Under the context of open innovation and cross-boundary integration, the study of the impact mechanism of knowledge search on innovation performance, based on a sample of 114 information technology enterprises listed on the ChiNext from 2015 to 2017, is of paramount importance. The findings reveal that exploratory search has a significant positive impact on corporate innovation performance, while exploitative search has a significant negative impact. Furthermore, absorptive capacity fully mediates the relationship between exploratory search and innovation performance, and partially mediates the relationship between exploitative search and innovation performance. These findings suggest that information technology enterprises should strengthen exploratory search and enhance absorptive capacity to optimize their innovation performance.

knowledge search  /  enterprise innovation performance  /  absorptive capacity