Recombinant Capabilities, R&D Collaboration, and Innovation Performance of Emerging Market Firms in High-Technology Industry
研究了中国电信设备企业如何通过重组现有知识（重组重用）和创造新知识（重组创造）提升创新绩效，并发现研发合作能增强重组重用对创新的正面作用。
The capability that facilitates the transition of emerging market firms (EMFs) from technology followers to innovation leaders is an important but underexamined topic, particularly for firms aiming to compete distinctively in high-technology fields. Drawing on the recombinant perspective, in this article, we investigate how an EMFs’ recombinant capability relates to its innovation and how R&D collaboration moderates this relationship. Using panel data on 184 publicly listed firms in the Chinese telecommunication-equipment industry from 2009 to 2014, we find that both recombinant reuse and recombinant creation positively relate to firm innovation performance. Moreover, the positive association between recombinant reuse and innovation is strengthened by the high degree of R&D collaboration. These findings provide novel insights into how firms may overcome their latecomer disadvantages and leverage the accumulated knowledge stock to foster innovation in an emerging economy.