Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of recombinant innovation from the perspective of ego–network dynamics, and further disentangle whether ego–network stability or ego–network expansion is more conducive to recombinant innovation under heterogeneous knowledge base.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses 1,801 patent data in China’s biotechnology field as a sample and adopts fixed effects regression model to examine the effects of ego–network dynamics on recombinant innovation and further uses the Wald tests to discern which ego–network dynamic is more conducive to recombinant innovation under heterogeneous knowledge base.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that ego–network dynamics have a positive impact on recombinant innovation. Specifically, for firms with high knowledge breadth and high knowledge depth as well as high knowledge breadth and low knowledge depth, ego–network stability is more conducive to recombinant innovation. By contrast, for firms with low knowledge breadth and high knowledge depth, recombinant innovation benefits more from ego–network expansion. As for firms with low knowledge breadth and low knowledge depth, both ego–network stability and ego–network expansion can promote recombinant innovation, while the effects are not significant.

Practical implications

This research may enlighten managers to choose suitable ego–network dynamics strategies for recombinant innovation based on their knowledge base.

Originality/value

This research not only contributes to the literature on recombinant innovation by revealing the impact of different ego–network dynamics on recombinant innovation but also contributes to network dynamics theory by exploring whether ego–network stability or ego–network expansion is more conducive to recombinant innovation under a heterogeneous knowledge base.

中文翻译：

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自我网络稳定还是自我网络扩张？异构知识库下自我网络动力学对重组创新的影响

目的

本文旨在从自我网络动力学的角度探讨重组创新的前因，并进一步理清异质知识库下自我网络的稳定性和自我网络的扩张是否更有利于重组创新。

设计/方法论/途径

本文以我国生物技术领域1801份专利数据为样本，采用固定效应回归模型检验自我网络动态对重组创新的影响，并进一步利用Wald检验来辨别哪种自我网络动态更有利于重组创新。异构知识库下。

发现

实证结果表明，自我网络动态对重组创新有积极影响。具体而言，对于高知识广度和高知识深度以及高知识广度和低知识深度的企业，自我网络稳定性更有利于重组创新。相比之下，对于知识广度低、知识深度高的企业来说，重组创新更多地受益于自我网络扩张。对于知识广度和知识深度较低的企业来说，自我网络稳定和自我网络扩张都能促进重组创新，但效果并不显着。

实际影响

这项研究可以启发管理者根据他们的知识库选择合适的自我网络动态策略来进行重组创新。

原创性/价值

这项研究不仅通过揭示不同的自我网络动力学对重组创新的影响，为重组创新的文献作出贡献，而且通过探索自我网络稳定性或自我网络扩张是否更有利于重组创新，对网络动力学理论做出了贡献。异构知识库。