International Manufacturing Network Embeddedness and Innovative Performance Guannan Xu

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

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 gx207@cam.ac.uk

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 gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

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? gx207@cam.ac.uk

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 gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

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 gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

Research Framework gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

Concept Model Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 1: positive relationship between network embeddedness and innovative performance gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 2: positive relationship between network embeddedness and knowledge acquisition gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 3: positive relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovative performance gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 4: mediate effect of knowledge gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 5: moderate effect of structural embeddedness gx207@cam.ac.uk

Hypothesis 6: moderate effect of structural embeddedness gx207@cam.ac.uk

Concept Model Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region gx207@cam.ac.uk

Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework Concept Model Difficulties gx207@cam.ac.uk

Difficulties Measurement of variables Quantity of valid questionnaires network embeddedness (strong & weak) knowledge acquisition (exploitive & explorative) Quantity of valid questionnaires Selection of statistic methods gx207@cam.ac.uk

Thanks for your attention! gx207@cam.ac.uk