Coupling relationships and synergistic mechanisms between technology management capability and technological capability in product innovation: a simulation study

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the dynamic co-evolution of technology management capability and technological capability in the system of product innovation. It is motivated by the increasing attention that product innovation has received recently, as it is considered one of the most important factors that can bring about competitive advantages for firms to compete with their rivals in the current competitive business environment. Framing the system of product innovation as a complex adaptive system and focusing on the roles of technology management capability and technological capability in the system, the most suitable synergistic mechanisms between technology management capability and technological capability that can make the system reach the highest fitness under their diverse coupling relationships are identified by means of NK fitness landscape model. The simulation results show that there are matches between the coupling relationships among the elements of technology management capability and technological capability and their synergistic mechanisms in the system of product innovation. This paper provides a better understanding of the relationships between technology management capability and technological capability and managerial implications for firms to innovate products successfully and promptly and thus improve their competitive advantages.

KEYWORDS:

• Technology management capability
• technological capability
• synergistic mechanism
• coupling relationship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Weiwei Wu is a professor and Ph.D. advisor in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology. His main research interests include technology innovation, technology management, new product development management and project management.

Zhou Liang is a Ph.D. candidate in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology. Her main research interests include technology innovation, technology management, new product development management and project management.

Qi Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology. Her main research interests include technology innovation, technology management, new product development management and project management.

Huandi Zhang is a Master in School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology. Her main research interests include technology innovation, technology management, new product development management and project management.

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 71472055, 71272175], National Social Science Foundation of China [grant number 16AZD0006], Heilongjiang Philosophy and Social Science Research Project [grant number 19GLB087] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number HIT.NSRIF.2019033].