How Does Ego-Network Size Affect Firm Sustainable Innovation : The Moderating Roles of Digital Level and Entrepreneurial Activity

Firm sustainable innovation (FSI) plays an importing role in China’s high-tech manufacturing sector, which raises scholar’s attention to investigate the building of cross-level alliance innovation networks among manufacturing firms and how it affects FSI. Based on secondary data from China, we analyze the moderating roles of digital level and entrepreneurial activity in the relationship between ego-network size and FSI. Our findings provide insightful guidance supported with theoretical underpinning and empirical evidence for high-tech manufacturing firms to plan and adjust their ego-network sizes rationally, and for provincial governments to use digital level and entrepreneurial activity effectively to enhance FSI