| Since exploratory application of theory regarding social network analysis to information transmission and introduction of the theory about strength of weak tie by Granovetter(1973),studying knowledge transfer from the perspective of social network has become a trend in the research field of knowledge management. Compared with traditional research,knowledge transfer study based on the perspective of social network does not put bodies involved in the knowledge transfer out of social environment any more,and begins to pay attention to a third party that may have impact on the knowledge transfer.Therefore,it can more truly reflect knowledge transfer between individuals or organizations.By integrating social network analysis with traditional individual analysis,this paper discusses the relationship between network characteristics and such impacting factors as knowledge characteristics,knowledge-source enterprise characteristics and knowledge-receiving enterprise characteristics,and the impact of the relationship on the effect of knowledge transfer,so as to explain the mechanism of how network characteristics affect knowledge transfer under the social network environment.Under today's backdrop of strategic alliance and industrial clusters being increasingly prevalent phenomena,this paper is of theoretical and practical significance to knowledge transfer between firms.Based on in-depth interviews with chief technology officers in 32 enterprises and survey conducted on 199 firms in communication power supply industry,the author uses processing software SPSS15.0 to analyze data obtained in terms of factor analysis,ANOVA,correlation analysis and stepwise liner regression.The following conclusions are drawn:1.Tie strength,network density,network ranges and network centralities of both the receiving enterprise and the source enterprise have a significantly positive effect on the effect of knowledge transfer. 2.The impact of network characteristics on inter-enterprise knowledge transfer is not direct.Instead,it must be dependent on the mediator of willingness and abilities of two parties.Specifically,willingness of knowledge source enterprise has a significantly intermediate effect on result of knowledge transfer affected by network density and network centrality;transfer capacity of source enterprise has a significantly intermediate effect on result of knowledge transfer affected by tie strength,and its network range and centrality;willingness of receiving enterprise has a significantly intermediate effect on result of knowledge transfer affected by tie strength and network density;absorptive capacity of receiving enterprise has a significantly intermediate effect on result of knowledge transfer affected by tie strength,and its network range and density.3.Network range and network centrality of source enterprise can significantly moderate the relationship between tacit of knowledge and effect of knowledge transfer.However,the moderating effect of tie strength,network density,and recipient's network range and network centrality are insignificant.4.Recipient's annual sales revenue will positively affect knowledge source's willingness and effectiveness of knowledge transfer.However,if sales revenue exceeds a certain point the effect of sales revenue on knowledge source's willingness and effectiveness of knowledge transfer is not significant any more.The number of employees in recipient firm also has a significant effect on its absorptive capacity and effectiveness of knowledge transfer,however,such effect is stepwise.That is to say, only the number of employee in recipient firm reaches a certain point does it have a significant effect on absorptive capacity and effectiveness of knowledge transfer, moreover,if the number of employees continues to rise,this positive effect will diminish.The innovative contributions of this paper can be classified into three points:1.Integrate "knowledge of the source-knowledge of the recipient" framework in traditional knowledge transfer study and "relationship-structure" approach in social network analysis so as to explore the dimensions of network characteristics which affect knowledge transfer.Regarding the effect of network characteristics on knowledge transfer,previous studies can be classified as the two kinds.One kind of researches only involves knowledge source or recipient to study the effect of network characteristics on knowledge transfer,which results from an incomplete theoretical framework.The other kind incorporates both source and recipient but doesn't distinguish between them.Therefore,only a few network characteristics related to social network's relationship such as tie strength are analyzed,and other network characteristics in relation to social network's structure have not been discussed,because network characteristics about structure of the two parties are different.This paper discusses the dimensions of network characteristics both from the perspective of source enterprise and receiving enterprise so that the effect of their respective network relationship dimensions and network structure dimensions is explored.This paper puts forward a more complete theoretical framework and explores more comprehensive network characteristics dimensions than previous studies.The network centrality of source enterprise and the network density of receiving enterprise in this paper are neglected in previous studies.2.Reveal the mechanism of how network characteristics affect knowledge transfer through empirical analysis.Most previous studies only perform a theoretical discussion on the mediating effect of individual attributes(willingness and ability) when explaining how the network characteristics affect knowledge transfer.As for the empirical analysis only the direct relationship between network characteristics and effect of knowledge transfer is explored.This paper,based on "knowledge transfer network characteristics of the two sides-the individual attributes-the effect of knowledge transfer" research ideas,reveals the mechanism of how network characteristics affect knowledge transfer through empirical analysis.Empirical analysis has partly confirmed theoretical analysis of some scholars,and arrived at a number of different conclusions. For example,tie strength does not have a significant impact on willingness of source enterprise,which is completely different from theory held by most scholars including Reagans & McEvily(2003) and Uzzi & Lancaster(2003).Conclusions of this paper show that the willingness of individual in the knowledge transfer process is not entirely subject to social network,which has further verified Granavotter's(1985) conclusion that "individuals will not act upon roles defined by society like slaves" in the field of knowledge transfer.In this paper,empirical analysis also found two conclusions that were little studied in the past:Firstly,the network centrality of source enterprise positively affects its willingness of sending knowledge,and further affects the effect of knowledge transfer.This conclusion reveals that there is limitation on desire of the source enterprise to monopolize some technology when it occupies central network position.Its knowledge-sharing decision is affected by competitors with similar status or technical resources.The theory proposed by Skvoretz,Fararo & Agneessens(2004) that there is competition between chosen network nodes is confirmed in the field of knowledge transfer.Secondly,the network range of receiving enterprise positively affects its absorptive capacity,and further affects the effect of knowledge transfer. This conclusion shows that recipient is not entirely in a passive position in the process of knowledge transfer,and recipient enterprise can build a broad range of business partnerships with firms in the network,so as to improve absorptive capacity,and enhance initiative in the course of knowledge transfer.3.Clarify the difference of two parties' network characteristics when they moderate the negative relationship between knowledge characteristics and knowledge transfer effect.Previous studies only discuss the impact of the interaction terms constructed by network characteristics and knowledge characteristics on the effect of knowledge transfer from the perspective of source enterprise.Based on past studies,this paper has further identified the interaction as the moderating effect of networks characteristics on the result that knowledge characteristics affect knowledge transfer. In specific analysis,the author tries to discuss such moderating effect from the perspective both source enterprise and receiving enterprise. Empirical analysis of this paper shows that only the network characteristics of source enterprise have significant moderating effect,while the moderating effect of receiving enterprise's network characteristics have not found.This conclusion also implies during the transfer of knowledge with relatively high degree of tacit,it is more important to get active coordination from source enterprise than efforts of the receiving enterprise.
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