Purpose: This paper aims to identify the relationships of both organizational isomorphism and knowledge search with the innovation performance of cluster enterprises. It also specifies the mechanism by which organizational isomorphism affects innovation performance, through knowledge search.Design/methodology/approach: Firm-level data were collected with questionnaires distributed to cluster enterprises in Zhejiang Province, China, which produced 165 usable responses for the analysis. Both multiple regression analyses and structural equation modelling were used to test the hypotheses.Findings: Normative isomorphism and mimetic isomorphism have inverse U-shaped effects on the innovation performance of cluster enterprises, as does exploratory knowledge search. Exploitative knowledge search and the balance between two types of knowledge search have positive effects on the innovation performance of cluster enterprises; exploratory and exploitative knowledge searches exert partial mediation effects between the organizational isomorphism and innovation performance of cluster enterprises. The mediating effect of knowledge search transforms the inverse U-shaped effect of normative isomorphism and mimetic isomorphism on innovation performance into a positive effect.Originality/value: This study provides new insights into the effects of organizational isomorphism on innovation performance by showing the indirect influence of organizational isomorphism in clusters. The study proposes a strategic logic of moderate isomorphism, clarifies the innovative effect of different knowledge search modes and reveals the construction and management mechanisms of organizational isomorphism and knowledge search strategy of firms in clusters.

This paper investigates the effect of resource heterogeneity on knowledge Transfer in R&D alliances based on system dynamics method. Based on literature review, we identify the factors that affect knowledge transfer in R&D alliances, and analyse the effect of the organisational and network resource heterogeneity on knowledge transfer in R&D alliances. On this basis, we use system dynamics method to analyse the causality of the effect of the organisational and network resource heterogeneities on knowledge transfer, establish the model of system flow chart, and use Vensim PLE software to perform simulation and sensitivity analyses of the model. The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the organisational resource heterogeneity and knowledge transfer and that network resource heterogeneity has a positive effect on knowledge transfer in R&D alliances. Our research provides valuable insights into the exploitation of resource heterogeneity in R&D alliances to facilitate effective knowledge transfer.

The formation of blockchain industrial ecology can help improve the open and efficient value synergy network, and this paper seeks to clarify the value relationship among industrial units and the trend of synergistic evolution of blockchain industrial ecosystem. Based on value co-creation theory, the blockchain industrial ecosystem synergy evolution process is analyzed, and the composite system synergy model is used to empirically investigate the evolution synergy of China’s blockchain industrial ecosystem from 2015 to 2020. The results show that: although the development level of China’s blockchain industry ecosystem continues to improve, it is still at a low level, and the policy-driven effect is obvious. There is a large disparity in the orderliness level of each subsystem of the blockchain industry ecosystem, and the industrial integration and application implementation are in a good situation, while the blockchain enterprises, located in the value pivot subsystem, are in a relatively tough position, and China’s blockchain industry ecosystem is overall in a state of reconciliation and has not yet formed a synergistic effect. Handling the synergistic relationship between the government, the market and other value-supporting units, and blockchain enterprises is the top priority for further promoting the synergistic evolution of the blockchain industry ecosystem.

The development of blockchain technology promotes the evolution of the industrial ecosystem, and the value co-creation in the ecosystem has become an important factor for the sustainable and coordinated development of the blockchain industry ecosystem. By answering the question of how governance mechanisms affect the value co-creation of the blockchain industry ecosystem, this paper aims to clarify the realization mechanism of value co-creation of the blockchain industry ecosystem. Based on the transaction cost theory and social exchange theory, the governance mechanisms of the blockchain industry ecosystem are divided into contract governance and trust governance. The system dynamics method is used to analyze the causality of the effect of governance mechanisms on value co-creation of the blockchain industry ecosystem, the model of system flow chart is established, and Vensim PLE software is used to perform simulation and sensitivity analyses of the model. The results show that: both contract governance and trust governance can positively affect the value co-creation of the blockchain industry ecosystem; due to the existence of bounded rationality, compared with contract governance, trust governance has a more significant impact on system resource innovation and value co-creation; there is a co-existence effect among contract governance and trust governance, and compared with the single effect, the co-existence effect of two can promote the value co-creation process of the blockchain industry ecosystem more actively. The research results reveal the internal laws of the value co-creation and provide valuable insights into the exploitation of governance mechanisms to facilitate effectively the value creation of the blockchain industry ecosystem.