If It Takes a Village to Foster Innovation, Success Depends on the Neighbors: The Effects of Global and Ego Networks on New Product Launches
作者研究了企业全球网络位置和自网络特征如何共同影响新产品推出。利用1990-2010年消费品行业联盟网络数据，发现全球网络中心度是一把双刃剑：它促进渐进式新产品推出，但阻碍突破式新产品推出。而企业的自网络（密度和多样性）和研发能力能调节这种效应，即增强对渐进式新产品的正面作用，并减轻对突破式新产品的负面作用。研究揭示了网络因素交互影响创新的机制。
Launching breakthrough and incremental new products is vital to firm performance; it also resonates with both ego (i.e., directly connected partners) and global (i.e., interconnected ties in an industry) network perspectives. Prior research has listed several ego network– and global network–level factors that affect innovations, but this study goes a step further, to reveal the interactions of these factors as critical product launch mechanisms. An analysis of alliance networks in the consumer packaged goods industry from 1990 to 2010 shows that a central position in a global network represents a double-edged sword: it improves a firm's incremental new product launches but harms its breakthrough new product launches. Furthermore, a firm's ego network (manifested as density and diversity) and R&D capability enable it to leverage its global network position by enhancing the benefits for incremental new products and mitigating its hazards for breakthrough new products. This study's findings thus offer new insights into the role of ego and global networks in facilitating or hindering new product launches.