“Are You Able to Pick Yourself up from Where You Fell”: The Impact of Innovation Failure under Different Antecedent Configurations on Enterprise Re-innovation Behavior

Abstract

Abstract: The existing researches have not yet reached a consistent conclusion on the relationship between innovation failure and enterprise re-innovation behavior. This paper argues that the important reason for the inconsistency is that the existing researches ignore the complexity and difference of the antecedents of innovation failure. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and propensity score matching (PSM) methods, this paper systematically examines the different effects of innovation failure under different antecedent configurations on enterprise re-innovation behavior based on identifying the multiple antecedent configuration paths of innovation failure.This study finds that the antecedent configuration of innovation failure can be divided into five types: internal knowledge deficiency, internal governance deficiency, internal cognition and ability deficiency, external impetus deficiency, and internal and external troubles. In addition, there are differences in the impact of the five antecedent configurations of innovation failure on the re-innovation behavior of enterprises. Specifically, innovation failure caused by internal knowledge deficiency, internal governance deficiency, external impetus deficiency, internal and external troubles will lead enterprises to reduce re-innovation behavior; innovation failure caused by internal cognition and ability deficiency will encourage enterprises to increase their re-innovation behavior.The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical reference for enterprise managers to effectively prevent the risk of innovation failure and for government agencies to stimulate enterprise re-innovation behavior.

Key words: antecedent configuration, innovation failure, enterprise re-innovation behavior, fsQCA, PSM

Sun Bing, Zhang Yanfeng, Tian Shengnan. “Are You Able to Pick Yourself up from Where You Fell”: The Impact of Innovation Failure under Different Antecedent Configurations on Enterprise Re-innovation Behavior[J]. Management Review, 2025, 37(1): 87-99.

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