The Impact of Digital Technology Innovation Network Embedding on Firms’ Innovation Performance: The Role of Knowledge Acquisition and Digital Transformation

Abstract

In the digital economy context, enterprises’ competitive environment is changing rapidly. Historically, enterprises rely on a solitary fight to occupy the market. Now, enterprises should actively embed into digital technology innovation networks to maximize access to external digital technology knowledge resources through organizational cooperation and achieve the absorption of digital resources and technologies. However, the relationship between digital technology innovation network embedding and innovation performance still needs to be clarified. Therefore, this study adopts the “structure–behavior–performance” research paradigm to extend innovation network research to the digital technology innovation network context, aiming to explore the impact of digital technology innovation network embedding on enterprise innovation performance and to analyze the mediating effect of knowledge acquisition and the moderating effect of digital transformation. This study conducts an empirical study based on Chinese A-share listed firms that undertook digital technology innovation from 2010–2021. The findings show that digital technology innovation networks’ relational and structural embedding positively affects firm innovation performance. Knowledge acquisition mediates digital technology innovation network embedding and innovation performance. Digital transformation has a moderating role between digital technology innovation network embedding and innovation performance, and different levels of digital transformation will have different effects on firms’ innovation performance. Overall, the relational and structural embedding of digital technology innovation networks can encourage enterprises to acquire more social capital and tacit knowledge and reduce R&D costs, thus improving their innovation performance. Firms should focus on building external cooperation networks, actively establishing an excellent corporate image, strengthening communication and cooperation with network members, establishing mutually beneficial cooperation beliefs, and promoting digital transformation. The present results will help companies understand the impact of digital technology innovation networks and provide a reference for companies to utilize in digital transformation to improve their innovation performance.

A systematic framework to improve the digital green innovation performance of photovoltaic materials for building energy system

“…Gao et al (2023) carried out analysis and research from the perspective of government support and stakeholders, and found that government subsidies, as an intermediary, affect the digitization level of enterprises and thus affect the GI of enterprises, and the fulfillment of corporate social responsibility also has a positive impact on GI [42]. Ge et al (2023) conducted a study on the correlation between digital technology innovation network embedding and enterprise innovation performance, and the results showed that knowledge acquisition intermediary network embedding played an intermediary role in digital technology innovation performance, proving that digital technology and enterprise performance have a positive influence relationship [43]. Dong et al (2023) conducted a static and dynamic empirical study on the integrated construction supply chain (IBSC) of construction enterprises, and the results showed that the digital integration degree of IBSC and the green knowledge collaboration ability between enterprises are conducive to improving the DGI performance of enterprises [44].…”

Configuration of Network Embedding and Financing Capability: Research on the Growth Path of Small and Medium-Sized Sports Enterprises Under the Heterogeneity of the Business Environment

“…The network embedding is a continuous social relationship situation showed by enterprises in economic activities. The impact of network embedding on the performance and market competition advantages of enterprises has been generally recognized by the academic community (Chen et al, 2023;Cui et al, 2017;Ge et al, 2023). Different forms and performances embedded in the network will lead to differences in enterprise performance and competitive advantages, that is, the different positions and structures embedded in the network in the network will show differences in the performance level of enterprises (Liu, 2009).…”

Unleashing Green Innovation in Enterprises: The Transformative Power of Digital Technology Application, Green Human Resource, and Digital Innovation Networks

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