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This paper aims to understand the underlying mechanisms by which relational ties influence firm innovation. Companies in China rely much on relational ties to implement business strategies. Combining social network theory with dynamic capability perspective, we build a model that analyzes the direct and indirect impact of relational ties (business ties and service ties) on innovation performance through supply chain adaptability. We further analyze that technological turbulence and dysfunctional competition influence the relationships between relational ties and supply chain adaptability. We test these relationships using data collected from 300 manufacturers in China. The results show that service ties plays a relatively more important role than business ties in enhancing innovation performance directly. Interactions between business ties and service ties significantly influence innovation performance. Moreover, our results demonstrate that supply chain adaptability fully mediates the relationship between business ties and innovation performance but partially mediates the relationship between service ties and innovation performance. Our results show that technological turbulence positively moderates the relationships between business/service ties and supply chain adaptability. In addition, dysfunctional competition negatively moderates the relationship between business ties and supply chain adaptability. Overall, our findings contribute to the understanding of the roles of relational ties in supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appropriate design of the emission trading scheme (ETS) plays a crucial role in promoting companies to conduct low-carbon technological innovations. Based on a questionnaire survey, this paper examines how the design of the ETS and identified determinants have impacted corporate low-carbon technological investment decisions. The data was collected from 99 companies in the eight areas that are implementing the ETS in China. The results indicate that five attributes significantly influence the possibility of corporate investments in low-carbon technologies and thus need more attention in designing the national ETS, including allowance allocation for existing installations, compliance period, allowance allocation for new entrants, allowance banking and policy stability. From the viewpoint of the surveyed companies, the ETS that allocates allowances for existing installations based on the benchmark, has a long compliance period, allocates allowances for new entrants based on a uniform benchmark and allows companies to bank allowances could effectively encourage companies to conduct the low-carbon technological investment. The results of this study are important in light of ongoing discussions and developments of the national ETS in China. [Display omitted] • This paper examines the innovation influencing mechanism of ETS design features and other determinants. • Data were collected from 99 companies in the eight areas that are implementing ETS in China. • The policy attributes significantly associated with corporate low-carbon technology investment decisions are identified. • We also identify the determinants that are closely related with low-carbon technology investment decisions. • Policy implications for designing the national ETS are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to provide an integrated model and methodology for discovering valuable innovation knowledge and creative users in online innovative communities. Design/methodology/approach: The super-network integration approach is applied in constructing the user's innovation knowledge super-network (UIKSN) model based on knowledge fragments discovered from user-generated content (UGC) data using text mining methods. The social network analysis (SNA) methodology is then used to analyze the KSN model. An empirical research is conducted with China's Xiaomi online community to illustrate the UIKSN model and the SNA methodology. Findings: Compared with current methods, the proposed KSN model and SNA methodology are demonstrated to be more effective and valid in discovering valuable innovation knowledge including valuable innovations, innovation trends, creative users and their knowledge background, etc. Research limitations/implications: The results of KSN modeling and analysis are inevitably influenced by the performance of text mining methods. Practical implications: More and more companies start to adopt online community user's innovations in their new product developments. However, it is difficult to discover users’ opinions and innovations from the UGC due to its tremendous volume. Therefore, the KSN model and SNA methodology presented in this article are helpful for companies to manage online communities and to utilize users’ innovations effectively and efficiently. Originality/value: The article provides two main contributions in the study of online communities: 1) a well-justified model (users' innovation KSN, UIKSN) to explore online users’ contributions; 2) a new and more effective methodology to discover and analyze valuable innovations and innovative users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]