Research On Innovation Generation Mechanism Of Keystone Enterprises In Modern Service Sectors

Service industry, especially the modern service industry, plays a more and more important role in the development of service industries and national economy in recent years. However, modern service enterprises have to keep innovating to survive and gain competitive advantages in fierce market competition due to the rapid development of Chinese economy and the globalization. Noteworthily, among all modern service enterprises, keystone organizations are the main innovators who are the most important development engines for industrial innovations and development. In this context, studies on innovation generation features and disciplines of modern service keystone enterprises render special meanings.Therefore, this dissertation focuses on unveiling innovation generation mechanism of keystone enterprises in modern service industry eco-networks. The business ecology network theory was introduced to describe the network formed by linking different enterprises in modern service industries as well as roles of keystones in the network. The narrowly defined service innovation concept was applied through the dissertation to discuss innovation in service enterprises, including technological and management innovations and so on. The main researches are as followings:(1) Propose a quantitative discriminant index system and the corresponding discriminant equation as well as a three-level innovation generation mechanism explanatory framework including entrepreneur individual, organization and network. Firstly, based on the analysis of the features of keystone enterprises in business eco-networks, and by referring the concept of network centrality, design a quantitative discriminant scale of keystone enterprises. And then, build the corresponding discriminant equation by discriminant analysis to realize the quantitative measurement of the keystone enterprises avoiding the academic disagreement through qualitative measurement. Furthermore, introduce a three-level innovation generation mechanism explanatory framework by analysis of the keystone enterprises' innovation generation processes and features.(2) Propose the research framework of modern service industry keystone enterprises generation mechanism in the level of entrepreneur individual, and then testify it by a questionnaire survey and structural equation model. Firstly, summarize the essential factors which influence the entrepreneur behaviors and characteristics by reviewing two main researches. Then, generate the research hypothesis and framework concerning with the selected influencing essential factors of entrepreneur's knowledge, motivation, stimulus, innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking. Finally, facilitate the entire as well as the modificatory path model test by AMOS17.0based on the work of questionnaire design, pretest, distribution and collection. Test results show that entrepreneurs'motivation, stimulus, innovativeness and proactiveness have significant impact on technological and management innovation generation of keystone enterprises; and entrepreneurs'risk-taking effects on management innovation generation significantly.(3) Conduct multiple exploratory case studies to identify organization level determinants of innovation generation of keystone enterprises in modern service industry. Propose a research framework to discover the organization level innovation generation mechanism, which was testified by structural equation model using data obtained from a meticulously designed questionnaire survey. Firstly, select the grounded theory and its relevant qualitative and analytical research methods and technologies on the request of systematically investigating determinants of innovation generation in different stages of innovation on the organizational level. Then, analyze four innovation cases of Dalian Tianyi Consultant Corporation, Dalian International Airport Group Co. Ltd., Northeast Software Dalian Branch, and Science Park Company of Dalian University of Technology exploringly by using open, axial and selective coding technology to identify the determinants. The findings are:External environmental uncertainty and organizational social network are the driving and cooperating forces for keystone enterprises'innovation generation; Organizational circumstance for innovation is both the direct and indirect supporting force of innovation generation. Based on these findings, conduct an organizational level research framework of innovation generation mechanism and corresponding hypotheses to investigate the relationships among external environmental uncertainty, organizational social network, and organizational circumstance for innovation of keystone enterprises. Finally, apply a questionnaire survey and the structural equation model testing the hypotheses. Research shows:external environmental uncertainty and organizational social network are significant on technological innovation generation of keystone enterprises; external environmental uncertainty, organizational social network as well as organizational circumstance for innovation have significant influence on management innovation generation; Meanwhile, organizational circumstance for innovation is the mediator between environmental uncertainty and organizational social network and technological innovation generation, and it is also the mediator between environmental uncertainty and management innovation generation.(4) Summarize the features and disciplines of keystone enterprises'innovation generation mechanism on the network level based on an exploratory case study. And unveil the roles played by different type enterprises in modern service business econetworks in innovation promotion and adoption. Select the exploratory case "Aviation Market Strategy Alliance of Relevance Airports in Northeast Hinterland and the Bohai Rim" advocated by Dalian International Airport Group Co. Ltd. to generalize the corresponding laws on the network level. Findings are:Unique resources which could also improve other enterprises' development are necessary for keystone enterprises to attract others to adopt their innovation proposals; Niche enterprises'corresponding resources facilitate them to gain profit from innovations in short-term or to upgrade their eco-positions; Service innovation which is through resources sharing or complementing could promote different type enterprises to form or enhance the cooperative relationship; And keystones'innovation proposal should also reveal profit prospects to other enterprises. At last, compare the innovation adoption in modern service business econetworks with technological innovation adoption. Results suggest that eco-positions of innovation advocators and adopters in these two econetworks are different, and innovation cooperation stability of modern service industry econetworks is higher than that of technological alliances.This dissertation's main contributions are:First, propose a three level framework, which is consist of entrepreneur, organization and network level, to explain innovation generation mechanism of keystone enterprises in modern service industry econetworks according to innovation generation process and features; Second, analyze the roles played by different type enterprises respectively by differentiate the enterprises according to their positions and influence in the econetworks based on the business econetwork theory. That improves the exist researches which treat different enterprises in same way; Last, conduct a quantitative discriminant equation, which could be used to measure organizational positions quantitatively.