Abstract:    Under the guidance of patent quality, there exists the basic contradiction between flexibility and efficiency. Adhering to the perspective of timing selection and inertia breakthrough, using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method (fsQCA), and based on 115 samples of innovation capability variation eventsin the GEM listed companies from 2011 to 2017, this paper studied the impact path of such subdivision characteristics as unpredictable environment, value cognition and innovation capability variation on the enterprise patent quality, and illustrated it with cases. The results showed that: (1) a single factor does not constitute a necessary condition to affect patent quality, and the level of patent quality depends on the complex configuration of multiple factors; (2) There is only one effective path to trigger high-quality patents, that is, Path I:“environment with high degree and low proportion of unpredictability - complex and focused value cognition - high amplitude and low speed innovation capability variation”; (3) There are four paths that lead to low-quality patents: the “environment with high degree or high proportion of unpredictability - loose or simple value cognition - low amplitude or high speed innovation capability variation” corresponding to Paths II, III and V and the “environment with low degree and low proportion of unpredictability - focused and simple value cognition - high amplitude innovation capability variation” corresponding to Path IV; (4) The reasons that affect patent quality have typical asymmetry. Combining the two internal and external factors of cognition and environment, and based on the perspective of configuration, this paper explored the impact path of enterprise innovation capability variation on patent quality, and deepens the research on the transformation mechanism of innovation ambidexterity from exploitation to exploration in the context of breaking through the cognitive resources and the premise of complete information implied in the innovation ambidexterity theory, which contributes to the innovation ambidexterity theory to some extent, and also helps enterprises realize their innovation value.The innovation points of the paper are mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, in view of the lack of research on the impact of innovation capability variation amplitude and speed on patent quality in existing research, this paper, based on China′s national conditions, decomposed innovation capability variation events into two dimensions: amplitude and speed, and then analyzed their impact on patent quality. As previous research focused on how enterprises carry out exploratory and exploitative R&D through external cooperation, knowledge absorption, and R&D organizational structure design, this paper further clarified the connotation of enterprise innovation capability variation under the guidance of patent quality in a complex and dynamic environment, filled the research gap of innovation ambidexterity theory, and helped to balance the “flexibility efficiency” debate. Second, in view of the controversial research gap in the impact of unpredictable environment on enterprise patent quality in the innovation capability variation events, the external motivating situation for the effectiveness of innovation capability variation events under the guidance of enterprise patent quality was identified, which deepened and enriched the research on enterprise patent quality. From the overall perspective of unpredictable environment, relevant research cannot accurately grasp the uncertainty caused by the improvement of patent quality and enterprise value. Therefore, this paper, based on the perspective of capacity value contingency and China′s national conditions, subdivided it into two characteristics: degree and proportion, based on which to explore the complex mechanism behind enterprise patent quality. Compared with previous studies that considered environmental change as having a positive or negative impact on the quality of enterprise patents, the paper further found out that it is difficult to predict that a single environmental factor does not constitute a necessary condition that affects the quality of enterprise patents, which depends on the complex combination of multiple factors, expanding the relevant research. Third, in view of the existing research, there is no impact of the matching pattern between value cognition and unpredictable environmental characteristics on patent quality in the event of innovation capability variation, the internal and external contingency factors that affect the relationship between innovation capability variation events and patent quality are included in the research framework. Compared with a single study of environmental factors or cognitive factors, this paper studied the impact of multi-dimensional characteristics on patent quality from the perspective of amplitude and speed of innovation capability variation, the complexity and focus of value cognition, and the degree and proportion of unpredictable environment. 

Key words: enterprise patent quality, innovation capability variation, unpredictable environment, value cognition activation