The Impact of Specialized Knowledge Search on Enterprise Innovation

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the fierce competition in the market nowadays, a closed innovation model based on internal knowledge is no longer sufficient to support enterprises in search of high-performance innovation. Instead, corporations are desperately required to search for resources of external knowledge to meet their innovation goals. Existing studies on open innovation in corporate management failed to fully elaborate on the mechanism of how the external knowledge search could impose an impact on sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. In this study, the external knowledge search was divided into three categories according to the knowledge-based theory, namely, the scientific knowledge search, the market knowledge search, and the supply-chain knowledge search. While taking into account the moderating role of the focus of attention of the manager, we analyzed the statistical results of 485 questionnaires collected from manufacturing enterprises to elaborate on the mechanism of how the specialized knowledge search could impose an impact on sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. Our research conclusions are expected to enrich existing studies on the factors contributing to corporate innovation, including but not limited to sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. In addition, the research findings are expected to lay an empirical foundation by summarizing previous theoretical opinions while providing references for subsequent in-depth studies in the meantime. Moreover, the paper has put forward practical management measures and suggestions that could enable enterprises in developing countries to search and effectively transform the external knowledge into innovative outcomes. Last but not least, this study is expected to provide both theoretical and practical guidance for enterprises to further facilitate innovation by means of knowledge search.

Effect of Digital Transformation on Enterprise Performance: Evidence from China

“…By using digital technology, senior management of businesses may instantly access production data at the local level and operation data from different departments at the middle level. This lowers management costs, which in turn lowers organization agency costs (Liu, Z., et al 2020 [8] ). As a result, the text proposes the following hypothesis: H1: Digital transformation can improve enterprise performance.…”

Investigation of Nexus between Knowledge Learning and Enterprise Green Innovation Based on Meta-Analysis with a Focus on China

“…Through the open search strategy, diversified, heterogeneous, and complementary new resources can be obtained in this era from the market, suppliers, customers, universities, research institutes, and even competitors. It may not include only new knowledge and technologies needed for innovation activities but also information encompassing market status and demand, competitors' behaviors, and customer preferences [23,[55][56][57][58][59]. These may assist enterprises in acquiring more advanced knowledge, increasing their reserves of new knowledge, and promoting enterprises' green innovation.…”

“…Knowledge learning is a process of connecting and absorbing specialized information sources for expansion through which knowledge is acquired and applied in a specific field [20][21][22]. Knowledge learning is classified into external green knowledge search and internal green knowledge absorption and integration [23]. It further suggests that enterprises continuously acquire external new knowledge, new technology, and new ideas through exploratory learning.…”