New ventures, product innovation and business intermediaries: Empirical analyses of 145 new Chinese ventures
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) intermediary ties on new ventures’ product innovation. Product innovation is a critical strategy for new ventures’ survival and growth. However, as a result of smallness and newness, new ventures usually face considerable difficulties in product innovation and require support to help their innovation search and innovation activities.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey of 145 Chinese new ventures is used to test presented hypotheses empirically.
Findings
This study finds that the intensity of KIBS intermediary ties has a positive influence on innovation, while the diversity of KIBS intermediary ties has no influence on new ventures’ product innovation. Moreover, the relationship between the intensity of KIBS intermediary ties and new ventures’ product innovation is moderated by the degree of their international venturing and ties with other firms.
Originality/value
This study enriches understanding of the important roles of KIBS intermediary ties on new ventures’ product innovation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The present study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (70972089, 71132007 and 71272165) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. Errors and omissions are solely the authors’ responsibility.
Citation
Wu, A., Li, S. and Wang, H. (2014), "New ventures, product innovation and business intermediaries: Empirical analyses of 145 new Chinese ventures", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 241-257. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-03-2014-0054
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited