Impact of eco-embeddedness and strategic flexibility on innovation performance of non-core firms: The perspective of ecological legitimacy

For non-core firms, the key to achieving innovation performance and building sustainable competitive advantage is accessing innovation resources and strengthening capabilities through eco-embeddedness. Based on innovation ecosystem theory, this study empirically explores the impact of innovation eco-embeddedness on the innovation performance of non-core firms and the mechanisms of strategic flexibility and ecological legitimacy among them. Using questionnaire data from 354 ecological non-core firms in China, the research results demonstrate that both eco-embeddedness position and eco-embeddedness relation have significant positive effects on the innovation performance of non-core enterprises. Furthermore, strategic flexibility partially mediates the relationship among the eco-embeddedness position, eco-embeddedness relation, and innovation performance of non-core firms. Moreover, ecological legitimacy plays a positive moderating role in the eco-embeddedness position and eco-embeddedness relation, promoting the strategic flexibility of non-core companies. This study contributes a non-core perspective to ecosystem research by revealing the complex process mechanism of innovation performance enhancement in ecological non-core firms and provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for how Chinese firms can leverage innovation eco-embeddedness to promote innovation and realize growth.