雙元正當性對創新的影響-半導體產業之實證研究

Abstract

組織(廠商)創新的文獻相當豐富，但多數的組織創新研究著重於環境因素或組織因素的探討。關於制度因素的研究仍然相當少，特別是探討廠商創新行為的理性動機與社會性動機之間相互影響的研究更少。所以，本研究的目的是探討雙元正當性對於廠商創新績效的影響，本研究所指的雙元正當性分為：技術相依性(內部正當性)、與競爭對手的技術相似性(外部正當性)。此外，制度因素、廠商策略、環境因素都是影響廠商創新的重要因素，所以本研究也以權變觀點分析正當性對於廠商創新績效的影響。 本研究以全球半導體產業為研究樣本，蒐集1976年至2008年之專利資料進行分析，總樣本數有70家廠商，共有468,208件專利與4,089,066筆引證數。本研究發現廠商的技術相依性越高對於創新成果(量)產生正向影響，但對於創新影響(質)產生負向影響。本研究也發現廠商與競爭對手的技術相似性越高對於創新成果產生負向影響，但對於創新影響產生正向影響。另外，當廠商越探索自己與原有的知識時，有助於強化外部正當性對於創新成果的影響。而當廠商面對環境變動性越高時，有助於強化內部正當性對於創新影響的影響。本研究的貢獻是結合制度理論、組織學習與環境變動性等相關理論，提出一個整合性架構以探討雙元正當性對於創新績效的影響。

Although the literature of firm innovativeness has long been accumulating, many focus on either environmental or organizational determinants. The institutional influences remain relatively silent, letting alone the interplay of rational and social motives behind innovative behavior of firms. To address the gap, this study aims to examine the extent to which the pursuit of dual legitimacy, characterized by technological dependence (internal legitimacy) and technological isomorphism with rivals (external legitimacy), shapes a firm’s innovation performance. In addition, since institutional forces, firm strategies and environmental settings are regarded as the core factors in the innovation regimes, this study also extends to include a contingency view to analyze the effects of legitimacy on performance. In a sample of 70 semiconductor firms worldwide over 1976~2008, 468,208 patents granted and 4,089,066 citations made. This study finds that a firm’s technological path dependence on its technological trajectory is positively associated with the quantitative dimension of its innovativeness, but negatively associated with the qualitative dimension. The evidence also shows that a firm’s technological isomorphism with rivals is negatively associated with the quantitative dimension of innovativeness, but positively associated with the qualitative dimension. Further, the innovation quality-enhancing effect of external legitimacy is stronger when the firm stays more exploratory in its knowledge search. The innovation quality-enhancing effect of internal legitimacy is stronger when the firm is subject to more dynamic environments. The study demonstrates its fruitfulness of its integrated framework by bridging the findings with the literature of institutional theory, organizational learning, and environmental dynamism.