Impact of Inventor’s Cooperation Network on Ambidextrous Innovation in Chinese AI Enterprises

Xiaoli Li, Kun Li and Hao Zhou ()
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Xiaoli Li: School of Management, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
Kun Li: School of Management, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
Hao Zhou: Law Business School, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-21

Abstract: With the intensification of artificial intelligence (AI) industry competition, innovation has become an important practical way for companies to achieve sustainable development. In this context, it is important to study the transmission paths affecting the development of ambidextrous innovation in AI firms from the perspectives of inventor cooperation networks and technological knowledge base variety. This study uses a sample of 399 of China’s AI organizations from 2008 to 2017. We explore the impact of an inventor cooperation network on ambidextrous innovation and dissect the mediating role of technological knowledge base variety between inventor cooperation network and ambidextrous innovation. We find that inventor cooperation network structural hole and centrality have an inverted U-shape relationship with a firm’s ambidextrous innovation. Additionally, inventor cooperation network centrality has a positive effect on technological knowledge base variety. In addition, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between inventor cooperative network structure holes and technological knowledge base variety. Meanwhile, the research also finds that the unrelated variety of technological knowledge base mediates the relationship between the inventor cooperation network and ambidextrous innovation. The related variety of technological knowledge base mediates the relationship between the inventor cooperation network and exploitative innovation. However, the related variety of technological knowledge base cannot play a mediating role between inventor cooperation network and exploratory innovation.

Keywords: network centrality; structural hole; technological knowledge base variety; ambidextrous innovation; artificial intelligence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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