Alliance Capability, Innovative Activity and Evolution - Innovative Management in Information and Production - page 48

2 Reviews and Connotation

2.1 Alliance Capability

In recent years, more and more network scholars pay close attention to a special
capability which is embedded into the alliance network, network competence ( Ritter
and Gem unden 2003 , 2004 ), strategic network capability ( Hagedoorn et al. 2006 ),
relational capability ( Collins and Hitt 2006 ), as well as the alliance capability
( Kale et al. 2002 ). Despite the different names, it is all about the capability of
enterprises to manage the alliance successfully ( Draulans et al. 2003 )andalso
refers to the capability that enterprise actively adapts to the environment, so as
to ensure the long-term performance. So here we define it as a kind of dynamic
capability which can help the enterprise to recognize alliance value and opportunity,
construct alliance network to facilitate its own development, use and maintain the
level of network relationship in order to gather enough information and resources
to help enterprises to obtain sustainable competitive advantage, and then promote
the healthy and orderly development of alliance. We divide alliance capability into
three aspects with nine dimensions according to professor Zheng et al. ( 2007 )IDCV-
based (integrated dynamic capability view) fundamental framework. Firstly, alliance
strategic capability: (1) vision designing, (2) partner screening, and (3) strategic
controlling. Secondly, alliance learning capability: (1) knowledge gathering, (2)
absorbing and integrating, and (3) compositive innovation. Thirdly, relation bonding
capability: (1) communicating, (2) relation optimizing, and (3) relation coordinating
and controlling.

2.2 Innovative Activity

More than 85 % of innovative activity among alliances is related to technical inno-
vation ( Steensma et al. 2000 ). Therefore, in this paper, alliance innovative activity
mainly refers to technical innovative activity conducted by the core companies,
medium and small nodes as well as other institutions, who, integrating internal
resources, capabilities as well as external cooperation, exchange to achieve network
innovation. And in this paper it will be studied from two variables, innovative
intention and innovative behaviours ( Hurt et al. 1977 ). Innovative intention can be
understood as innovation motivation and desire. And the enterprises' innovative be-
haviour is driven directly by the intrinsic requirement and motivation of innovation
( Xu and Wang 2003 ).