The effect of academic scientists on corporate exploratory innovation performance: Knowledge focus versus long-term focus

In the context of technological development in emerging economies, the remarkable influence of scientific knowledge on technological advancement underscores the importance of scientists. By drawing on data from listed Chinese manufacturing companies between 2015 and 2022, our study reveals the critical role of scientists in innovation roles in corporate innovation systems. Our findings suggest that scientists considerably promote exploratory innovation performance as inventors and executives. In addition, the synergistic effects of different scientist roles create a multiplicative influence. However, these effects appear to contribute primarily to technological outcomes. Furthermore, we find that compared with that of academic inventors, the influence of scientists in executive roles on exploratory innovation performance demonstrates more sustained long-term effects. This result may be attributed, through mechanism analysis, to knowledge focus as the key pathway for academic inventors, whereby academic executives drive technological innovation and catch-up by focusing on long-term development strategy. This study uniquely deconstructs the intrinsic connection between scientists and a drive for technological catch-up from an innovation role perspective, providing essential theoretical and practical guidance for the scientist appointment and technological innovation strategies of latecomer firms. • Reveal the critical role of scientists in latecomer countries in technological catch-up. • Scientists significantly promote exploratory innovation performance as inventors and executives. • The synergistic effects of different scientist roles create a multiplicative impact. • Academic inventors drive knowledge diversity through knowledge focus, thereby enhancing exploratory innovation performance. • Academic executives focus on the firm's long-term development, thereby promoting exploratory innovation performance.