The Impact of Innovative Technology Exploration on Firm Value Sustainability: The Case of Part Supplier Management

Abstract

With rapid changes driven by technical advances, innovative technology capacity is a strategic asset unique to a company allocating various tangible and intangible resources, and it promotes technological innovation. This study analyzed the technology applied to iPhone series by Apple from 2007 to 2017 and measured the information effect of innovative technology exploration on the firm value for managing global supply chain (USA, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Europe). Adopting the pooled OLS (Ordinary least square) and panel analysis, this study revealed that exploration technology exploring new technologies shows a positive market response in the information effect of sustaining innovation. Results identified that exploitation and exploration can give different results depending on a construct (exploration and exploitation technologies) or congruence (combination and balance). In addition, the results indicate the importance of the balance between exploitation and exploration technologies and rational part supplies management in Apple's new product development strategy. Analyzing the impact of innovative technology exploration on the firm value for global supply chain management, this study suggests significant implications for strategic decision making for the company to build continuous innovation path through technology search and to secure sustainability of organizations facing rapid changes in technical advances.