Title: Does ownership heterogeneity matter in technological catch ups? Empirical evidence from Chinese SOEs and POEs

Authors: Jiang Wei; Yang Liu; Shisong Jiang; Zhongyuan Zhang

Addresses: School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China ' School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Room A317, Shantou Alumni Building, #381, Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, China ' Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, Room A302, Liangsheng Building, #299, Bayi Road, Wuhan 430072, China ' School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China

Abstract: Ownership heterogeneity matters in firms' technological catch-up process. By combining visibility and capability logics, we propose that at the earlier stage of catch-up, SOEs are more likely to perform technology importation than technology assimilation, while POEs are more likely to perform technology assimilation than technology importation. Also, at the later stage of catch-up, SOEs are more likely to perform technology innovation than technology assimilation, while POEs are more likely to integrate various technology activities. Based upon a sample of SOEs and POEs in a technology cluster in China, our results support these arguments.

Keywords: technology catch up; ownership heterogeneity; China; state-owned enterprises; SOEs; private enterprises; technology assimilation; technology importation; technological innovation; technology clusters.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2016.081572

International Journal of Technology Management, 2016 Vol.72 No.4, pp.253 - 272

Received: 27 Nov 2014
Accepted: 27 Oct 2015
Published online: 15 Jan 2017 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article