The Relationship between Tacit knowledge Acquisition and Innovation Performance in Chinese Local High-tech Enterprises

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between tacit knowledge acquisition and innovation performance, using a sample of five local high-tech enterprises in Yun Cheng, Shan Xi Province. The methodology was literature review and questionnaire. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed to the five companies and 109 were collected. The questionnaire was designed in 4 parts: (1) employee's personal information including gender, age, education level, working years, working departments. (2) tacit knowledge acquisition including cognitive tacit knowledge acquisition and technical tacit knowledge acquisition. (3) organizational learning (4) innovation performance including product innovation and service innovation. Based on the literature review, the research model about the tacit knowledge acquisition, organizational learning and innovation performance was built and the 4 hypotheses were put forward. In order to test the four hypotheses, the method of correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data. First, the author did a descriptive analysis to the 109 questionnaire from the aspects of gender, age, educating level, working level, working department. Then, the reliability and validity test was approached. Next, the method of correlation analysis, regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results are the following :(1) The level of tacit knowledge acquisition has a positive effect on innovation performance, and the effect of technical tacit knowledge is higher than that of cognitive tacit knowledge; (2) Organizational learning has a significant positive effect on innovation performance; (3) Cognitive tacit knowledge acquisition has a significant effect on organizational learning, and technical tacit knowledge acquisition has a positive effect on organizational learning; (4) Organizational learning plays a mediating role in the relationship between tacit knowledge acquisition and innovation performance. The research results lead to the practical implications: (1) High-tech enterprises should pay more attention to the acquiring and sharing of the tacit knowledge and strive more opportunities to the cooperations with universities and research institutes. (2) High-tech enterprises should set up knowledge management system in order to improve the efficiency of knowledge acquisition, sharing, and transferring. (3) High-tech enterprises should furtherly build up good learning culture and encourage employees to improve themselves and communicate with others. Although this empirical research tested the proposed hypotheses, it has some limitations. First, The sample is too small, only five enterprises were selected and the result was limited. Then, in the empirical research, the dependent variable of innovation performance was divided into two dimensions and it was not complete. In the future study, the evaluation to innovation performance would be more specific like technology innovation and management innovation.