Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in China Innovation Performance: A Dynamic QCA Analysis Based on the WSR Perspective

Purpose This study aims to investigate the theoretical foundations and driving mechanisms of innovation performance in the Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, offering theoretical and practical insights for enhancing the industry’s innovation capacity and global competitiveness. Patients and Methods Drawing upon the “Wuli-Shili-Renli” (WSR) systems methodology and a configurational perspective, this study employs dynamic Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to analyze Chinese provincial panel data spanning 2015–2021. The study explores the configurational effects of influencing factors across three dimensions—digital economy, environmental regulation, and social capital—on the innovation performance of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry across 30 Chinese provinces and municipalities. Results (1) The consistency scores for all antecedent conditions were below 0.9, indicating that no single factor constitutes a necessary condition for high innovation performance in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. (2) Three effective configurational paths driving high innovation performance were identified: the “dual-driven”, “multiple-dominant”, and “balanced coordination” paths. The overall solution consistency was 0.938, with an overall solution coverage of 0.511. (3) Temporally, configuration consistency exhibited a marked decline in 2017 and 2019, dropping below 0.9. (4) Spatially, the “balanced coordination” path achieved the highest provincial coverage, accounting for approximately 60%. Meanwhile, the “multiple-dominant” path revealed significant regional disparities, underscoring the need for most provinces to promote collaborative innovation within the industry. Conclusion The integration of the “Wuli-Shili-Renli” (WSR) systems methodology with dynamic fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) transcends the limitations of single-paradigm research. This study offers two primary contributions. First, it provides a robust theoretical framework for analyzing high innovation performance in the Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, thereby enriching the international innovation management literature. Second, it serves as a cross-cultural exemplar, synthesizing Eastern systems thinking with Western empirical methods to advance the global discourse on pharmaceutical innovation. Furthermore, the findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to foster high-quality development and enhance the global competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry.

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research

• Publication date

  2026-01-01

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.2147/CEOR.S560908PMCID 12790905
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• The Impact of Digital Transformation on Enterprise Performance

  2025cited by this paper
• Executive pharmaceutical background, R&D investment and corporate innovation performance.

  2023cited by this paper
• Environmental Regulation, Trade Comparative Advantage, and the Manufacturing Industry’s Green Transformation and Upgrading

  2020cited by this paper
• Government subsidies, R&D investment and innovation performance: analysis from pharmaceutical sector in China

  2020cited by this paper
• UK evidence for the determinants of R&D intensity from a panel fsQCA

  2016cited by this paper
• A General Approach to Panel Data Set-Theoretic Research

  2016cited by this paper
• in Evolutionary Economic Geography

  2015cited by this paper
• Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences: A Guide to Qualitative Comparative Analysis

  2012cited by this paper
• Dealing with a Differentiated Whole: The Philosophy of the WSR Approach

  2000cited by this paper
• Knowing Wuli, Sensing Shili, Caring for Renli: Methodology of the WSR Approach

  2000cited by this paper
• Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy.

  1994cited by this paper

• No citing papers are available for this paper.