The impact of institutional difference on scientific collaboration: Empirical evidence from six provinces in central China

ABSTRACT

Based on dividing institutional difference into formal institutional difference and informal institutional difference, this study explores the impact of institutional difference on scientific collaboration of six provinces in central China and analyses the moderating effect of provincial innovation environment and provincial research and development capacity using panel data from 2010 to 2019. The study finds that both formal institutional difference and informal institutional difference negatively affect scientific collaboration of six provinces in central China. Moreover, provincial innovation environment and provincial research and development capacity moderate the relationship between institutional difference and scientific collaboration of six provinces in central China. That is, in the context of good provincial innovation environment or high research and development capacity, the negative impact of institutional difference on scientific collaboration of six provinces in central China is stronger.

KEYWORDS:

• Institutional difference
• Six provinces in central China
• Scientific collaboration
• Provincial innovation environment
• Provincial research and development capacity

JEL CLASSIFICATION:

• D83
• R11

Acknowledgements

We are thankful for the helpful comments from the reviewers and editors.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that the research is conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data are available from the sources identified in the paper.

Consent to publish statement

All authors agree to the publication of this paper.

Author contributions

Jianhong Fan is responsible for study framework design, data analysis, and manuscript writing. Huichao Wu is responsible for data compilation and manuscript writing. Jing Ma participates in study framework design and is responsible for manuscript revision. All authors contribute to the study.

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported by the General Program of the National Social Science Fund of China “A Study on the Impact of Reverse Internationalization on the Innovational Performance of Chinese Export-oriented Enterprise” (Grant No. 20BGL049)