Abstract: This study makes a further investigation on the relationship between exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation by distinguishing between repetitive exploitation versus incremental exploitation and taking into account the moderating influence of technology landscape complexity. We test our arguments based on the panel data between 2006 and 2011 from 175 China's listed companies in computer, communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries. We find that:firstly, the relationship between exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation depends on the differences in the relative levels of efforts and attention devoted to repetitive exploitation and incremental exploitation. Repetitive exploitation will impede exploration while incremental exploitation will impel exploration. Secondly, the effect of repetitive exploitation and incremental exploitation on exploratory innovation will be also different when taking into account the moderating influence of technology landscape complexity. It is embodied that with the improvement of technology landscape complexity, the negative effect of repetitive exploitation and the positive effect of incremental exploitation on exploratory innovation will both enhance. This conclusion provides a decision-making reference for enterprises to build synergy between exploitation and exploration that enact reciprocal ambidexterity.

Key words: exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, repetitive exploitation, incremental exploitation, technology landscape complexity