Do research institutes benefit from their network positions in research collaboration networks with industries or/and universities?. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Kaihua; Zhang, Yi; Zhu, Guilong; Mu, Rongping
• Is Part Of: Technovation. Volume 94/95(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Bilateral/trilateral collaboration networks -- Research institutes -- Network position -- Scientific performance -- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Periodicals; Innovations -- Périodiques; Gestion d'entreprise -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 658.57
• DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2017.10.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0166-4972

Abstract

Abstract: There is scarce empirical evidence on the impact of inter-organizational collaboration across research institutes, industries or/and universities on the scientific performance of research institutes. This paper fills this gap by examining how the research institutes' bilateral/trilateral collaborations with industries or/and universities influence their research outputs from a network perspective. We construct a unique dataset based on the Chinese Academy of Sciences' inter-organizational research collaboration networks with industries or/and universities, which enables us to build three homogeneous, heterogeneous and hybrid inter-organizational research networks as our multi-scenario sample. Our study confirms that the scientific performance of research institutes is significantly affected by their network positions in the research collaboration networks with industries or/and universities. Specifically, in the homogeneous "University-Research Institute" (UR) collaboration network, the degree centrality and the structural holes of the research institutes affect their scientific performance respectively in an inverted U-shaped manner and a positive linear one. By contrast, in both the heterogeneous "Industry-Research Institute" (IR) and the hybrid "Industry-University-Research Institute" (IUR) collaboration networks, the degree centrality and the structural holes of research institutes affect their scientific performance respectively in a positive linear manner and an inverted U-shaped one. Our findings indicate that the impact pattern of the network positions of innovative organizations on their performance likely varies with the network structure and composition in different inter-organizational contexts. Highlights: This paper finds the scientific benefits from inter-organizational network positions. This paper investigates the research institute' scientific benefits in IUR networks. This paper riches the empirical study of the scientific effect in IUR networks. Scientific effects in different collaboration networks are different.