1. International Manufacturing Network Embeddedness and Innovative Performance
Guannan Xu

2. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

3. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

4. 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

5. 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

6. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

7. 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?

8. 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

9. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

10. 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

11. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

12. Research Framework

13. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

14. Concept Model
Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region

15. Hypothesis 1: positive relationship between network embeddedness and innovative performance

16. Hypothesis 2: positive relationship between network embeddedness and knowledge acquisition

17. Hypothesis 3: positive relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovative performance

18. Hypothesis 4: mediate effect of knowledge

19. Hypothesis 5: moderate effect of structural embeddedness

20. Hypothesis 6: moderate effect of structural embeddedness

21. Concept Model
Controlled variables: industrial characteristics, firm size, firm region

22. Contents Background Research Gaps Research Aims Research Framework
Concept Model
Difficulties

23. Difficulties Measurement of variables Quantity of valid questionnaires
network embeddedness (strong & weak)
knowledge acquisition (exploitive & explorative)
Quantity of valid questionnaires
Selection of statistic methods

24. Thanks for your attention!