How Does Partners’ Centrality Diversity Affect Network Stability?

We explore that partners’ centrality diversity, based on the perspective of second-order social capital, as a more prosperous and diversified position can provide more opportunities and knowledge resources within the process of R&D activities. We further analyze the relationship between partners’ centrality diversity and network stability by considering the moderating role of market overlap and cooperation intensity by shaping the learning opportunities and knowledge resources in R&D activities. The results based on a sample of R&D networks in the ICT industries test our hypotheses. Further, the results indicate that partners’ centrality diversity positively impacts network stability, and market overlap and cooperative intensity positively moderates the relationship between partners’ centrality diversity and network stability. This study lays the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of partners’ centrality diversity on network stability. It helps focal firms balance their knowledge resources with the external environment to ensure the effective operation of R&D networks.