Service Innovativeness and Innovation Success in Technology-based Knowledge-Intensive Business Services: An Intellectual Capital Approach

This paper analyzes the influence of the three components of intellectual capital (human, social and organizational) and intensity in collaboration with clients on service innovativeness in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). It also includes a discussion on the impact of both service innovativeness and intensity in collaboration with clients on innovation success. An empirical study is conducted on a sample of companies belonging to two technology-based KIBS industries: software and R&D services. The results suggest that the positive effect of human capital on service innovativeness is moderated by intensity in collaboration with clients, being human capital enhanced by organizational and social capital. The effect of social capital on service innovativeness is partially mediated by human capital and also moderated by intensity in collaboration with clients. Finally, service innovativeness positively affects innovation success, while intensity in collaboration with clients has a higher effect.     

基于认知型社会资本的社区老年协同服务设计策略研究

目的探析认知型社会资本对老年人在协同服务设计中的促进作用,并进一步提出激活老年人社会资本,提高老年人创新能力的策略。方法通过介绍社会资本与老年人创新能力的关系和老年人参与协同服务设计的案例,说明老年人参与设计的意义及社会资本在其中的作用。结论老年人群是一个具有创新能力的群体,认知型社会资本会激发其在协同服务设计中的创新能力,设计师应该帮助老年人了解其所拥有的社会资本,助力其在协同创新中发挥作用。     

Impacts of intellectual capital on process innovation and mass customisation capability: direct and mediating effects

This paper presents an empirical survey study. We propose a model to examine the individual and joint effects of the three components of intellectual capital (i.e. human, social and structural capital) on process innovation and mass customisation (MC) capability. The hypotheses are empirically tested using structural equation modelling and data collected from 645 manufacturing plants in 10 countries/regions. The results show that human and social capital are positively associated with structural capital. Human capital directly improves both process innovation and MC capability. The direct effect of social capital on MC capability and that of structural capital on process innovation is positive and significant. Moreover, process innovation is positively associated with MC capability. In addition, we find that structural capital mediates human and social capital’s effects on process innovation, and process innovation mediates human and structural capital’s effects on MC capability. This study contributes to the literature by providing insights into how human, social and structural capital jointly improve process innovation and MC capability, as well as how the different types of knowledge residing in a manufacturer affect MC capability development.     

组织内社会交换关系与工作投入:心理资本的中介效应

选取中国多家企业317名员工为研究对象,运用问卷调查和分层回归分析方法对两种组织内社会交换关系———组织支持感和领导成员交换、心理资本和工作投入的关系进行了探讨。结果显示组织支持感和领导成员交换都对心理资本和工作投入有积极预测作用,心理资本对工作投入有积极预测作用,进一步的研究发现组织支持感和领导成员交换都通过心理资本的部分中介对工作投入有积极预测作用。     

人力资本与社会资本对创新行为的影响——跨层次模型研究

本研究以科研机构448名科研人员共87个科研团队为样本,构建团队与个体的多层线性模型,跨层次实证研究人力资本与社会资本对创新行为的影响,结果显示:个体人力资本与社会资本对其创新行为具有显著的正向影响;团队社会资本对其成员创新行为有直接显著的正向影响;团队社会资本可强化其成员社会资本与创新行为之间的正相关,而团队社会资本对其成员人力资本与创新行为之间正相关关系的调节未得到实证结果的支持;论文研究建议加强科研团队与个体成员人力资本与社会资本的培育与整合、重视成员之间的资源交换,以提高成员的创新行为.     

以动态能力为中介变量的社会资本与创新绩效关系研究

基于资源观和能力观的相关理论,构建供应商社会资本、动态能力和创新绩效三者关系的概念模型。通过对211家企业的调查获取数据,运用多元回归分析检验了三者之间的关系。结果表明：动态能力在结构维度与创新财务绩效、结构维度与创新成长绩效、关系维度和创新财务绩效、认知维度和创新成长绩效之间起到完全中介作用,在关系维度和创新成长绩效、认知维度和创新财务绩效之间起到部分中介作用。因此,企业应该重视社会资本的积累,同时加强动态能力的提升,提高创新绩效。      

社会资本的测量及其对就业结果的影响

首先回顾了社会资本的各种测量方法,以及社会资本对就业结果的影响;然后指出,未来关于社会资本与就业结果的关系的研究,可以从社会资本的测量方法、跨文化比较研究和细化就业结果的测量指标三个方面人手;最后,文章针对社会资本测量方法中存在的缺陷,从心理测量学角度提出优化的测量方案。     

SME<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">s</Emphasis>, Intellectual Capital,and Offshoring of Service Activities: An Empirical Investigation

Drawing on the extant research on offshoring in international business, entrepreneurship and strategy literature, we develop a model of offshoring of service activities by small and medium-sized firms (SMEs). Using the intellectual capital perspective as a theoretical framework, we hypothesize that the unique configuration of human, social and organizational capital of SMEs will be linked to offshoring of services to international providers. Using data from 119 SMEs in three industry sectors in the US and South Korea, we empirically test the hypothesized relationships and find at least some support for our predictions. Specifically, while we found no country-specific differences in offshoring, SMEs with more social capital and less human capital are more likely to engage in offshoring of service activities. However, the relationship between human and organizational capital and offshoring of such activities is contingent on the size of the SMEs. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

The Role of Human Capital in Lowering the Barriers to Engaging in Innovation: Evidence from the Spanish Innovation Survey

This paper focuses on the role of human capital in reducing the barriers to firms' engagement in innovation activities. The paper distinguishes between firms facing barriers that stop them from engaging in any innovation activity, and firms that face impediments in the course of their innovation activity. We investigate whether human capital has a particularly strong impact in relation to lowering barriers among the former group of firms, since a strong skill base is likely to compensate for lack of experience in innovation-related activities or the complementary assets needed for innovation. We draw on four waves of the Spanish Innovation Survey and examine the impact of human capital on three types of obstacles to innovation: cost, knowledge and market barriers. We find that human capital has a significant impact on reducing the barriers to innovation represented by knowledge shortages and market uncertainties.     

The impact of social capital on mass customisation and product innovation capabilities

Social capital with customers has three dimensions: structural, relational and cognitive capital. We propose a research model on the joint effects of the three dimensions of social capital on mass customisation capability (MCC) and product innovation capability (PIC). The hypotheses are empirically tested using structural equation modelling and data collected from 276 manufacturing firms in China. The results show that the three dimensions of social capital contribute to MCC and PIC development through different mechanisms. In particular, cognitive capital has a significant impact on MCC; relational capital significantly influences PIC; and structural capital indirectly associates with both MCC and PIC. We also find that structural capital enhances both relational and cognitive capital. MCC improves PIC and fully mediates cognitive capital’s effect on PIC. The findings extend current understanding about the complex interrelationships among structural, relational and cognitive capital and how to develop MCC and PIC by investing in social capital.     

On the upside or flipside: Where is venture capital positioned in the era of digital disruptions?

Recent studies have found that disruptive technologies, such as FinTech, have the potential to overturn existing business models and overthrow incumbents. These studies have demonstrated that newly emerging digital platforms financing early-stage ventures threaten traditional venture capital (VC). We argue that, conversely, VC benefits from advances in information and communication technology (ICT), as ICT fosters entrepreneurship and mitigates agency issues in VC deals. This paper examines the impact of digitization on VC investments from 23 European countries spanning 2007–2019 using a dynamic panel two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation technique. The results show that the factors “ICT penetration” (a general measure of societal internet and computer access and use) and “digital economy” (a measure of ICT-powered economic activity) exert significant and positive effects on early-stage, later-stage, and total VC investments. Moreover, availability of bank credit moderates the effect of digital economy on VC investment. Finally, this study reveals that it is digital entrepreneurship (as reflected in our “digital economy” measure), and not total entrepreneurial activity, that attracts VC investment. We conclude that the VC industry is aligned with rather than threatened by the newly emerging digital environment. The empirical results are robust to different control variables and data sources. This paper offers useful implications for policy and contributes to the literature on digital entrepreneurship and venture capital.     

创业投资与技术创新关系的实证分析

对美国1988年到2003年、我国1994年到2003年的创业投资数据和替代技术创新的专利数据,进行了单位根检验和协整性检验.单位根检验结果显示创业投资时间序列和专利时间序列都是非平稳的,是一阶单整序列;协整性检验结果显示创业投资与技术创新之间存在协整关系.     

Absorptive Capacity,Proximity in Cooperation and Integration Mechanisms. Empirical Evidence from CIS Data

The paper extends available findings on the antecedents and impact of the firm's absorptive capacity. Innovation cooperation is recognized as a driver of its potential side (PAC). Considering different forms of proximity, we expect to find a higher impact for interactions occurring between close partners. Human capital (HC) is expected to be as important as other organizational mechanisms for the innovation impact of PAC. An empirical application with Community Innovation Survey data confirms these arguments only partially. The firm's cooperation with geographically closer partners (i.e., in the same country) increases its PAC, but it is cooperation with institutionally distant ones (e.g., research organizations) that augments it. Among the integration mechanisms of external knowledge, those increasing the firm's HC are the only ones that positively moderate the innovation impact of PAC.     

The effect of innovation on productivity: evidence from Turkish manufacturing firms

This paper systematically explores the effects of firms’ innovation activities on their productivity changes for Turkish manufacturing firms, differentiating between different typologies of innovation. We employ endogenous switching methodology, controlling for endogeneity and selection bias issues, as well as analysing counterfactual scenarios. The main finding of the study points to firm heterogeneity in terms of propensity both to innovate and to benefit from innovation activities. Our results indicate that all types of innovation activity have positive effects on the productivity of firms when compared with non-innovating firms. We find robust evidence for the differential impact of innovation on firm productivity across different innovation types. Further, this relationship alters across different phases of the economy with respect to the 2008 financial crisis.     

Social capital,a theory for operations management: a systematic review of the evidence

As Pfeffer (1993 Pfeffer, J. 1993. Barriers to the advance of organizational science: paradigm development as a dependable variable. Academy of Management Review, 18(4): 599–620. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) states that until agreement is reached on a subject, progress may be slow. This paper converges the discussions on social capital in the operations management literature by way of a systematic literature review of 3- and 4-star journals. Human resource management, voluntary work and entrepreneurship were identified as minor themes within the review and thus potentially underexplored areas. Quality management, project management and new product development show significant use of social capital and particularly the role of social capital in the intrafirm environment. Finally, supply chain management shows the most significant use of social capital, particularly in explaining the characteristics of buyer–supplier relationships and how these impact inter-firm performance. Areas of future research are presented that draw on all forms of social capital to explore how they may be affect by contextual factors. The paper concludes by proposing a conceptual model of social capital for use within operations management.     

NEW ECONOMY INNOVATION SYSTEMS: BIOTECHNOLOGY IN EUROPE AND THE USA

It is proposed that developments in the commercialization of science and technology in "new economy" sectors such as telecommunications, information technology and biotechnology presage a new kind of systemic innovation. This is both regionalized and localized around hubs of knowledge-driven entrepreneurship, and subject to extremely rapid exploitation in consequence of search and invest activities of corporate venturing arms of large firms, venture capitalists and business angels. The millennium meltdown of Internet stocks has brought caution but also learning gains to new economy investors, but the underlying model remains robust. Unlike the typical European regional innovation system, which is supported by extensive public sector enterprise support activities, "New Economy Innovation Systems" are far less dependent on public enterprise support intervention. Learning this new, rapid mode of exploitation is essential if commercialization gaps between Europe and North America are to be reduced. The key questions concern the appropriate role of public innovation support, the commercialization advantages and limits of venture capital, and the prospects for the new approach in less-favoured regional settings.     

A quantitative investigation of the technological innovation in large construction companies

The construction industry is considered as backwards and lack of innovation. The main driving power of technological innovation in the construction industry is large construction companies. However, the driving process of technological innovation in them has not been fully investigated in previous studies. This study constructs a quantitative model to explore the technological innovation driving process of large construction companies considering the key influencing factors for technological innovation. The sample data are the 57 large construction companies selected from the world's largest construction market – China. The results show significant positive correlation between innovation input and innovation output, and between innovation output and performance. The operational capacity of the companies is positively correlated with innovation input, whilst the capital structure is negatively correlated with innovation input. The technical employees have a positive impact on the performance. The underlying reasons are discussed and suggestions are given for the construction industry to improve the technological innovation capacity of construction companies. This research contributes to the literature of construction innovation and benefits practitioners by providing a quantitative approach to demonstrate the driving power of large construction companies for technological innovation.     

基于外部知识网络利用的团队创新机制研究

本研究旨在考查基于团队外部知识网络利用的团队创新机制。通过对114个团队样本的研究,探讨了外部知识网络利用,知识整合,团队创新,以及团队内部社会资本的三个子维度——结构紧密度、关系亲密度、认知一致性的关系。结果表明外部知识网络利用能够促进团队创新,知识整合在其中承担了中介作用,认知一致性对于外部知识网络利用对知识整合的影响起到调节作用。     

Revitalizing the race between technology and education: Investigating the growth strategy for the knowledge-based economy based on a CGE analysis

This study conducted quantitative policy experiments using a computable general equilibrium model to investigate how long-run economic growth can be achieved through the endogenous interactions between innovation and human capital accumulation. The analysis found that there are limits to driving productivity growth and enhancing growth potential when focusing solely on the expansion of technological innovation. However, our results suggest that promotion of the complementarity between technological innovation and human capital formation may alleviate the inequalities of wages and employment induced by skill-biased technological change, promoting balanced growth among industrial sectors with higher productivity improvement and scale effects. This study suggests that in order to spur long-run growth in knowledge-based economy, policymakers should establish educational infrastructure to support workers to move up the skill ladder and cope with rapid technological change.