Ju, Min; Gao, Ge ald Yong
A icle
Impac o his o y imp in on i m inno a ion s a egies:
The ole o owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge (JIK)
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Sugges ed Ci a ion: Ju, Min; Gao, Ge ald Yong (2024) : Impac o his o y imp in on i m inno a ion
s a egies: The ole o owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing, Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge
(JIK), ISSN 2444-569X, Else ie , Ams e dam, Vol. 9, Iss. 4, pp. 1-11,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100608
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Impac o his o y imp in on i m inno a ion s a egies: The ole o
owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing
Min Ju
a,*
, Ge ald Yong Gao
b
a
Ma ke ing, Depa men o Ma ke ing & En ep eneu ship, ABH 221, Uni e si y o Missou i-S . Louis, One Uni e si y Boule a d, S . Louis, MO 63121, Uni ed S a es
b
Ma ke ing, Depa men o Ma ke ing & En ep eneu ship, ABH 202, Uni e si y o Missou i-S . Louis, One Uni e si y Boule a d, S . Louis, MO 63121, Uni ed S a es
ARTICLE INFO
JEL classi ica ion:
O31 inno a ion and in en ion: p ocesses and
incen i es
O32 managemen o echnological inno a ion
and R&D
L10 ma ke s uc u e, i m s a egy, and ma ke
pe o mance: gene al
Keywo ds:
His o y imp in
Inno a ion s a egy
Exploi a ion
Explo a ion
Owne ship ype
In o ma ion sha ing
ABSTRACT
The impac o his o y and he use o i ms’ pas in heo e ical models examining i m s a egies ha e ga ne ed
inc easing a en ion. Whe he i ms can bene i om hei his o y imp in s o acili a e inno a ion s a egies is an
inc easingly impo an , ye unde - esea ched, ques ion. This s udy aims o ill his gap by examining he e ec s o
his o y imp in on wo dis inc inno a ion s a egies: exploi a ion and explo a ion. D awing on he his o y-
in o med pe spec i e and imp in heo y, we in es iga e how i m- and s a egic-le el ac o s mode a e hese
ela ionships. Using a su ey o manu ac u ing i ms in China and applying hie a chical mul iple eg essions, we
ind ha , while his o y imp in posi i ely in luences exploi a ion, i nega i ely a ec s explo a ion. In e es ingly,
he posi i e impac o his o y imp in on exploi a ion is s onge o amily i ms, and in o ma ion sha ing a -
enua es he nega i e e ec on explo a ion. These esul s unde sco e he impo ance o conside ing his o y in
inno a i e decision-making and sugges ha i ms, pa icula ly amily-owned ones, should adop speci ic
p ac ices o balance he bene i s o hei his o y imp in s wi h he need o inno a ion.
In oduc ion
Recen esea ch has shown a g owing in e es in unde s anding he
ole o his o y in shaping i m s a egies, as i p o ides c i ical insigh s
in o s a egy o mula ion p ocesses and helps in e p e ex e nal a ia-
ions in di e en con ex s (A gy es e al., 2020; Tosh, 2019; Vaa a &
Lambe g, 2016). Del ing in o he in e play be ween hese wo impo an
cons uc s is pi o al because he s a egy li e a u e now iews his o y as
an endogenous i m esou ce ha can be le e aged in s a egic p ocesses
o imp o e a i m’s compe i i e ad an age (Fos e e al., 2017; Ha ch &
Schul z, 2017; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017). In eg a ing his o y and s a -
egy, his o y imp in is de ined as he pe sis ence o o ganiza ional ea-
u es de i ed om he pas (A gy es e al., 2020; Johnson, 2007; Kipping
& Üsdiken, 2014; S inchcombe, 2000). F om a his o y-in o med
pe spec i e, a i m’s pas plays a signi ican ole in es ablishing o ga-
niza ional cul u e, in luencing s a egic choices, and guiding u u e di-
ec ions (Ahn, 2018; Kipping & Üsdiken, 2014). Al hough ecen s udies
collec i ely highligh he impo ance o his o y, a signi ican gap e-
mains in unde s anding how he pas can be e ec i ely u ilized in
s a egic decision making. Speci ically, he e is limi ed knowledge
ega ding whe he his o y imp in s ha e a sus ained and di ec impac
on i ms’ s a egic decisions, such as p oduc inno a ion (Colli & Pe ez,
2020; Sasaki e al., 2020).
Thus, inno a ion s a egies a e c ucial (Clauss e al., 2021; He &
Wong, 2004; Pi˜
nei o-Chousa e al., 2020; Wang e al., 2023). They no
only help i ms adap o dynamic ma ke condi ions and changing
consume needs bu also os e long- e m compe i i eness and sus ain-
abili y (Ma ch 1991; Sousa e al., 2020). Exploi a ion aims o enhance
he eliabili y o exis ing inno a ion ac i i ies h ough inc emen al ad-
ancemen s, whe eas explo a ion en ails he pu sui o no el y h ough
adical expe imen a ion (A uahene-Gima, 2005; Vaa a & Lambe g,
2016). His o y imp in s, composed o o ganiza ional alues, pas suc-
cesses, ailu es, and s a egic choices, imbue i ms wi h unique knowl-
edge asse s and cul u al unde pinnings ha p o oundly in luence bo h
cu en and u u e inno a ion s a egies (A gy es e al., 2020; Kipping &
Üsdiken, 2014; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017). By d awing upon he pas ,
i ms can le e age accumula ed knowledge, iden i y po en ial oppo -
uni ies, and in o m con inuous explo a o y and exploi a i e ini ia i es,
which, in u n, in luence he speci ic di ec ion and decisions o inno-
a ion s a egies (Colli & Pe ez, 2020; Fos e e al., 2017; Ode & Aya oo,
* Co esponding au ho .
E-mail add ess: [email p o ec ed] (M. Ju).
Con en s lis s a ailable a ScienceDi ec
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h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100608
Recei ed 12 Augus 2024; Accep ed 21 Oc obe 2024
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
A ailable online 30 Oc obe 2024
2444-569X/© 2024 The Au ho (s). Published by Else ie España, S.L.U. on behal o Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge. This is an open access a icle unde he
CC BY-NC-ND license (
h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).
2020; Pi˜
nei o-Chousa e al., 2020; Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016). The e o e,
unde s anding and e ec i ely u ilizing a i m’s his o y is essen ial o
o mula ing inno a ion s a egies (Johnson, 2007; S inchcombe, 2000).
Howe e , schola ly in es iga ion o he in e play be ween his o y
imp in and inno a ion s a egy emains limi ed, lea ing a c i ical
esea ch ques ion unanswe ed: How does a i m’s pas in luence i s
inno a ion s a egies o exploi a ion and explo a ion (Hei a i e al.,
2017; Junni e al., 2013)?
To elucida e his conund um, we d aw on he his o y-in o med
pe spec i e and he imp in heo y o examine he impac o his o y
imp in s on exploi a ion and explo a ion. We u he in es iga e
whe he i m- and s a egic-le el ac o s se e as bounda y con in-
gencies ha mode a e he ela ionship be ween his o y imp in s and
inno a ion s a egies. The adi ional pe cep ion o his o y iews i as an
immu able challenge beyond an o ganiza ion’s con ol (Colli & Pe ez,
2020; Suddaby e al., 2020). Howe e , ecen esea ch con ends ha he
impac o his o y imp in s is no ixed bu can be consciously eshaped o
eposi ioned by leade ship (A gy es e al., 2020; Sinha e al., 2020).
These de elopmen s sugges ha i ms ha e he agency o manage he
impac s o his o ical imp in s. Thus, his o y imp in s can be s a egically
u ilized o p edic inno a ion s a egies con ingen on ce ain bounda y
condi ions (Colli & Pe ez, 2020; Tosh, 2019; Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016).
Acco dingly, we p opose ha i ms can capi alize on in o ma ion
sha ing a he s a egic le el o ha ness his o ical imp in s and p omo e
bo h exploi a ion and explo a ion. In o ma ion sha ing is a c i ical
cons uc wi h signi ican ele ance o bo h his o ical imp in ing and
i m inno a ion. I acili a es e ec i e communica ion and coo dina ion,
cul i a ing an adap able and collabo a i e o ganiza ional cul u e (Jap,
1999; Yan & Dooley, 2013). The exchanged in o ma ion includes
o ganiza ional na a i es and c ea i e concep s (Cai e al., 2010; Kulp
e al., 2004). Consequen ly, os e ing a cul u e o in o ma ion sha ing
can educe he ad e se e ec s o his o ical imp in s on explo a o y
ini ia i es. Addi ionally, owne ship ype a he i m le el can po en ially
mode a e he ela ionship be ween his o y imp in s and i m inno a-
ion. The li e a u e sugges s ha di e en ypes o i ms expe ience
a ying le els o in luence om hei pas , as legacy and cul u e play
dis inc oles ac oss o ganiza ions (B e on-Mille & Mille , 2015;
Gomez-Mejia e al., 2011). Fu he mo e, i ms wi h di e en owne ship
s uc u es possess unique his o ical ad an ages and disad an ages ha
shape hei inno a i e decision-making beha io (Ib ahim e al., 2019;
Li & Zhu, 2015). Consequen ly, when pu suing inno a ion goals, i ms
wi h di e en owne ship ypes a e likely o expe ience di e en impac s
o his o y imp in s (Lee e al., 2003; Sasaki e al., 2020).
To add ess hese esea ch gaps, his s udy con ibu es o his o y and
inno a ion esea ch in h ee impo an ways. Fi s , he adi ional
pe spec i e ea s his o y and s a egy as dis inc esea ch s eams, and
s udies explo ing hei ela ionship a e limi ed (Colli & Pe ez, 2020;
Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016). Ou esea ch echoes A gy es e al.’s (2020)
call o mo e s udies o adop a his o y-in o med app oach o s a egy
and con ibu es o he li e a u e by p o iding empi ical insigh s in o
how his o y imp in s in luence inno a ion s a egies. Second, we ex end
exis ing knowledge on he de e minan s o exploi a ion and explo a ion
by examining he di ec impac o his o ical imp in ing on inno a ion
s a egies. Thus, he indings o e new insigh s in o he ension be ween
he pas and u u e in sus aining o ganiza ional alue and cul u e while
dealing wi h echnological challenges (Ahn, 2018; Sasaki e al., 2020).
Thi d, we sugges ha i m- and s a egy-le el ac o s mode a e he
ela ionship be ween his o y imp in s and exploi a ion and explo a ion.
By ocusing on i m owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing, his s udy
ad ances he knowledge o inno a ion managemen by iden i ying he
key condi ions unde which his o y imp in s a ec inno a ion s a egies
di e en ly. I also sheds ligh on he in ica e in e play be ween i m
his o y and s a egic inno a ion decision-making (Colli & Pe ez, 2020;
Fos e e al., 2017; Sousa e al., 2020). Ou esea ch highligh s he
c i ical impo ance o unde s anding i m his o y in s a egic
decision-making, emphasizing ha his o y can se e as a aluable
sou ce o in o ma ion and o ganiza ional iden i y (A gy es e al., 2020;
Fos e e al., 2017; Ha ch & Schul z, 2017; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017).
Addi ionally, i unde sco es he need o s a egic-le el in o ma ion
sha ing o balance he bias owa d exploi a ion, while ecognizing he
dis inc cha ac e is ics o amily and non- amily i ms in le e aging hei
his o y o inno a ion and compe i i e ad an age (Cai e al., 2010; Kulp
e al., 2004).
Theo y and hypo heses de elopmen
Resea ch backg ound and heo e ical ounda ion: his o y-in o med
s a egy and imp in heo y
T adi ionally ega ded as dis an a eas o esea ch, his o y and
s a egy ha e ecen ly a ac ed academic a en ion o explo ing hei
in e sec ion (Fos e e al., 2017; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017; Vaa a &
Lambe g, 2016). This inc easing in e es has gene a ed a ich body o
wo k, sugges ing ha his o y plays an impo an ole in s a egy
o mula ion and has been employed in a eas such as pa h dependence
esea ch (Kiese , 1994; Kluppel e al., 2018), s a egy and o ganiza ional
s uc u e (Chandle , 1977; Whi ing on & Maye , 2000), he
esou ce-based iew (Ba ney, 1991; Ko & Mahoney, 2004), and
geog aphic clus e s (Buens o & Kleppe , 2009). Speci ically,
his o y-in o med s a egy esea ch is de ined as “s a egy esea ch ha
d aws on his o ical esea ch me hods and/o le e ages his o y as a key
componen (o a iable) o heo y o empi ical analysis” (A gy es e al.,
2020, p.345). His o ical esea ch me hods e e o esea ch echniques
ha compile, desc ibe, and c i ically analyze p ima y and seconda y
his o ical da a o explain and in e p e phenomena (A gy es e al., 2020;
Kipping & Üsdiken, 2014).
His o y has mainly in o med s a egy esea ch by inco po a ing he
pas in o heo e ical models, using his o y as a cen al a iable o en ich
heo e ical explana ions o s a egy (Kipping & Üsdiken, 2014). Ra he
han iewing his o y as an exogenous a iable beyond manage ial
con ol, his pe spec i e ea s his o y as an endogenous esou ce ha
can be managed o s a egy building (Suddaby & Fos e , 2017; Suddaby
e al., 2020). His o y is no me ely iewed as da a o a me hodological
app oach o examining such da a. Ins ead, his o y is ecognized as a
i al elemen in heo e ical cons uc ion (A gy es e al., 2020). The
abili y o manage a i m’s his o y has become essen ial, as knowledge
and esou ces om he pas se u u e di ec ions and c ea e sus ained
compe i i e ad an ages (Sasaki e al., 2020; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017;
Suddaby e al., 2020). Fo example, De Massis e al. (2016) sugges ha
i ms’ unde lying capabili ies o in e nalize and ein e p e pas
knowledge can help build long-las ing compe ence, making hese i ms
mo e inno a i e. Suddaby e al. (2020) p o e ha in e p e ing he pas
is c i ical o manage s o sense, seize, and econ igu e business
oppo uni ies.
Embedded in he his o y-in o med s a egy pe spec i e, imp in
heo y ocuses on imp in ing a he i m le el, such as he impac o he
o ganiza ional en i onmen s in which o ganiza ions we e ounded and
he in luence o c i ical decisions made in he ea ly s ages (Johnson,
2007; Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013; McE ily e al., 2012). I le e ages he
powe o he pas and sugges s ha an o ganiza ion’s his o y c ea es an
imp in ha lea es a long-las ing impac on business p ac ices (Kipping
& Üsdiken, 2014; Tilcsik, 2012). The no ion o imp in ing was i s
in oduced in o ganiza ional esea ch by S inchcombe (1965), who
demons a ed ha o ganiza ions a e in luenced by he condi ions
exis ing a he ime o hei ounding (Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013). Imp in
heo y has since been applied in a ious se ings, including ne wo k
analysis, ins i u ional heo y, and o ganiza ional ecology, emphasizing
he oles o adi ion, he i age, and legacy (Johnson, 2007; Ma quis &
Tilcsik, 2013; McE ily e al., 2012; Tilcsik, 2012). Fo example, Ahn
(2018) p esen s a s udy o Ko ean companies, inding ha ounde
enu e and a s ong ounde legacy posi i ely impac a company’s
long- e m su i al. Jaskiewicz e al. (2016) show ha an
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
2
en ep eneu ial legacy mo i a es en ep eneu ship in he cu en gen-
e a ion. Simila ly, E dogan e al. (2020) p o ed ha he long-las ing
legacy o p e ious gene a ions signi ican ly in luences he s a egies
de eloped by he cu en gene a ion.
His o y imp in , a signi ican a iable in imp in heo y, e e s o he
imp in de i ed om an o ganiza ion’s pas in he o ganiza ional en i-
onmen s in which i was ounded and de eloped (Johnson, 2007;
Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013; Simsek e al., 2015; S inchcombe, 2000). This
is based on he p emise ha he condi ions su ounding an o ganiza ion
du ing i s ounding and ini ial de elopmen will ha e a long-las ing
impac h oughou i s en i e li espan (S inchcombe, 2000). Fi s , i ms
expe ience many salien momen s and e en s, such as o ganiza ional
bi h, changes in indus ies o main p oduc s and co e echnologies,
becoming a public company, me ge s o acquisi ions, changes in
owne ship o o ganiza ional s uc u e, and eplacing membe s o he
senio managemen eam. These e en s ce ainly lea e a ma k and exe
impo an in luence on business de elopmen and o ganiza ional
decision-making (Kipping & Üsdiken, 2014; Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013).
Second, his o y imp in s also include imp in s o in e nal ins i u ional
condi ions, such as o ganiza ional cul u e, adi ions, ou ines, and
alues (Ba on & Newman, 1990; Johnson, 2007). These ac o s s ongly
in luence i ms’ s a egic choices (Ma quis & Huang, 2010). The his-
o ical imp in ing p ocess is a ansi ional pe iod, wi h i s impac e-
lec ed in decision-making and endu ing in o ganiza ional cul u e and
alues, e en amids u u e changes in in e nal o ex e nal en i onmen s
(Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013).
Despi e he ecen su ge o in e es in he concep o his o y imp in ,
ou unde s anding o how such imp in s shape i ms’ inno a ion s a-
egies emains limi ed (A gy es e al., 2020; Kipping & Üsdiken, 2014).
The e is a pauci y o knowledge ega ding how i ms can e ec i ely deal
wi h his o y imp in s. Thus, his s udy aims o con ibu e o he exis ing
his o y and s a egy li e a u e by examining he impac o his o y
imp in on exploi a ion and explo a ion, while also es ing whe he i m
owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing mode a e hese ela ionships.
The concep ual model is illus a ed in Fig. 1.
Hypo heses de elopmen : his o y imp in and inno a ion s a egies
De eloped by Ma ch (1991), o ganiza ional lea ning heo y sugges s
ha explo a ion and exploi a ion a e wo ypes o inno a ion s a egies.
Exploi a ion is de ined as e ining and ex ending exis ing knowledge in
he cu en p oduc -ma ke domain, including ac i i ies cha ac e ized
by e inemen , e iciency, and imp o emen . I e e s o
disco e y- ela ed ac ions aimed a en e ing new p oduc -ma ke do-
mains, such as i m ac i i ies in ol ing sea ch and expe imen a ion
(Gup a e al., 2006; Hei a i e al., 2017; Ma ch 1991; Raisch e al., 2009;
Wang e al., 2023; Wu & Shanley, 2009; Zhang e al., 2017). Exploi a ion
and explo a ion a e associa ed wi h wo di e en ypes o o ganiza ional
lea ning p ocesses and ep esen dis inc inno a ion s a egies aimed a
di e en se s o goals (Clauss e al., 2021; Gup a e al., 2006; He &
Wong, 2004; La ie e al., 2010). Exploi a ion elies on expe ien ial
lea ning ha capi alizes on he s eng hs o exis ing p oduc s o se ices
and is o en cha ac e ized by e iciency, ou iniza ion, and a igh cul-
u e (He & Wong, 2004; Ko yak e al., 2018). On he o he hand,
explo a ion emphasizes expe imen al lea ning and adical adap a ion,
ypically aligning wi h lexibili y, au onomy, and a loose cul u e (He &
Wong, 2004; Ko yak e al., 2018; Luba kin e al., 2006; Wu & Shanley,
2009).
We heo ize ha a i m’s his o y imp in posi i ely a ec s i s inno-
a ion s a egy o exploi a ion. A i m expe iences many salien mo-
men s in i s li e cycle ha lea e impo an imp in s on i s u u e
de elopmen and g ow h (Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013; Simsek e al., 2015;
S inchcombe, 2000). Inno a ion and echnological b eak h oughs a e
iewed as some o he mos signi ican momen s in a i m’s his o ical
e olu ion (Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013; Pi˜
nei o-Chousa e al., 2020). As a
i m e ol es o e ime and he le el o his o y imp in inc eases, mo e
his o ical ma ks in luence business p ac ices and s a egic choices,
which magni ies in e nal complexi ies (Jawaha & McLaughlin, 2001).
Fig. 1. The concep ual model.
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
3
Such in e nal complexi ies and challenges necessi a e unique in-
es men s in esou ces and echnologies o con inuously na iga e i ms’
business di ec ions and ensu e hei su i al (Josephson e al., 2016). In
o he wo ds, as his o y imp in s inc ease, i ms endu e mo e imp in s,
leading hei s a egic emphasis o shi in esponse o idiosync a ic
needs o su i al (Mille & F iesen, 1984; Tushman & O’Reilly, 1996).
These i ms ocus on main aining s ong and s able sales g ow h,
expanding in o new ma ke s, and gaining economies o scale h ough
exploi a ion (Aga wal & Go , 2002). Fu he mo e, when i ms ha e a
highe le el o his o y imp in , hey ypically ha e mo e adi ions and
ou ines associa ed wi h daily business p ac ices and s a egy de elop-
men , os e ing a igh cul u e (He & Wong, 2004; Ko yak e al., 2018;
Luba kin e al., 2006). The li e a u e has p o ided s ong e idence ha
ou iniza ion and igh cul u e p omo e inc emen al inno a ion, wi h a
high his o y imp in , s ong emphasis on wo k ules and ou ines, and
low lexibili y acili a ing expe ien ial lea ning and exploi a i e inno-
a ion (Jansen e al., 2006; La ie e al., 2010; Mishina e al., 2004).
Thus, we hypo hesize he ollowing:
H
1
: His o y imp in is posi i ely associa ed wi h exploi a ion.
We also posi ha his o y imp in has a nega i e e ec on explo a-
ion inno a ion s a egy. His o y imp in s ocus on he powe o he pas
and he condi ions su ounding a i m du ing i s ounding and de el-
opmen p ocesses (Johnson, 2007; Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013; Simsek
e al., 2015; S inchcombe, 2000). When he le el o his o y imp in in-
c eases, excessi e ules and p ocedu es de i ed om he pas and
ou iniza ion may eme ge, which in u n cons ain de ia ions om
es ablished no ms and p ac ices (Be a d & F eche , 2020; Jung e al.,
2008). The e o e, a high le el o his o y imp in can es ic he po-
en ial o gene a e new knowledge and no el inno a ions (Ba on &
Newman, 1990; Johnson, 2007). In line wi h his easoning, he imp in
o his o y may se e as a ame o e e ence ha hinde s explo a ion, as
ou iniza ion o en becomes deeply ing ained o e ime o main ain
p edic able business p ac ices a he han en u ing in o unce ain and
isky pa hs (Jansen e al., 2006; Jaskiewicz e al., 2016).
Fu he mo e, a high le el o his o y imp in , along wi h es ablished
ou ines, p ac ices, and s uc u es, can c ea e bounda ies and po en ial
o ganiza ional ine ia (Ba on & Newman, 1990; Jansen e al., 2006;
Jaskiewicz e al., 2016; La ie e al., 2010; Mille & F iesen, 1984). Pas
esea ch sugges s ha o ganiza ional ine ia impedes adical inno a ion
and ha high ine ia hinde s isk- aking, expe imen al lea ning, and
explo a o y inno a ion (Jansen e al., 2006; La ie e al., 2010; Mishina
e al., 2004). O ganiza ional ine ia educes employees’ au onomy,
hampe s inno a i e hough s, and discou ages hei willingness o ake
he isks inhe en in de eloping an inno a ion s a egy ocused on
explo a ion (Jaskiewicz e al., 2016; Raisch e al., 2009; Rondi e al.,
2018). Thus, a high his o y imp in may make i di icul o change he
echnological cou se and limi he chances o c ea ing new oppo uni ies
and inno a ions (Shi & Zhang, 2018). In con as , i ms wi h a low le el
o his o y imp in a e less bu dened by he pas , end o be mo e c ea-
i e, and exhibi a s onge en ep eneu ial spi i (Ma quis & Huang,
2010; Tushman & O’Reilly, 1996). In addi ion, i ms wi h ewe his-
o ical ma ks a e mo e likely o ha e he lexibili y and au onomy o
de elop adical echnological b eak h oughs and p omo e a s ong ocus
on explo a ion (Aga wal & Go , 2002; He & Wong, 2004; Josephson
e al., 2016; Ko yak e al., 2018; Luba kin e al., 2006). The e o e, we
hypo hesize he ollowing:
H
2
: His o y imp in is nega i ely associa ed wi h explo a ion.
P e ious li e a u e indica es ha a mul i ude o ac o s shape i ms’
inno a ion s a egies, wi h in e nal in luences playing a pa icula ly
signi ican ole (He & Wong, 2004; Ma ch 1991; Sousa e al., 2020).
The e o e, we expec his o y imp in s o a ec exploi a ion and explo-
a ion di e en ly, depending on i m- and s a egic-le el ac o s. A he
i m le el, we ocus on i m owne ship ype as an impo an con ingency
ac o . Family i ms a e hose owned and managed by amily membe s
(Li & Zhu, 2015; Sha ma & Sal a o, 2013). We posi ha he posi i e
ela ionship be ween his o y imp in s and exploi a ion is s onge o
amily i ms. Family i ms a e ypically unde long-las ing in luence
om hei ounding amilies and a e pa icula ly suscep ible o pas
impac s (Ib ahim e al., 2019; Li & Zhu, 2015). This is because o he
pe sis ence o he ounde ’s legacy, acili a ed by subs an ial amily
owne ship and in ol emen (Lee e al., 2003; Sasaki e al., 2020).
Mo eo e , amily i ms a e ied o bonds o sha ed alues and end o
p omo e hese alues ac oss indi iduals and depa men s (B e on-Mille
& Mille , 2015; Gomez-Mejia e al., 2011). The li e a u e on amily i ms
sugges s ha he business no ms and alues es ablished by ounding
amilies cons i u e pi o al elemen s o hese i ms and se e as impo -
an ac o s leading o hei success (Lee e al., 2003; Sasaki e al., 2020).
A signi ican sha ed alue among gene a ions in amily i ms is a
isk-a e se app oach and a s ead as ocus on i m su i al
(Gomez-Mejia e al., 2011; Li & Zhu, 2015). The e o e, as his o y im-
p in s inc ease, amily i ms bea mo e imp in s, s eng hening hei
s a egic emphasis on su i al. This is e lec ed in shi s in inno a ion
s a egy owa d exploi a ion (Mille & F iesen, 1984; Tushman &
O’Reilly, 1996). Family i ms a e o en pe cei ed as conse a i e, which
in u n os e s a mo e p onounced posi i e ela ionship be ween his o y
imp in and exploi a ion, highligh ing a ocus on e ining exis ing
echnologies and p oduc s (Ib ahim e al., 2019; Li & Zhu, 2015).
Acco dingly, we hypo hesize he ollowing:
H
3
: The posi i e e ec o his o y imp in on exploi a ion is s onge o
amily i ms.
A he s a egic le el, we ocus on in o ma ion sha ing as an
impo an co po a e mechanism and p opose ha i mode a es he
ela ionship be ween his o y imp in and explo a ion in ha i a enu-
a es he nega i e e ec o his o y imp in on explo a ion. In o ma ion
sha ing e e s o he con inuous exchange o pe inen and aluable
in o ma ion among membe s o a i m (Cai e al., 2010; Yan & Dooley,
2013). The goal o in o ma ion sha ing is o enhance communica ion
and coo dina ion, ul ima ely os e ing a mo e lexible and coope a i e
o ganiza ional en i onmen (Jap, 1999; Yan & Dooley, 2013). The ypes
o in o ma ion exchanged may include o ganiza ional s o ies and
inno a i e ideas (Cai e al., 2010; Kulp e al., 2004). Thus, in o ma ion
sha ing can educe he ex en o which his o y imp in s nega i ely a ec
explo a ion.
Fi s , in o ma ion sha ing helps os e a lexible o ganiza ional
en i onmen (Kemp e al., 2021). Due o ou iniza ion, i ms wi h a high
le el o his o y imp in a e mo e likely o ace a lack o lexibili y and
au onomy in aking isks o adical inno a ion (Aga wal & Go , 2002;
He & Wong, 2004; Josephson e al., 2016; Ko yak e al., 2018; Luba kin
e al., 2006). By sha ing in o ma ion ac oss o ganiza ions, indi iduals
and eams can s ay in o med abou o ganiza ional his o ies, and mo e
impo an ly, he a ionales behind o ganiza ional no ms and ou ines
(Jap, 1999; Yan & Dooley, 2013). The e o e, such in o ma ion sha ing
can empowe employees and manage s o gain a comp ehensi e un-
de s anding o o ganiza ional ou ines. Consequen ly, hey can adap
hese p ac ices o mee he s a egic needs o inno a ion and emb ace
expe imen al inno a ion shi s a he han adhe ing o hem igidly and
uncondi ionally (Joshi, 2009; Josephson e al., 2016).
Second, in o ma ion sha ing includes he sha ing o c ea i e ideas,
and he e o e, p omo es he gene a ion o new knowledge (Cai e al.,
2010; Kulp e al., 2004; Ode & Aya oo, 2020). Thus, in o ma ion
sha ing can mi iga e he nega i e impac o o ganiza ional ine ia
associa ed wi h high le els o his o y imp in s. O ganiza ional ine ia
s i les inno a i e hinking and discou ages i ms om de eloping
explo a o y inno a ion s a egies (Raisch e al., 2009; Rondi e al.,
2018). Howe e , when employing in o ma ion sha ing, i ms need o
ac i ely ga he aluable ma ke da a, in e p e i ac oss di e en de-
pa men s, and gene a e in elligence o e ec i ely diges he in o ma-
ion (He & Wong, 2004; Ma ch 1991; Zhang e al., 2017). The p ocess o
in o ma ion sha ing hus ensu es ha in o ma ion lows eely among
di e en le els and uni s o a i m, educes lea ning and knowledge
ine ia, and allows o mo e open communica ion o inno a i e
hough s, which enhances explo a ion (Jap, 1999; Yan & Dooley, 2013).
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
4
Thus, we hypo hesize he ollowing:
H
4
: In o ma ion sha ing a enua es he nega i e impac o his o y imp in
on explo a ion.
Me hod
Da a
To es hese hypo heses, we collec ed da a om China. This s udy
ocuses on high- echnology indus ies, including elecommunica ions,
elec onics, and in o ma ion echnology. This con ex is app op ia e o
examining he ela ionships among he ocal cons uc s. Fi s , his o y
plays an impo an ole in business de elopmen and g ow h in China
(Joseph & Wilson, 2018; Wa ne , 2013). In an e a o apid change, he
he o ical pe cep ion o o ganiza ional decision-making is inc easing
he e (Li & Wu, 2010; Liu, 2020). Second, as a la ge eme ging economy
and a key playe in wo ld ade, China has in es ed in bo h exploi a ion
and explo a ion inno a ion s a egies (Peng e al., 2018). Thi d, he
sampled indus ies a e well-es ablished wi h na ional co e age in China,
and he mul i-indus y se ing o e s g ea e a iance in he ocal
cons uc s.
We i s de eloped an English-language ques ionnai e and had i
ansla ed in o Chinese by a p o essional ansla o . We ensu ed con-
cep ual equi alence h ough back ansla ion using a di e en ans-
la o . Resea che s and ansla o s wo ked oge he o esol e con lic s
and con using e ms (Hoskisson e al., 2000). To imp o e he con en
and ace alidi y, we conduc ed a pilo s udy wi h 15 senio manage s o
ensu e an accu a e unde s anding o he measu es. Based on he pilo
s udy esul s and esponden eedback, we u he e ined he su ey
ins umen s (MacKenzie e al., 2011).
We collabo a ed wi h a da a esea ch agency o ob ain a comp e-
hensi e lis o high- echnology manu ac u ing i ms in China. Focusing
on he elec onics, in o ma ion echnology, and elecommunica ion in-
dus ies, we gene a ed a lis o o e 20,000 i ms. We hen selec ed a
andom sample o 500 i ms om di e se egions using a s a i ied
andom selec ion p ocedu e. This in ol ed di iding he lis in o 20
g oups based on sales e enue and andomly selec ing 25 i ms om
each g oup o c ea e he sample (O & Longnecke , 2010). The andom
selec ion o 500 i ms allowed us o inc ease he sample size while
adhe ing o he esea ch budge cons ain s. Fo each i m, we con ac ed
a senio manage (e.g., gene al manage , ice p esiden , o senio
manage ) o ga he in o ma ion ega ding he ex e nal ma ke en i-
onmen . Senio manage s we e selec ed based on hei comp ehensi e
unde s anding o s a egic decisions and ma ke dynamics. To educe
common me hod bias, we also collec ed da a om middle-le el man-
age s (e.g., ma ke ing, sales, R&D, and o he depa men manage s)
ega ding i m inno a ion. Middle-le el manage s we e chosen o hei
ope a ional insigh s and hands-on expe ience wi h inno a ion p ocesses.
Addi ionally, we ob ained a chi al da a on i m-le el a iables such as
size and asse s. Appendix A p esen s he sample’s demog aphics.
To imp o e he quali y o he su ey esul s, p o essional in-
e iewe s we e hi ed o conduc on-si e isi s o collec he da a
(Hoskisson e al., 2000). We success ully ob ained 171 usable esponses
(342 in o man s), esul ing in a esponse a e o 34.2 % (171 ou o 500).
The esul s show ha ou esponden s we e highly amilia wi h hei
i ms’ his o ies and inno a ion s a egies, wi h an a e age knowledge
a ing o 6.58 ou o 7. To assess non- esponse bias, we compa ed he
demog aphics o he esponding and non- esponding i ms in e ms o
i m size, asse s, sales model, and sales egion. We de ec ed no s a is ical
di e ences, sugges ing ha non- esponse bias was no a majo conce n
in his s udy (A ms ong & O e on, 1977).
Measu emen
We adap ed measu es om es ablished s udies and assessed all
pe cep ual i ems using a se en-poin Like scale (1 =“s ongly
disag ee,” 7 =“s ongly ag ee”). Appendix B lis s he measu emen
i ems and alidi y assessmen s o each cons uc . Following A uahe-
ne-Gima (2005), we use a ou -i em scale o measu e exploi a ion and a
i e-i em scale o measu e explo a ion. We measu ed exploi a ion by
emphasizing i ms’ in en o u ilize ac i i ies such as e iciency, e ine-
men , selec ion, and implemen a ion. Explo a ion assessed a i m’s
explo a o y ac i i ies, including sea ch, disco e y, a ia ion, and
expe imen a ion. Following Ahn (2018), Boeke (1989), and Lian e al.
(2015), his o y imp in was cap u ed by i m age and he numbe o
yea s o ope a ion since he ounding da e. Fi m age indica es he le el
o in eg a ion be ween business s o ies and de elopmen . The e o e,
olde i ms end o ha e highe le els o imp in (Kipping & Üsdiken,
2014; Koi anen, 2002; Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013). Ma inez e al. (2019)
and Boeke (1989) sugges ha he leng h o ime a business has exis ed
indica es he in luence o salien o ganiza ional momen s, which can be
used as a p oxy measu e o his o y imp in . We assessed in o ma ion
sha ing using h ee i ems adap ed om Cai e al. (2010) ega ding he
ex en o which i ms p oac i ely exchange and sha e in o ma ion
h oughou he o ganiza ion. Owne ship ype was measu ed as a dummy
a iable, whe e he baseline was non- amily i ms, and 1 ep esen ed
amily i ms.
We included i e con ol a iables in he model: i m size, i m asse ,
indus y ype, ma ke unce ain y, and echnological u bulence. Fi m size
and asse s ha e conside able explana o y powe ega ding i m pe o -
mance (A ya & Zhang, 2009; Giache i e al., 2019). We measu ed i m
size as he loga i hm o he o al numbe o employees. Fi m asse s we e
assessed using he loga i hm o o al asse s (Lee & Chu, 2013; Mish a &
Ewing, 2020). Indus y ype, ma ke unce ain y, and echnological
u bulence ep esen ope a ional challenges in e ms o adap a ion,
which lead o di e se inno a ion decisions (Peng & Hea h, 1996). We
measu ed indus y ype as a dummy a iable, whe e he baseline
deno ed he elec onics indus y, and 1 deno ed in o ma ion echnology
and elecommunica ion. We used a h ee-i em scale o changes in
cus ome p e e ences, adap ed om Theodosiou and Ka sikea (2013), o
measu e ma ke unce ain y. Following Theodosiou and Ka sikea (2013)
and Shu e al. (2017), we employed a ou -i em scale o measu e ech-
nological u bulence by assessing he speed o change in echnology in
high- echnology indus ies. Table 1 p esen s he co ela ion ma ix and
desc ip i e s a is ics. Including bo h i m- and indus y-le el con ol
a iables was c ucial o accu a ely assessing he ela ionships in ou
s udy. This comp ehensi e app oach enhances he obus ness and
gene alizabili y o ou indings, ensu ing ha hey a e no con ounded
solely by in e nal o ex e nal in luences (Ald ich & Aus e , 1986; Po e ,
1980).
Cons uc eliabili y and alidi y
We assessed he eliabili y and alidi y o he cons uc s in se e al
s eps. Fi s , ace alidi y was es ablished h ough a pilo s udy. Second,
using explo a o y ac o analysis, we ensu ed ha all i ems we e loaded
on o hei designa ed a iables wi hou c oss- o low- ac o loadings.
Thi d, we conduc ed a con i ma o y ac o analysis, and he esul s
showed a sa is ac o y i (
χ
2
=234.4, d. . =134, p <0.001; con i ma o y
i index (CFI) =0.95; Tucke -Lewis index (TLI) =0.94; oo mean
squa e e o o app oxima ion (RMSEA) =0.06). The ac o loadings
we e s a is ically signi ican o e e y indica o o he espec i e
cons uc (p <0.001), suppo ing con e gen alidi y. We calcula ed
χ
2
/
d. ., which was 1.75 (Sche melleh-Engel e al., 2003). The composi e
eliabili ies anged om 0.78 o 0.94, indica ing adequa e eliabili y
(Lance e al., 2006). Fou h, we conduc ed nes ed model compa isons
be ween he uncons ained and cons ained models o all possible
cons uc pai s. The chi-squa e di e ences anged om 7.12 o 25.35 (p
<0.001), suppo ing disc iminan alidi y (O’Lea y-Kelly & Voku ka,
1998).
Al hough we collec ed da a om mul iple sou ces, he po en ial
p oblem o common me hod bias canno be comple ely elimina ed.
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
5
The e o e, we i s adop ed Ha man’s single- ac o es o assess his
issue (Podsako & O gan, 1986; Podsako e al., 2003). We conduc ed a
ac o analysis wi h all cons uc s, and he esul s showed a solu ion o
i e ac o s. These i e ac o s accoun ed o 78.9 % o he a iance,
whe eas he i s ac o accoun ed o 26.6 %. We hen used con i ma-
o y ac o analysis (CFA) o model all cons uc i ems as indica o s o a
single ac o (Mossholde e al., 1998). The esul s indica ed an unsa -
is ac o y model i . Finally, we employed a me hod a iance (MV)
ma ke o es o po en ial bias (Lindell & Whi ney, 2001). We chose a
ou -i em scale o measu e i ms’ in eg a ed ma ke ing communica ions.
The co ela ion be ween he MV ma ke and he o he a iables in he
model anged om 0.014 o 0.16 (Ve hoe & Lee lang, 2009). We hen
adjus ed o cons uc co ela ions and s a is ical signi icance using he
second-lowes co ela ion be ween he MV ma ke and echnological
u bulence ( =0.02) (Lindell & Whi ney, 2001; Malho a e al., 2006).
None o he signi ican co ela ions became non-signi ican a e
adjus men . Taken oge he , common me hod bias is no a se ious
conce n.
Analysis and esul s
We an hie a chical mul iple eg essions o es ou model, including
he in e ac ion e ec s (Aiken & Wes , 1991). Hie a chical mul iple
eg ession allows o he examina ion o he unique con ibu ions o
each p edic o a iable while con olling o o he s, making i pa icu-
la ly sui able o unde s anding he ela ionships among his o y imp in ,
exploi a ion, and explo a ion (Aiken & Wes , 1991; Cohen e al., 2003).
Addi ionally, his me hod e ec i ely elucida es he mode a ing e ec s,
enabling us o assess how ac o s such as owne ship ype and in o ma-
ion sha ing in luence he p ima y ela ionships unde in es iga ion
(Cohen e al., 2003). We add essed he po en ial h ea o mul i-
collinea i y by calcula ing a iance in la ion ac o s (VIFs). The esul s
show ha all VIF alues anged om 1.02 o 1.22, which a e well wi hin
he accep able ange gi en he sample size and a iances o he es i-
ma es. The e o e, mul icollinea i y was no a majo conce n (O’B ien,
2007). The es ima ed e ec s o his o ical imp in s on exploi a ion and
explo a ion a e p esen ed in Table 2. Models 1–3 use exploi a ion as he
dependen a iable, while Models 4–6 examine explo a ion as he
Table 1
Desc ip i e s a is ics and co ela ions.
Va iable Mean SD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1. Exploi a ion 4.42 0.94 1.00
2. Explo a ion 3.82 0.99 0.06 1.00
3. His o y Imp in 11.22 8.85 0.36** −0.18*1.00
4. In o ma ion Sha ing 4.60 0.63 0.20** 0.11 0.07 1.00
5. Owne ship Type 0.33 0.47 −0.07 0.18*−0.20*0.02 1.00
6. Fi m Size 2.38 0.54 0.21** −0.09 0.21** −0.01 −0.12 1.00
7. Fi m Asse 3.90 0.87 0.01 0.13 0.23** 0.10 0.08 0.21** 1.00
8. Indus y Type 0.48 0.50 0.10 −0.05 0.01 0.08 −0.02 −0.03 −0.10 1.00
9. Ma ke Unce ain y 4.12 1.19 0.13 0.13 0.05 0.17*0.05 0.07 0.09 −0.14 1.00
10. Technological Tu bulence 5.08 1.09 −0.05 0.26** −0.01 0.08 0.09 −0.05 0.10 0.02 −0.05 1.00
No e: ***p <0.001.
**
p <0.01.
*
p <0.05.
Table 2
Resul s o Hie a chical Mul iple Reg essions.
Independen Va iables Exploi a ion Explo a ion
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4 Model 5 Model 6
Fi m Size 0.21**
(2.70)
0.18*
(2.34)
0.16*
(2.21)
−0.13
(−1.69)
−0.09
(−1.12)
−0.09
(−1.21)
Fi m Asse −0.05
(−0.63)
−0.13
(−1.72)
−0.14
(−1.83)
0.13
(1.64)
0.14
(1.82)
0.17*
(2.11)
Indus y Type 0.12
(1.60)
0.09
(1.29)
0.09
(1.23)
−0.02
(−0.30)
−0.02
(−0.33)
−0.05
(−0.68)
Ma ke Unce ain y 0.13
(1.74)
0.09
(1.27)
0.05
(0.70)
0.14
(1.87)
0.13
(1.68)
0.10
(1.29)
Technological Tu bulence −0.03
(−0.40)
−0.04
(−0.55)
0.01
(0.07)
0.25***
(3.37)
0.24**
(3.22)
0.21**
(2.88)
In o ma ion Sha ing (IS) —0.17*
(2.37)
0.14*
(2.00)
—0.07
(0.97)
0.10
(1.34)
Owne ship Type (OT) —0.02
(0.30)
0.24**
(2.60)
—0.09
(1.25)
0.08
(1.05)
Main E ec
His o y Imp in (HI) —0.34***
(4.56)
0.73***
(5.69)
—−0.18*
(−2.40)
−0.24**
(−3.03)
In e ac ion E ec s
HI ×OT — — 0.48***
(3.68)
— — —
HI ×IS —————0.18*(2.28)
R
2
0.07 0.21 0.27 0.11 0.16 0.19
F Value 2.63 5.41 6.68 4.23 3.95 4.18
Numbe o obse a ions 171 171 171 171 171 171
No e: - alue in pa en heses.
***
p <0.001.
**
p <0.01.
*
p <0.05
+p <0.10 ( wo- ailed es ).
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
6
dependen a iable. Models 1 and 4 include all con ol a iables,
whe eas Models 2 and 5 include his o ical imp in s, owne ship ype, and
in o ma ion sha ing. Models 3 and 6 u he inco po a e he in e ac ion
e ec s. Fo he con ol a iables, ou analysis shows ha i m size has a
posi i e and signi ican e ec on exploi a ion (β =0.16, p <0.05),
indica ing ha la ge i ms a e mo e likely o engage in exploi a i e
ac i i ies. Howe e , he e ec o i m size on explo a ion was no sig-
ni ican . Addi ionally, we ound ha echnological u bulence posi i ely
in luences explo a ion (β =0.21, p <0.01), sugges ing ha i ms
ope a ing in dynamic en i onmen s a e mo e inclined o explo e new
oppo uni ies, while i does no signi ican ly a ec exploi a ion.
H
1
p edic s ha his o y imp in posi i ely leads o exploi a ion,
which is suppo ed by he esul s om Model 3 (β =0.73, p <0.001). H
2
s a es ha his o y imp in has a nega i e e ec on explo a ion, which is
suppo ed by he esul s o Model 6 (β = − 0.24, p <0.01). H
3
s a es ha
i m owne ship ype s eng hens he posi i e impac o his o y imp in
on exploi a ion, and Model 3 suppo s his hypo hesis, showing ha he
in e ac ion be ween his o y imp in and amily i ms is posi i ely sig-
ni ican (β =0.48, p <0.001). H
4
sugges s ha in o ma ion sha ing
posi i ely mode a es he e ec s o his o y imp in on explo a ion, and
his is suppo ed by he esul s om Model 6 (β =0.18, p <0.05).
We also conduc ed analysis o alida e ou indings. We u ilize pa en
da a o ope a ionalize exploi a ion and explo a ion, wi h exploi a ion
measu ed by he numbe o pa en s ela ed o exis ing p oduc s and
explo a ion indica ed by he numbe o new pa en s in no el a eas
(Ka ila & Ahuja, 2002; Ma ch 1991). We hen es ed al e na i e model
speci ica ions using his ope a ionaliza ion o con i m he obus ness o
he ela ionships unde di e en condi ions. Ou esul s emained highly
consis en . This obus analysis s eng hens he conclusions d awn om
ou indings.
The wo-way in e ac ion e ec s a e shown in Fig. 2. We demons a e
he e ec o his o y imp in on exploi a ion o amily and non- amily
i ms (Aiken & Wes , 1991). Fig. 2 sugges s ha he posi i e impac o
his o y imp in on exploi a ion is s onge o amily i ms, wi h a
s eepe slope. Simila ly, we spli he in o ma ion-sha ing a iable in o
wo g oups (a high g oup wi h wo s anda d de ia ions abo e he mean
and a low g oup wi h wo s anda d de ia ions below he mean). We
es ima ed he e ec s o his o y imp in on explo a ion a bo h le els.
Fig. 2 indica es ha he nega i e ela ionship be ween his o y imp in
and explo a ion is a enua ed a high le els o in o ma ion-sha ing, wi h
a shallowe slope.
Discussion
This s udy explo es he impo an in e play be ween his o y imp in
and inno a ion s a egies (Johnson, 2007; Ma quis & Tilcsik, 2013;
Simsek e al., 2015; S inchcombe, 2000). F om a his o y-in o med
pe spec i e, we in es iga e he di ec impac o his o y imp in on
bo h exploi a ion and explo a ion (A gy es e al., 2020; Kipping &
Üsdiken, 2014; Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016). Ou indings e eal a nuanced
ela ionship: his o y imp in posi i ely a ec s exploi a ion, while i
nega i ely impac s explo a ion. Addi ionally, his s udy con ibu es o
unde explo ed a eas by examining c i ical mode a ing ac o s a bo h
he i m and s a egic le els. Speci ically, i m-le el owne ship ype
mode a es he posi i e ela ionship be ween his o y imp in and
exploi a ion, while s a egic-le el in o ma ion sha ing a enua es he
nega i e ela ionship be ween his o y imp in and explo a ion. Ou
empi ical esul s suppo he p oposed esea ch model.
Theo e ical implica ions
This s udy con ibu es o he de elopmen o his heo y in se e al
ways. Fi s , i con ibu es o gene al inno a ion s a egy esea ch by
ex ending he g owing li e a u e on his o y (A gy es e al., 2020; Colli &
Pe ez, 2020; Tosh, 2019; Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016). As no ed by Kipping
and Üsdiken (2014) and Sasaki e al. (2020), esea ch ields o his o y
and s a egy ha e adi ionally emained sepa a e. In ecen yea s,
schola s ha e shown inc easing in e es in explo ing he in e sec ion o
hese wo disciplines (Suddaby & Fos e , 2017; Suddaby e al., 2020). In
esponse o he call o mo e esea ch in his a ea, ou s udy deepens ou
sys ema ic unde s anding by in es iga ing he ole o his o y in
s a egy-making (A gy es e al., 2020; Sasaki e al., 2020). The
expanding li e a u e mainly ocuses on his o ical analysis using longi-
udinal da ase s; howe e , he e has been limi ed empi ical es ing o
how o ganiza ions u ilize his o y as an endogenous esou ce and a i-
able o s a egy de elopmen (A gy es e al., 2020). This is due o he
me hodological and empi ical challenges associa ed wi h
his o y-in o med s a egy esea ch (Kipping & Üskiden, 2014; Suddaby
e al., 2020). This s udy makes a meaning ul con ibu ion o o ganiza-
ional lea ning heo y by cons uc ing an in eg a ed concep ual model
ha cap u es he in e play be ween his o y and inno a ion, suppo ed
by empi ical alida ion.
Second, his s udy ad ances his o y-in o med s a egy esea ch by
con ibu ing o ongoing con e sa ions abou he ole o he pas in
shaping inno a ion s a egies. De Massis e al. (2016) and E dogan e al.
(2020) sugges ha a i m’s pas is an impo an esou ce o inno a ion,
endowing i wi h ese oi s o knowledge, ounda ional alue, and
cul u al elemen s ha signi ican ly shape inno a i e s a egies. Thus,
we ake a s ep o wa d by sepa a ely add essing he di ec impac s o
his o y imp in on exploi a ion and explo a ion. Building upon p io
esea ch a i ming ha he pas is powe ul in p edic ing i ms’ inno-
a i e ac i i ies (e.g., Rondi e al., 2018; Shi & Zhang, 2018), ou s udy
en iches he li e a u e by demons a ing ha while his o y imp in ends
o impede explo a ion e o s, i s imula es exploi a ion endea o s. As
he magni ude o he his o y imp in in ensi ies, i can engende an
abundance o ules and p ocedu es o igina ing om pas expe iences,
Fig. 2. Two-way in e ac ions.
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
7
making i di icul o change he echnological cou se and limi ing he
oppo uni ies o new inno a ions (Be a d & F eche , 2020; Jung e al.,
2008; Shi & Zhang, 2018). Con e sely, as his o y imp in inc eases,
i ms’ s a egic emphasis shi s o e lec hei idiosync a ic su i al
needs, leading o mo e inc emen al inno a i e ac i i ies (Jansen e al.,
2006; La ie e al., 2010; Mishina e al., 2004). Thus, ou s udy p o ides
de ailed insigh s in o he s a egic u iliza ion o he pas in he de el-
opmen o inno a ion s a egies.
Thi d, his s udy enhances he s a egy li e a u e by u he
emphasizing a con ingency pe spec i e in examining he in e play be-
ween his o y imp in and inno a ion s a egies. Gi en ha his o y
imp in s a e inhe en ly inclined owa d exploi a ion a he han explo-
a ion, ou in es iga ion ocuses on how i m- and s a egic-le el ac o s
mode a e he ela ionship be ween his o y imp in and inno a ion
s a egies, po en ially alle ia ing his inhe en bias. While p e ious
s udies ha e la gely o e looked he con ex ual condi ions associa ed
wi h he in luence o i m his o y, ou esea ch add esses his gap by
p oposing ha owne ship ype and in o ma ion sha ing a e c i ical
con ingen ac o s shaping he impac o a i m’s his o y imp in on
inno a ion (A gy es e al., 2020; De Massis e al., 2016; E dogan e al.,
2020). Speci ically, he posi i e e ec o his o y imp in on exploi a i e
inno a ion is ampli ied in amily i ms, whe eas in o ma ion sha ing
educes he nega i e in luence o his o y imp in on explo a o y inno-
a ion. Thus, ou s udy highligh s he impo ance o adop ing a con-
ingency iew and expands bo h he concep ual and empi ical
bounda ies o unde s and how his o ical imp in s a e u ilized in he
de elopmen o inno a ion s a egies.
Manage ial implica ions
Ou s udy has se e al impo an implica ions o manage ial p ac-
ices. Fi s , we emphasize he impo ance o unde s anding he impac o
i m his o y on s a egic decision-making. Manage s need o ecognize
ha i m his o y is no me ely a elic o he pas ; a he , i can se e as a
ich sou ce o in o ma ion, he ounda ion o o ganiza ional iden i y and
cul u e, and a oadmap o na iga ing change and adap a ion in
esponse o e ol ing ma ke dynamics and compe i i e p essu es
(Buens o & Kleppe , 2009; Kluppel e al., 2018; Ko & Mahoney, 2004;
Whi ing on & Maye , 2000). By unde s anding a i m’s his o y and
his o y imp in ing, manage s can make in o med decisions ega ding
u u e di ec ions and compe i i e posi ioning (A gy es e al., 2020;
Fos e e al., 2017; Ha ch & Schul z, 2017; Suddaby & Fos e , 2017).
Mo eo e , i is impo an o ecognize ha his o y imp in s may lead o
a bias owa d exploi a ion a he han explo a ion. This sugges s he
impo ance o balancing exploi a ion and explo a ion (Clauss e al.,
2021; He & Wong, 2004). While le e aging his o ical imp in s o
exploi a ion can lead o sho - e m gains, neglec ing explo a ion may
hinde long- e m adap abili y and compe i i eness (A uahene-Gima,
2005; Gup a e al., 2006; Junni e al., 2013).
Second, o add ess his bias, i ms should emphasize he c i ical ole
o s a egic-le el in o ma ion sha ing in shaping he ela ionship be-
ween his o y imp in and inno a ion s a egies. Manage s should p i-
o i ize s a egic in o ma ion-sha ing mechanisms o os e explo a ion
ac i i ies (Cai e al., 2010; Kulp e al., 2004). By acili a ing he ex-
change o knowledge, insigh s, and expe iences ac oss di e en de-
pa men s, manage s can c ea e an en i onmen conduci e o
explo a ion (Jap, 1999; Yan & Dooley, 2013). Addi ionally, acknowl-
edging he mode a ing e ec o i m owne ship ype on he ela ionship
be ween his o y imp in and exploi a ion, manage s mus ecognize ha
amily and non- amily i ms ha e dis inc o ganiza ional cha ac e is ics
and p io i ies ha in luence hei app oaches o exploi a ion
(B e on-Mille & Mille , 2015; Gomez-Mejia e al., 2011). Fo amily
i ms, manage s should emphasize he alue o hei his o ical imp in s
in d i ing exploi a ion s a egies. Non- amily i ms may no possess he
same ai s as amily i ms, bu hey can bene i om s udying he
s a egies and p ac ices o amily i ms ha success ully le e age
his o ical imp in s o exploi a ion. This may include unde s anding
how amily i ms uphold hei he i age and os e sha ed alues ac oss
gene a ions (Ib ahim e al., 2019; Li & Zhu, 2015).
Limi a ion and u u e esea ch
Ou s udy has se e al limi a ions ha wa an conside a ion and
p esen oppo uni ies o u u e esea ch. Fi s , conduc ing his o y-
in o med s a egy esea ch en ails add essing me hodological and
empi ical challenges in cap u ing he in e play be ween his o y and
s a egy (A gy es e al., 2020; Kipping & Üskiden, 2014; Suddaby e al.,
2020). This in ol es ob aining da ase s ha can ack how i ms make
decisions o e ime o achie e o ganiza ional ou comes o why hey ail
o a ain hese ou comes (A gy es e al., 2020; Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016).
We acknowledge ha ou measu emen o his o y using i m-age
imp in has some limi a ions. Al hough his measu emen is eason-
able and has been used in p io esea ch (e.g., Ahn, 2018; Ma inez e al.,
2019), u u e esea ch should employ a mo e e ined measu emen o
eexamine he obse ed phenomena. Fo ins ance, apping in o longi-
udinal sou ces o his o ical imp in s could help alida e he indings, as
i would acili a e he examina ion o how a i m’s pas mani es s and
e ol es o e ime, p o iding a deepe unde s anding o i s impac on
inno a ion s a egies. Mo eo e , i ms usually shi hei ocus o inno-
a ion s a egies, and how his o y imp in s enable such shi s may
e ol e o e ime (Josephson e al., 2016). A longi udinal amewo k can
also assis in explo ing his in e sec ion and i s e olu ion (McKend ick &
Ca ol, 2001). Second, we es ou hypo heses using su ey da a om
China. Thus, elying on da a om a single coun y may limi he
gene alizabili y o he indings. Collec ing da a om o he con ex s
would be bene icial o u he co obo a e ou conclusions. Fo example,
cul u al no ms and alues a y ac oss con ex s, which can a ec he
d i ing o ces o inno a ion s a egies (Junni e al., 2013; Sousa e al.,
2020). Thi d, esea che s can explo e o he con ingency ac o s a
a ious le els — s a egic, i m, and indus y — o be e unde s and he
nuances o he ela ionships be ween his o y imp in s and inno a ion
s a egies. Ma ke dynamism, compe i i e in ensi y, and echnological
u bulence can in luence how a i m’s pas shapes i s inno a ion ac i -
i ies (Shu e al., 2017). The e o e, u u e esea ch should u he
in es iga e he a ious o ganiza ional capabili ies and ai s ha can
e ec i ely le e age i m his o y o acili a e exploi a ion and explo a-
ion (A gy es e al., 2020; Pi˜
nei o-Chousa e al., 2020; Vaa a & Lambe g,
2016).
Conclusion
In summa y, his s udy p o ides a comp ehensi e examina ion o he
in e play be ween his o y imp in ing and inno a ion s a egies,
e ealing ha his o y imp in posi i ely in luences exploi a ion while
nega i ely a ec ing explo a ion. By iden i ying c i ical mode a ing
ac o s such as owne ship ype and s a egic-le el in o ma ion sha ing,
his s udy o e s aluable insigh s in o how i ms can le e age hei
his o y imp in s o enhance inno a ion s a egies. The heo e ical con-
ibu ions o his s udy ex end he exis ing li e a u e on inno a ion
s a egy by in eg a ing a his o y-in o med pe spec i e and highligh ing
he impo ance o conside ing he his o ical con ex in s a egic
decision-making (A gy es e al., 2020; Colli & Pe ez, 2020; Tosh, 2019;
Vaa a & Lambe g, 2016). Addi ionally, he indings emphasize he need
o a balanced app oach o exploi a ion and explo a ion, sugges ing ha
i ms should adop con ingency s a egies o mi iga e he inhe en biases
associa ed wi h his o y imp in s (Clauss e al., 2021; He & Wong, 2004;
Raisch e al., 2009). F om a manage ial pe spec i e, unde s anding he
impac o a i m’s his o y is c ucial o in o med s a egic
decision-making. Manage s should ecognize he dual ole o his o y
imp in s in os e ing exploi a ion while po en ially hinde ing explo a-
ion. Fi ms can be e na iga e he complexi ies o inno a ion s a egy
de elopmen by p omo ing s a egic-le el in o ma ion sha ing and
M. Ju and G.Y. Gao
Jou nal o Inno a ion & Knowledge 9 (2024) 100608
8
