The Impact of Knowledge Power on Enterprise Breakthrough Innovation: From the Perspective of Boundary-Spanning Dual Search

Jianjun Wang, Ning Cao (), Yulu Wang and Yu Wang
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Jianjun Wang: College of Marine Culture and Law, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Ning Cao: School of Business, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306, China
Yulu Wang: School of Business, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306, China
Yu Wang: College of Customs and Public Administration, Shanghai Customs College, Shanghai 201204, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-19

Abstract: Breakthrough innovation is key for enterprises to achieve extraordinary development, transformation and upgrading. In the open innovation environment, breakthrough innovation activities are considered to be closely related to enterprise knowledge power and external search strategies. However, there has been no systematic empirical study to explore the internal relationships among the three factors mentioned above. Based on resource dependence theory, this paper explored the impact of knowledge power on enterprise breakthrough innovation from the perspective of boundary-spanning dual search, and examined the moderating effect of absorptive capacity. Using the sample data of 239 knowledge intensive enterprises from China, this paper empirically tested the research hypothesis. The results showed that: (1) the two dimensions of knowledge power (including knowledge control and knowledge influence) have a significant positive impact on enterprise breakthrough innovation; (2) the breadth and depth of boundary-spanning search play a mediating role between knowledge power and enterprise breakthrough innovation; (3) enterprise absorptive capacity significantly strengthens the positive effect of boundary-spanning search on enterprise breakthrough innovation. This study clarified the relationship between knowledge power and breakthrough innovation and provided theoretical support for enterprises to actively take advantage of knowledge power to improve their breakthrough innovation performance.

Keywords: knowledge power; enterprise breakthrough innovation; boundary-spanning dual search; absorptive capacity (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 (4)

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