Does Learning Process Mediate the Relationship between Social Control and Production Innovation of International Joint Ventures in China?

Abstract

A comprehensive model that delineates the interrelationships among social control, learning process and production innovation in international joint ventures is absent. This study aims to fill this void. Unlike previous research, this study investigates the role of social control, in facilitating learning process and production innovation in China. In our framework, we argued that learning process mediated the impact of social control on production innovation. In order to test the feasibility of this framework, we conducted an empirical study. This study employed a survey instrument, which contained data collected from 300 organizations international joint ventures in South China. A total of 96 usable responses were analyzed. The results indicate that social control has a positive impact on learning processes and production innovation. Learning process partial mediate the influence of social control on production innovation. The implications of the study are provided, and future research is suggested.