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External Environment, Social Exchange, and International Research Collaboration: A Study of China’s State Key Laboratories

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: International research collaboration (IRC) is crucial to improving science and technology (S&T) research capabilities. Existing literature has revealed that several factors influence IRC, but a complete analytical framework has yet to be developed. This study attempts to fill this gap by building a framework to analyze the IRC of China’s State Key Laboratories (SKLs). Based on the external environment oriented toward resource dependence theory and social exchange theory, a questionnaire was designed and deployed within SKLs. Ten hypotheses were established and tested using the structural equation model (SEM) in Amos 23 software. The results showed that, among external environmental factors, China’s S&T policy has facilitated the IRC of SKLs. In addition, international S&T decoupling with China inhibited the IRC of SKLs. Finally, the results showed that COVID-19 did not exert a significant negative influence. Among the social exchange factors, collaboration effects, collaboration reciprocity, and collaboration ties exerted a positive influence on the IRC of SKLs. External environmental factors also worked in tandem with social exchange factors.

Source: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies

DOI: 10.15244/pjoes/189719

Authors: Mengya Zhang, Yun Liu

Institutions: Hebei University of Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: International Science and Diplomacy

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Partnerships for the goals, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China