The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of third-party relational governance on
the performance of collaborative innovation in China. By integrating the relational view
and innovation appropriation perspectives, this study analyses the effects of three
mechanisms of third-party relational governancedco-reputation, interorganizational
routines, and technological normsdon collaborative innovation performance. Additionally,
this study investigates the moderating effects of the protection of intellectual Property
Rights (IPR) on the relationship between third-party relational governance and collabo-
rative innovation performance. Survey data of high-technology firms in China are used to
empirically test the hypotheses. The results show that third-party relational governance
has a positive effect on collaborative innovation performance and that IPR protection has
different moderating effects. This study contributes to the relational governance literature
by adding the perspective of third parties and analyzing three mechanisms of third-party
relational governance in a single model. This study also contributes to the innovation
appropriation literature by examining the role of IPR protection in governing collaborative
innovation in China. Finally, this study offers suggestions on how Chinese firms should
govern their collaborative innovation to remedy the limitations of a weak IPR legal insti-
tutional framework.
By Ou Bai , Jiang Wei , Xiaohua Yang, Roger (Rongxin) Chen