When and how scientists influence technological performance: A moderated mediation model

Abstract

Previous studies have primarily investigated scientists’ direct impact on technological performance. Expanding on this, the study explores the nuanced ways and timing through which scientists influence team-level technological performance. By integrating knowledge-based and network dynamics theories, the study establishes and assesses membership turnover as a significant mediator of the science–technological performance process. Furthermore, it investigates the moderating effects of team internationalization and coreness on the mediation effects. Employing an unbalanced panel dataset from Huawei and Intel from 2000 to 2022, the study applied the Tobit and Negative Binomial models and conducted robustness tests for data analysis. The findings support the indirect influence of scientists within an invention team on the quantity and quality of inventions through membership turnover. Moreover, team internationalization diminishes the relationship between membership turnover and the quantity and quality of inventions, thereby impairing scientists’ indirect effects on technological performance through membership turnover. Team coreness enhances the relationship between membership turnover and the quantity and quality of inventions, strengthening the indirect impact of scientists on these dimensions through membership turnover.