|
|
|
| Durability of Supplier Relationship and Technological Innovation in Downstream Firms:A Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Evidence |
| Kuang Huishu1,Liu Zheng2,Zuo Yonghua2 |
| (1.School of Intercultural Studies, Jiangxi Normal University;2.Research Center for Management Science and Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China) |
|
|
|
|
Abstract Relying on long-lasting cooperation with upstream suppliers, a large number of enterprises are able to realize technological innovation.Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the active innovation mainstays in China, but they are also the vulnerable nodes of supply chain, for their lack of technology and capital makes them dependent on the upstream supply chain.Existing studies mainly follow resource dependence theory to explain innovation in the suppliers and downstream enterprises, emphasizing the importance of heterogeneous technological knowledge, but neglecting how heterogeneous technological knowledge is shared and transferred between upstream and downstream.The relationship learning theory states that heterogeneous knowledge deeply embedded in suppliers' production and operation processes has great knowledge barriers and sharing barriers, and it requires long-term relationship learning with suppliers before it can be transferred and absorbed.However, the prerequisite for carrying out relationship learning is that upstream and downstream have a long-lasting contractual relationship beneficial for the development of relational rules such as trust and flexibility, for through the efficacy of relational governance, it helps downstream firms to focus financial resources on cutting-edge of innovation.#br#In terms of empirical research, most existing studies explore the impact of supplier relationship on downstream firms' innovation from the perspective of concentration.However, concentration mainly portrays the static horizontal competitive relationship of upstream suppliers, and it is difficult to capture the long-term contractual linkages such as whether the suppliers are persistent and whether their supply shares keep increasing.In addition, the studies focus on large A-share firms and do not pay enough attention to SMEs at vulnerable nodes of the supply chain and the changes in the quantity of supply behind the durability of the relationship are neglected in the indicator measurement, and there is a lack of explanations from the perspectives of relationship learning and relationship governance.#br#Following the theories of relationship learning and relationship governance, this paper utilizes the data of listed companies on the NEEQ-listed companies from 2015 to 2021 and manually matches the enterprise data of 'QCC', and empirically confirms that the higher the frequency of continuous presence of core suppliers or the larger the share of sustained supply, the more and higher the quality of patents authorized to the downstream enterprises, which indicates that the continuity of supplier relationship promotes downstream technological innovation both in quality and quantity.Heterogeneity analysis shows that the persistence of local or high-tech supplier relationships is more likely to promote downstream firms' technological innovation, suggesting that capturing local soft innovation information and absorbing vertical technological spillovers are the key directions of downstream relationship learning.In terms of the mediating mechanism, alleviating financing constraints and reducing relational investment are the main relationship governance channels through which supplier relationship persistence promotes technological innovation in downstream firms.In addition, a test of the mediating mechanism reveals that the greater the distance between the formal institutions of the upstream and downstream regions, or when the downstream has a regional "institutional surplus" with respect to the upstream, the more significant is the continuity of supplier relationship in promoting the downstream firms' technological innovation.#br#This paper makes marginal contributions in three aspects.Firstly, combined with the embedding process and transfer feature of technical knowledge in the supply chain, this paper explains the theoretical mechanism of supplier relationship persistently affecting downstream firms' technological innovation, which enriches the theoretical explanations in this field.Secondly, in terms of indicator measurement, this paper constructs the enduring characteristics of suppliers' continuous service and supply from the perspective of dynamic contract length, which expands the index meaning of supplier relationship.Thirdly, in terms of empirical strategies, this paper selects SMEs with strong motivation for innovation but vulnerability to supply chain impacts as the research object, matches the enterprise data of 'QCC' to distinguish the continuity of supplier relationship in local or high-tech industries, and adopts instrumental variable and DID methods to identify the causal relationship, which provides incremental evidence on how supplier relationship affects downstream innovation.#br#
|
|
Received: 24 August 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
[1] CHENG C C J,SHEU C.Leveraging supplier involvement for fueling manufacturers' firm creativity[J].Industrial Marketing Management,2022,107:353-367.
[2] 方健.供应商管理与企业技术创新[J].科研管理,2023,44(5):113-121.
[3] SELNES F,SALLIS J.Promoting relationship learning[J].Journal of Marketing,2003,67(3):80-95.
[4] 杨建君,穆天,刘力萌.高新技术企业突变式创新绩效研究——基于关系学习理论视角[J].经济体制改革,2020,38(5):192-198.
[5] POPPO L,ZENGER T.Do formal contracts and relational governance function as substitutes or complements[J].Strategic Management Journal,2002,23(8):707-725.
[6] 卢强,杨晓叶,周琳云.关系治理与契约治理对于供应链融资绩效的影响研究[J].管理评论,2022,34(8):313-326.
[7] 曹伟,姚振晔,赵璨.供应链关系变动与企业创新绩效——基于中国上市公司的经验证据[J].会计与经济研究,2019,33(6):31-54.
[8] 邹美凤,张信东.供应商集中度影响企业创新吗[J].投资研究,2020,39(12):44-63.
[9] 蒋殿春,鲁大宇.供应链关系变动、融资约束与企业创新[J].经济管理,2022,44(10):56-74.
[10] FANG S R,FANG S C,CHOU C H,et al.Relationship learning and innovation:the role of relationship-specific memory[J].Industrial Marketing Management,2011,40(5):743-753.
[11] MACNEIL I R.Relational contract theory: challenges and queries[J].Northwestern University Law Review,2000,94(3):877-907.
[12] WILLIAMSON O E.The theory of the firm as governance structure: from choice to contract[J].Journal of Economic Perspectives,2002,16(3):171-195.
[13] 黄宏斌,刘倩茹,陈美健,等.供应商稳定度提升了客户的全要素生产率吗[J].金融评论,2023,15(3):105-124,126.
[14] 葛顺奇,关乾伟,罗伟.供应链配置与企业绩效表现：效率与稳定[J].世界经济研究,2022,41(4):32-46,135-136.
[15] 孙浦阳,刘伊黎.企业客户贸易网络、议价能力与技术追赶——基于贸易网络视角的理论与实证检验[J].经济研究,2020,55(7):106-122.
[16] SMALS R G M,SMITS A A J.Value for value——the dynamics of supplier value in collaborative new product development[J].Industrial Marketing Management,2012,41(1):156-165.
[17] CHU Y,TIAN X,WANG W.Corporate innovation along the supply chain[J].Management Science,2019,65(6):2445-2466.
[18] XU X,SHENG Y.Productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment: firm-level evidence from China[J].World Development,2012,40(1):62-74.
[19] 司月芳,王岱,王丰龙.对华跨境技术转移影响因素研究[J].地理科学,2019,39(2):259-266.
[20] PENG X,WANG X Y,CHAN K C.Does supplier stability matter in initial public offering pricing[J].International Journal of Production Economics,2020,225:107577.
[21] 王贞洁,王竹泉.基于供应商关系的营运资金管理——“锦上添花”抑或“雪中送炭”[J].南开管理评论,2017,20(2):32-44.
[22] WAGNER M,BODE C.Supplier relationship-specific investments and the role of safeguards for supplier innovation sharing[J].Journal of Operations Management,2014,32(3):65-78.
[23] 陈怀超,何智敏,范建红.制度落差对跨国技术转移的影响——基于2009—2019年面板数据分析[J].科技进步与对策,2022,39(12):9-19.
[24] 宋渊洋,黄礼伟.为什么中国企业难以国内跨地区经营[J].管理世界,2014,30(12):115-133.
[25] 黎文靖,郑曼妮.实质性创新还是策略性创新——宏观产业政策对微观企业创新的影响[J].经济研究,2016,51(4):60-73.
[26] 宋敏,周鹏,司海涛.金融科技与企业全要素生产率——“赋能”和信贷配给的视角[J].中国工业经济,2021,39(4):138-155.
[27] DEFEVER F,TOUBAL F.Productivity,relationship-specific inputs and the sourcing modes of multinationals[J].Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization,2013,(94):345-357.
[28] 贾军,史普润,魏雅青.关系专用资产对企业创新的锁定效应研究——战略导向的中介效应[J].科技进步与对策,2021,38(12):106-115.
[29] NUNN N.Relationship-specificity,incomplete contracts,and the pattern of trade[J].The Quarterly Journal of Economics,2007,122(2): 569-600.
[30] 温忠麟,叶宝娟.中介效应分析:方法和模型发展[J].心理科学进展,2014,22(5):731-745.
[31] YANG Z.Customer concentration,relationship,and debt contracting[J].Journal of Applied Accounting Research,2017,18 (2):185-207.
[32] 刘瑞明,毛宇,亢延锟.制度松绑、市场活力激发与旅游经济发展——来自中国文化体制改革的证据[J].经济研究,2020,55(1):115-131.
|
|
|
|
