Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2022.2082997
Leveraging diverse ecosystem partners for innovation: the roles of regional innovation environment and partnership heterogeneity
Yanzhang Gu
Longying Hu
Chenxuan Hou
Abstract
Although prior studies investigated the influence of partner diversity
on focal firms’ innovation performance, they failed to consider
partners’ ecosystem positions and the roles of regional innovation
environment and partnership heterogeneity. To fill these gaps,
this study examines the relationship between supplier diversity,
customer diversity, regional innovation environment, partnership
heterogeneity and innovation performance to provide a comprehensive
and throughout understanding of the influence of partner
diversity on innovation performance. Based on data of 188
Chinese manufacturing firms, this article finds that both diversities
of upstream suppliers and that of downstream customers contribute
to innovation performance. Regional innovation environment
and partnership heterogeneity moderate the influences of supplier
diversity and customer diversity on innovation performance.
In a favourable regional innovation environment, the benefits of
diverse upstream suppliers for innovation are eroded, while the
benefits of diverse downstream customers for innovation are
enhanced. Partnership heterogeneity with suppliers can mitigate
the moderating effect of regional innovation environment on the
relationship between supplier diversity and innovation performance.
These findings advance the literature on partner diversity
and innovation performance, thus providing fine-grained managerial
implications to firms to orchestrate diverse inter-organizational
partners for innovation.
Keywords
Ecosystem position; partner diversity; innovation performance; innovation environment; partnership heterogeneity
Hrčak ID:
303780
URI
Publication date:
31.3.2023.
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