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Collaborative networks, organizational culture, and the creativity of key inventors

Xiaoming Sun (Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China)
Fayou Lei (Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China)
Yalan Wang (Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China)
Ruobing Ren (Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China)

European Journal of Innovation Management

ISSN: 1460-1060

Article publication date: 18 May 2022

Issue publication date: 23 November 2023

309

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence mechanism of different levels of social capital (Structure holes–local network attributes and indirect ties–global network attributes) and organizational culture on the creativity of key inventors, and the role of organizational culture between social capital and creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper tested the hypotheses with a sample of patent data accumulated from 46 firms in Chinese electronic information and automobile sectors. Negative binomial regression was used to explore the factors influencing the creativity of key inventors.

Findings

The paper discovers that structural holes are valuable social capital for the creativity of key inventors and very important in firms with a collective and conservative culture. Moreover, it also locates that key inventor are more creative in firms with an individualistic and competitive culture than those in firms with a collective and conservative culture.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the influence of social capital on creativity and contributes to R&D management. It highlights structural holes are certainly important to key inventors in a collective and conservative culture, thus contradicting preceding studies that locate structural holes useful solely in an individualistic culture. This finding broadens our knowledge of the benefits of this network structure. Also, this debate challenges several basic views on structural holes currently.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the National Science Foundation of China: The evolution of key inventors’ dual networks and its influence mechanisms on radical innovation (72072140) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province: The impact of the dynamic evolution of key inventors' dual network on their exploratory innovation (2019JM-540).

Citation

Sun, X., Lei, F., Wang, Y. and Ren, R. (2023), "Collaborative networks, organizational culture, and the creativity of key inventors", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 1721-1743. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2021-0551

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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