Abstract: While imitation orientation is as popular as innovation orientation, empirical evidence remains behind as to what roles each orientation plays in managing environmental turbulence and whether it is fruitful for a firm to adopt both orientations. This study attempts to close such important research gaps by studying manufacturing- and service-based firms in China. It is expected that dysfunctional competition and technological turbulence influencing the extent to which a firm adopts these two strategic orientations differently. This study further expects that although individually either innovation or imitation orientation significantly improve firm performance, their combined effects are likely to hamper firm performance, which may suggest that the concurrent pursuit of both orientations is counterproductive.

Abstract: Based on competition and industrial economics theories, this paper investigates the impact of innovation in foreign firms on the innovation in indigenous firms in China, that is, if foreign innovation crowds in or crowds out the innovation efforts in indigenous firms. Two competing hypotheses are tested on a comprehensive firm-level panel data over the period of 1998-2005. We find that there is a reversed U-shaped relationship between new product output in foreign firms and indigenous firms. By contrast, the relationship between R&D investment in domestic and foreign firms is not significant. We also find that the U-shaped relationship is more evident in high-tech industries.

Abstract: We try to understand how latecomer firms span their organizational, geographical and knowledge boundaries of their R&D network for the purpose of innovation catch-up. Specifically, we use inductive, comparative case methods to examine four manufacturing firms in China. A innovation catch-up through R&D network boundary spanning activities model is emerged, which challenges the mainstream of catch-up theories by shifting their focus from technology adoption and market capability accumulation to innovation capability building . Moreover, we borrow the concept of boundary spanning to R&D network literature and catch-up literature, and try to bridge the catch-up literature and mainstream of strategic management. Additionally, by selecting cases in a typical transitional economy (i.e., China), our research is complementary to the main catch-up model originated in the newly industrialized countries.

Abstract: Leading way to innovation becomes a major priority for Chinese top executives. This includes their own innovativeness, in terms of their innovative behavior as well as their transformational leadership. Based on impression management theory, we show that top executive self-concept, specifically selfism, overconfidence, and hyper core self-evaluation, critically influences top executive innovativeness. Drawing on dyadic data from 231 Chinese top executives and 700 of their subordinates we point out that whereas selfism and overconfidence have a negative impact on top executive innovativeness, even extreme forms of core self-evaluation have a positive impact on top executive innovativeness. Identifying contingency factors for this relationship, we indicate what firms can do in order to foster innovativeness on the top executive level and thus enhance firm innovativeness.