International Manufacturing Network Embeddedness and
Innovative Performance
Guannan Xu
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Background
International manufacturing network
Network embeddedness is a strategic resource to gain competitive advantage
A firm should integrate all kinds of resources available in the network that it’s embedded in to compete with its rivals
Technological innovation
Innovation is the core of competitive advantage
The key to firms’ technological innovation lies in the acquisition of knowledge via its network
Network embeddedness Interplay between social structures and economic
activities in industrial society Relational embeddedness: the role of direct inter-
firm ties Strong tie: equity tie, manufacturing joint venture, joint R&D
project Weak tie: marketing & licensing agreement & standard,
training arrangement Structural embeddedness: how the structural
positions affect the actions and opportunities of firms in the network Hierarchy Density
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Industrial issues
When choosing a collaborate partner, which form of alliance is more efficient for its performance improvement?
How to establish alliances with other firms according to its position in the network?
How to establish alliances with other firms according to its industrial characteristics?
Theoretical challenges
Lack of comprehensive research probing into the influence mechanism of network embeddedness and innovative performance relational embeddedness & structural
embeddedness upstream embeddedness & downstream
embeddedness Little research on these issues from the
perspectives of developing countries
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Research Aims
to explore optimal upstream and downstream network configurations in different network structures and industrial characteristics to search for the mechanism of network
embeddedness influence on innovative performance
to find the most efficient modes of inter-firm ties for firms’ operation in international manufacturing network
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Research Framework
Literature review
Concept model
Pilot case studies
Questionnaire statistic analysis
Further case studies
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Concept Model
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Innovative Performance
Stuctual Embeddedness
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Acquisition of Knowledge Competitive
Advantage
Stuctual Embeddedness
Strong Ties
Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region
Hypothesis 1: positive relationship between network embeddedness and innovative performance
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Innovative Performance
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Competitive Advantage
Strong Ties
Hypothesis 2: positive relationship between network embeddedness and knowledge acquisition
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Acquisition of KnowledgeStrong Ties
Hypothesis 3: positive relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovative performance
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Innovative Performance
Acquisition of Knowledge Competitive
Advantage
Hypothesis 4: mediate effect of knowledge
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Innovative Performance
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Acquisition of Knowledge Competitive
Advantage
Strong Ties
Hypothesis 5: moderate effect of structural embeddedness
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Stuctual Embeddedness
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Acquisition of KnowledgeStrong Ties
Hypothesis 6: moderate effect of structural embeddedness
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Innovative Performance
Acquisition of Knowledge Competitive
Advantage
Stuctual Embeddedness
Concept Model
Weak Ties
Strong Ties
Weak Ties
Exploration Knowledge
Exploitation Knowledge
Innovative Performance
Stuctual Embeddedness
Upstream Embeddedness
Downstream Embeddedness
Acquisition of Knowledge Competitive
Advantage
Stuctual Embeddedness
Strong Ties
Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region
Contents
Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties
Difficulties
Measurement of variablesnetwork embeddedness (strong & weak)knowledge acquisition (exploitive &
explorative) Quantity of valid questionnaires Selection of statistic methods
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