工业4.0这一概念出现以来,受到越来越多学者、企业和政府的关注。尽管各界对其具体含义莫衷一是,但普遍认为技术是工业4.0的核心,有助于提高企业竞争力。当前现象显示,制造型企业对工业4.0技术的采用率并不高,实施工业4.0项目的成功率比较低,企业工业4.0成熟度评价工具也有待完善。本文关注了企业引进工业4.0技术的三个阶段:采用、实施、评价,相应地研究了三个问题。第一,制造型企业为什么采用工业4.0技术?第二,制造型企业实施工业4.0技术的关键成功因素有哪些?第三,如何评价制造型企业的工业4.0成熟度?经过文献调研和案例研究,本文以TOE框架和制度理论为基础,提出工业4.0技术采用影响因素模型;在TOE框架基础上,结合实践基础理论和组态视角,提出工业4.0技术实施影响因素模型。之后,本文通过问卷调查,收集了200多家中国制造型企业的数据,对模型分别进行验证分析。本文用结构方程模型(SEM)对工业4.0技术采用模型进行分析。结果显示,技术推动力的影响有限,技术优势与企业对工业4.0技术的采用相关性不显著。相反,市场拉动力和政府驱动力显著推动制造型企业对工业4.0技术的采用。具体而言,竞争压力和政府支持促进企业高管支持工业4.0技术,高管支持进而促进企业对工业4.0技术的采用。本文用结构方程模型(SEM)和模糊集定性比较分析(fsQCA)两种方法对工业4.0技术实施模型进行分析。结果表明,高管支持、技术能力、供应商支持和试点项目对工业4.0技术成功实施有显著影响。在高管支持下,技术能力强的公司可以成功实施工业4.0技术,而技术能力较差的公司则需要可靠的供应商支持。在高管支持不充分的情况下,企业如果自身能力强,供应商能力也强,仍然可以成功实施工业4.0技术。最后,本文基于对既有工业4.0成熟度模型的总结分析,结合关于工业4.0技术采用和实施的文献和研究,提出一个包含了企业外部环境维度的工业4.0成熟度评价模型。
Since the emergence of Industry 4.0, it has been drawing attention from scholars, practitioners, and governments. Although there isn‘t a generally accepted definition of Industry 4.0, people agree that technologies are the backbone of Industry 4.0 and can improve the competitiveness of firms. However, the adoption rate of Industry 4.0 technologies is still low among manufacturing firms, and the failure rate of Industry 4.0 projects is high. Meanwhile, the tools to assess the Industry 4.0 maturity level of manufacturing firms need to be improved.This article focuses on three stages in the process of introducing Industry 4.0 technologies: adoption, implementation, and assessment, and deals with three research questions respectively. First, why do manufacturing firms adopt Industry 4.0 technologies? Second, what are the critical success factors for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies? Third, how to assess the Industry 4.0 maturity level of manufacturing firms.After the literature review and case study, this study comes up with an Industry 4.0 adoption research model based on the TOE framework and institutional theory. This paper also puts forward an Industry 4.0 implementation research model based on the TOE framework integrated with the practice-based view and configurational perspective. This paper has tested the research models using survey data from over 200 Chinese manufacturing firms.The adoption research model is analyzed by using SEM. Results show that the impact of technology-push on the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among manufacturing firms is limited since relative advantage is not significantly related to the adoption decision. However, market-pull and government-drive significantly affect the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Specifically, competitive pressure and government support promote top management support, which in turn contributes to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies.The implementation research model has been tested by a hybrid approach using SEM and fsQCA. The results show that top management support, technology competence, supplier support, and pilot projects are positively related to the successful implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies. With top management support, a technologically competent firm can achieve implementation success on its own, while a technologically inferior firm needs reliable supplier support. When top management support is absent, as long as the firm is technologically competent and assisted by reliable suppliers, it is also likely to succeed.Finally, based on the review of existing Industry 4.0 maturity models and the studies on the adoption and implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, this paper proposes a new Industry 4.0 maturity model that incorporates external environment as a dimension.