Double-edged Effect of External Knowledge Search on Talent’s Innovation Performance: The Moderating Effect of Key Inventors

Abstract

Abstract: With regards to the impact of external knowledge search on innovation, the existing researches generally look at firm-level and mainly focus on combinatorial searching strategies. Further, some individual-level research endeavors to investigate the positive or negative effect of external knowledge search on innovation. There has been little attempt at exploring the nonlinear effects of external knowledge search by distinguishing the dimensions of innovation, and more crucially, few study investigates the heterogeneous influences of inventor types. Drawing on the U.S. pharmaceutical patents, this study investigates the nonlinear effects of external knowledge search on innovation performance from the dual perspective of quantity and quality. Further, we probe the moderating effect of key inventors, as the most important intelligent capital of enterprises, on above relationships. Results indicate that there is a curvilinear relationship, taking on an inverted U-shape, between external knowledge search on the one hand as well as innovation quantity and quality on the other. The inverted U-shaped curve of external knowledge search and innovation quantity in key inventors is steeper relative to that in general inventors, while the curve of innovation quality is flatter when compared to general ones. In theory, such conclusions enrich our understanding of external knowledge search, reveal the dual moderating effect of key inventors, and contribute to the open innovation research and organizational learning theory. In practice, our results provide suggestions for R&D managers to dialectically understand the ‘double-edged sword’ role of external knowledge search. In addition, this research offers reference for policymakers to differently stimulate scientific and technological talents and accurately grasp the characteristics of key inventors, further enhancing innovation capability and high-quality development.

Key words: external knowledge search, scientific and technological talents, innovation quantity, innovation quality, key inventors

Wang Wei, Yin Ximing, Chen Jin, Xing Wanying. Double-edged Effect of External Knowledge Search on Talent’s Innovation Performance: The Moderating Effect of Key Inventors[J]. Management Review, 2024, 36(10): 87-99.

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