Do suppliers bring more R&D innovation or non-R&D innovation to manufacturers?——A study from the perspective of social capital

Abstract

Abstract: Under the background of open innovation, making use of suppliers′ innovation ability or strengthening the depth of cooperation has become an important means to improve the innovation performance of manufacturing enterprises, but the cooperation with suppliers will not significantly promote the R&D innovation of manufacturing enterprises. Due to the complexity and uncertainty of R&D tasks, the weak absorptive capacity of enterprises and the limited depth of cooperation, the R&D capacity promoted by manufacturing enterprises is limited.
Although manufacturers′ ability to improve R&D innovation by suppliers is limited, the process technology information, technological transformation plan and market dynamic information acquired in cooperation will improve the non-R&D innovation level of manufacturing enterprises. Non-R&D innovation is different from traditional R&D innovation, it mainly includes technical or non-technical innovation activities such as imitation, improvement and improvement of new products or technologies, organizational learning and user innovation. Non-R&D innovation has gradually attracted the attention of enterprises: On the one hand, compared with R&D innovation, non-R&D innovation has shorter time cycle, lower cost and strong selectivity. On the other hand, the output of non-R&D innovation is relatively high and the profits are relatively fast, while the short-term profits of enterprises are applied to long-term R&D activities, which is more conducive to give full play to the utilization rate of innovation resources, ensure the long-term investment in R&D, and then improve the innovation performance of enterprises. Therefore, an in-depth study on the path mechanism of manufacturing enterprises to promote non-R&D innovation in the context of supply chain provides beneficial ideas for the improvement of innovation capability. Therefore, non-R&D innovation is an important way to improve the innovation performance of manufacturing enterprise, but few studies have proved the structure of non-R&D innovation and the relationship between R&D innovation and non-R&D innovation in the context of supply chain.
Based on all above, the main contents of this paper are as follows: Firstly, the conceptual model of manufacturer supplier social capital and R&D or non-R&D innovation is constructed, and nine hypotheses are put forward. Specifically, the structural capital, cognitive capital and relational capital of manufacturer-supplier has a positive impact on manufacturer′s R&D and non-R&D innovation. Compared with R&D innovation, the structural capital of manufacturer-supplier has a stronger impact on non-R&D innovation, but the cognitive capital and relational capital of manufacturer-supplier has a stronger impact on R&D innovation than non-R&D innovation.
Secondly, the measurement scale is designed. A large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted by issuing questionnaires, and 538 questionnaires were collected from 206 enterprises. AMOS21.0 and SPSS24.0 were used to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. (1) All dimensions of manufacturer-supplier social capital positively affect R&D innovation and non-R&D innovation; (2) Compared with R&D innovation, structural capital and cognitive capital has a stronger impact on non-R&D innovation in manufacturing companies; but relational capital of manufacturer-supplier has a stronger impact on R&D innovation than non-R&D innovation; (3) structural capital, cognitive capital and relational capital have an positive impact on each dimension of non-R&D innovation (product or process improvement, imitation innovation, technology introduction and market innovation).
Finally, based on the empirical results, the research conclusion clarifies the differential impact of different dimensions of manufacturer-supplier social capital on R&D or non-R&D innovation, providing a theoretical explanation for manufacturing enterprises to improve R&D innovation/non-R&D innovation. In addition, there are three aspects of practical significance in this research, to help enterprises better improve innovation ability.

Key words: manufacturer-supplier social capital, non-R&D innovation, R&D innovation, social capital theory

Zhu Mingwei, Li Suicheng. Do suppliers bring more R&D innovation or non-R&D innovation to manufacturers?——A study from the perspective of social capital[J]. Science Research Management, 2022, 43(7): 61-68.

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