing-based redundant design scheme at small (/spl les/100) and very small (/spl les/10) redundancy factors. In particular, we adapt a strategy known as von Neumann multiplexing to circuits of majority gates with three inputs and for the first time exactly analyze the performance of a multiplexing scheme for very small redundancies, using combinatorial arguments. We also develop an extension of von Neumann multiplexing that further improves performance by excluding unnecessary restorative stages in the computation. Our results show that the optimized three-input majority multiplexing (MAJ-3 MUX) outperforms the latest scheme presented in the literature, known as parallel restitution (PAR-REST), by a factor between two and four, for 48/spl les/R/spl les/100. Our scheme performs extremely well at very small redundancies, for which our analysis is the only accurate one. Finally, we determine an upper bound on the maximum tolerable failure probability when any redundancy factor may be used. This bound clearly indicates the advantage of using three-input majority gates in terms of reliable operation.