Chinese Firms’ Acquisition of Innovation Capability from Overseas: Approaches by State- versus Private-Owned Firms

ABSTRACT Through two in-depth case studies, we compare the approaches of a state-owned enterprise (SOE), Beijing Automotive Industries Holding Co., and a privately owned enterprise (POE), Geely, to acquire and absorb advanced technological knowledge to enhance their innovation capabilities. Each company acquired advanced knowledge from troubled famous Swedish automakers and upgraded their products technologically. Analyzing data mainly collected from secondary sources identifies major differences in approaches and actions at each acquisition step rooted in the type of ownership. We juxtapose these differences with insights from the literature on knowledge acquisition and research on firm ownership. Our findings show that the POE seeks the strategic goal of synergistic technology integration for better innovation and economic performance. In contrast, the SOE pursues national objectives with less regard for market success. This SOE focuses on an independent approach to knowledge absorption and development during their acquisition, whereas the POE emphasizes collaboration in innovation capacity development. This study provides insights into Chinese firms’ positioning on innovation development on the global stage, comparative capitalism, and the particular case of state capitalism in China. 摘要 本文通过对两个案例的深入比较研究，对比了国有企业北汽和民营企业吉利获取和吸收先进技术知识以增强创新能力的策略。这两家公司都从陷入困境的知名瑞典汽车制造商那里获取了先进知识，消化吸收促进其产品的技术升级，因此有相当的可比性。本研究以二手数据为主，从知识获取以及企业所有制两个视角对案例进行分析。作者发现两家企业在知识获取的每一个环节都采取了不同的策略和行动，而这些不同根植于两家企业的所有制差异。研究结果表明，私营企业的策略遵循技术集成以期获得更佳的创新和经济绩效的战略目标，而国企更侧重国家目标、较少考虑市场成功。此外，该国有企业在收购过程中注重知识吸收和开发过程中的独立自主，而私营企业则强调合作提升创新能力。本研究为有关中国企业国际化过程中的创新发展、制度比较研究，特别是中国的国有企业研究提供了新见解和新发现。