Configuration Research on Technology Platforms Driving Enterprise Innovation

Despite numerous studies on the structural advantages of technology platforms in spurring corporate innovation, only limited attention is given to the synergistic effects of the structural attributes of technology platforms and enterprises’ internal and external conditions on innovation. This study develops an integrated configuration framework and provides an empirical test of six predictors, namely, platform architecture, technology bundling strategies (exploratory/exploitative), technological opportunities, market competition, CEO tenure, and CEO competency structure, which capture three contextual features of environment, structure, and experience. To this end, we sample 122 Chinese high-tech manufacturing companies and identify the structure of tech platforms by constructing the internal patent self-citation network. Employing fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on the data, our study discovers six configurations of tech platform–driven innovation and further categorizes them into three distinct patterns: First, the “environment-sensitive” model emphasizes the adaptability of CEO experience to environmental changes, employing exploratory peripheral technologies to enhance innovation outcomes. Second, the “environment-adaptive” model is characterized by specialist CEOs with long-term tenure maintaining innovation performance through platform-based incremental development strategies in less volatile environments. Third, the “platform-free” model is typified by stable environmental fluctuations and a shorter CEO tenure.