scholarly journals Breadth of external knowledge search in service sectors

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragana Radicic
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
Product And Process

PurposeThere is a dearth of empirical research on the impact of external knowledge search on innovation performance in different categories of service firms. This study explores the effectiveness of the breadth of external search on product and process innovations in German firms. In particular, the author modelled a non-linear relationship between the breadth of knowledge and product and process innovations.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the Mannheim Innovation Panel (MIP) data for the German service firms in the period 2014–2016, the author reported findings from a bivariate probit model which took into account mutual interdependence between product and process innovations. Moreover, the model was separately estimated for knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and other services. For comparative purposes, the author also estimated the model for manufacturing firms.FindingsEmpirical findings uniformly indicated an inverted U-shaped effect of the breadth of knowledge on both product and process innovations. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that using up to three knowledge sources increases the probability of a joint implementation of product and process innovations. These findings hold for both KIBS firms and other services. However, those service firms that focussed on a single type of innovation experienced diminishing returns to external knowledge when exploiting more than one source of knowledge. These results indicated that a simultaneous introduction of different types of innovation required diverse knowledge sources. In contrast, when focussing on a single type of innovation, service firms experienced diminishing returns when multiple sources were used. However, this finding was only partially found for manufacturing firms. Accordingly, this study’s findings provided support for the demarcation approach, insofar as the breadth of knowledge had a heterogenous impact on innovation in manufacturing relative to service firms.Originality/valuePrevious studies on the breadth of knowledge search mostly examined its influence on innovation performance without separately analysing manufacturing and service firms. The present study focussed on service firms that were further divided into KIBS and other service firms. By investigating potentially non-linear relationships between knowledge breadth and product and process innovations, it illustrated how different innovation strategies were affected by a diverse pool of external knowledge sources.

Developing process and product innovation through internal and external knowledge sources in manufacturing Malaysian firms: the role of absorptive capacity

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1021-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Ramayah ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta ◽  
Khoo Kah Kheng ◽  
Imran Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Organizational Capability ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge

PurposeFirms' knowledge-processing capabilities have a central role in achieving innovation performance and competitive advantage. Absorptive capacity capabilities and innovation are viewed as essential for enterprise success. Absorptive capacity is deemed as a highly important organizational capability to recognize value and assimilate both external and internal knowledge in order to enhance firm innovation. The aim of this study is to determine if innovation performance can be improved through absorptive capacity (knowledge acquisition, dissemination and utilization), when it is supported by internal (firm experience) and external knowledge sources (R&D cooperation and contracted R&D).Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology based on employing a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The proposed research model and its associated hypotheses are tested by using Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modelling (SEM) on a data set of 248 manufacturing companies located in the Northern Region of Malaysia.FindingsResults showed that firms' experience is significantly related to absorptive capacity, while for R&D cooperation and contracted R&D findings were mixed. In addition, absorptive capacity was found as a strong predictor of innovation performance.Originality/valueOne of the defining features of competition in many industries has been the extremely rapid pace of technological change, marked by a continuous stream of innovations. Manufacturing firms, therefore, face the challenge of nurturing existing knowledge and developing novel knowledge in order to create new business opportunities. This study makes valuable contributions with regard to understanding the behavioural of manufacturing firms towards process and product innovation.

Open innovation actions and innovation performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Greco ◽  
Michele Grimaldi ◽  
Livio Cricelli
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The State ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Product And Process Innovation ◽  
Product And Process

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the recurrences in the empirical evidences that link open innovation (OI) actions and innovation performance in European countries. It provides managers with useful strategic suggestions, emphasizes the limitations of the state of the art, and recommends future directions of research. Design/methodology/approach – The authors systematically reviewed empirical articles linking OI actions and innovation performance in European countries, published on peer reviewed journals from January 2003 until May 2013. The authors organized the evidences according to a novel taxonomy grounded in the literature. Findings – The paper shows an increasing interest in the research of empirical evidence regarding OI and innovation performance. Nonetheless, evidence of the role played by outbound OI activities are extremely rare. The authors found that process innovations are more likely to benefit from coupled OI activities rather than inbound activities. Moreover, the effect of coupled depth actions on both product and process innovation performance was always positive in the reviewed articles. The authors also discuss how scholars measure innovation performance, pointing out the criticalities. Research limitations/implications – The paper allows analysing the empirical evidences found in the literature, emphasizing the limitations of the state of the art and recommending future directions of research. Practical implications – The systematization of the empirical evidences found in the European literature provides managers with useful strategic suggestions to improve their organizations’ innovation performances. Originality/value – The paper contains a complete and extensive analysis of empirical OI literature with respect to European countries. The articles and their findings are organized according to a novel taxonomy useful to identify evidences and recurrences in a synoptic manner.

scholarly journals External knowledge search for innovation: the role of firms’ innovation strategy and industry context

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Segarra-Ciprés ◽  
Juan Carlos Bou-Llusar
Keyword(s):  
Current Approach ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
Contingent Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Internal And External Factors

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the extent to which the influence of external knowledge search on innovation performance is contingent on both a firm’s innovation strategy and the industry context in which it operates. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a contingent approach that centers analysis on the influence of situational factors, either exogenous or endogenous to the organization, as determinants of the external knowledge search in promoting the firm’s innovation performance. The empirical study is based on a large sample of 18,955 firms operating in 29 industries that belong to 13 European countries. Findings This analysis reveals that a broad knowledge search is more effective for firms that innovate in new goods, while a deeper knowledge search is more effective for firms that innovate in new services. The results of this study also indicate that external knowledge search varies across industries, with search depth being used more in industries in which the knowledge development process is cumulative and appropriable, while the external breadth search is preferred in industries with a high level of technological opportunity. Originality/value The current approach implies recognizing that the knowledge search strategies may not always be effective, and that firms should align the search strategy to both internal and external factors. Analyzing the influence of these factors can help managers to better choose the type of knowledge search (e.g. intensive or extensive search) that best aligns with the firm’s innovation objectives.

Openness and firm innovation performance: the moderating effect of ambidextrous knowledge search strategy

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunhsien Wang ◽  
Tachia Chin ◽  
Jie-Heng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Search Strategy ◽  
High Technology ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Innovation Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Technology Firms ◽  
Knowledge Strategy ◽  
High Technology Firms ◽  
Knowledge Search

Purpose Openness to external knowledge has recently gained popularity as a means for firms to complement and leverage internal knowledge in the pursuit of innovation outcomes. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding the role of openness in external knowledge acquisition. This paper aims to propose that openness to external knowledge has a nonlinear effect on innovation performance and that this nonlinear relationship is contingent on an ambidextrous knowledge search strategy. Design/methodology/approach Based on original large-scale survey of 246 interfirm collaborations in the high-technology industry, it is found that the impact of openness to external knowledge on innovation performance exhibits an inverted-U shape and that this relationship is affected by an ambidextrous knowledge search strategy. Findings The results indicate that an ambidextrous knowledge strategy that addresses the depth and breadth of external knowledge significantly influences a firm’s ability to derive benefits from increased openness to external knowledge. Empirically, the authors provide an original contribution to high-technology firms by exploring how and why an ambidextrous knowledge strategy can be a critical catalyst spurring innovation performance. Research limitations/implications The research scope is limited to a single industry. Further research could extend the theoretical framework to multiple industries, which may increase the likelihood of innovation theory development. Practical implications The results suggest that firms opening up the boundaries of their innovation activity to engage in external knowledge are able to leverage their in-house innovation to enhance their innovation performance. The authors advocate that in innovation management domains, greater emphasis is needed on how openness to external knowledge has more positive impacts not only on innovation performance but also on innovation implemented management. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the ambidextrous knowledge search effect on the external knowledge of high-technology firms. This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical literature concerning openness innovation and knowledge management by reflecting on the ambidextrous knowledge search strategy.

Corporate social responsibility and innovation: a comparative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 863-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidi Zhou ◽  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Xiande Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Stakeholder Theory ◽  
Employee Involvement ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Supplier Collaboration

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine how firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies affect their innovation performance via two mediating variables, employee involvement and supplier collaboration, and compare how this mechanism works in the service and manufacturing industries.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was built on stakeholder theory, the resource-based view (RBV) and service-dominant logic (SDL). Based on survey data from 686 service firms and 1,646 manufacturing firms, the hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe empirical results showed that CSR positively affected service innovation and product innovation in service firms and manufacturing firms, respectively, and that these effects were positively mediated by employee involvement and supplier collaboration. However, compared with manufacturing firms, the effect of CSR on innovation performance was greater for service firms. Supplier collaboration and employee involvement also played a stronger role in service firms when mediating the relationship between CSR and innovation performance.Originality/valueBy analyzing and validating the direct and indirect effects of CSR on innovation performance in both the service and manufacturing industries, this study addressed the strategic benefit of CSR and extended research focused on the financial benefits of CSR. Therefore, its findings contribute to our understanding of sustainability and innovation issues. From a theoretical perspective, this study extended the RBV, SDL and stakeholder theory to the context of the CSR-innovation relationship, and showed that firms could align CSR and innovation initiatives to achieve strategic synergy. It also revealed the similarities and differences between service and manufacturing firms regarding the mechanism through which CSR affects innovation.

Innovation performance of Italian manufacturing firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio de Oliveira Paula ◽  
Jorge Ferreira da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Italian Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Internal Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how internal and external sources of knowledge influence the innovation performance (IP) in Italian manufacturing firms and how different these relationships are for low-technology (LT) and high-technology (HT) firms. Design/methodology/approach The study proposed a model relating external knowledge, internal knowledge and IP that was tested using Bayesian structural equation modeling with a sample of Italian manufacturing firms of Community Innovation Survey 2010. It was run separately for high-tech firms (including HT and medium-HT aggregations of manufacturing industries of NACE Rev. 2) and low-tech firms (including LT and medium-LT aggregations). Findings The results showed a difference between high-tech and low-tech manufacturing firms in Italy. The investments to leverage internal knowledge sources are important for high-techs and not significant for low-techs. On the other hand, the level of external KS improves significantly the IP of low-techs and has a negative effect for high-techs. The level of absorptive capacity is central to improve the positive effect of the external knowledge on the IP for all firms, but it is still underdeveloped. Originality/value The effects of 2008 economic crisis hit the Italian manufacturing industry specifically hard and are still felt. Innovation is a solution for firms’ growth and Italy is considered a below-average innovator country in Europe. The study could identify important gaps in Italian manufacturing firms that hinder their innovative performance improvement.

scholarly journals SEARCHING WIDELY OR DEEPLY? THE IMPACT OF OPEN INNOVATION ON INNOVATION AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE AMONG INDONESIAN MANUFACTURING FIRMS

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Arif Hartono ◽  
Ratih Kusumawardhani
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Innovation Surveys ◽  
External Sources ◽  
The Impact

Since the term Open Innovation (OI) was coined by Henry Chesbrough in 2003, OI studies have been frequently conducted. Surprisingly, OI insights, in the context of Indonesian firms, are scarce. Furthermore, there are no existing OI studies that use data derived from innovation surveys. Hence, this study attempts to close the gap in the literature, by providing insights into Indonesian firms’ openness toward external knowledge, and its impact on innovation performance. The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of OI practices on Indonesian manufacturing firms’ propensity to innovate (i.e. their product, process, organization, and marketing) and innovation performance. Product and process innovations are grouped under the term technological innovation, while organization and marketing innovations are classified as non-technological innovation. Data used in this study were derived from the Indonesia Innovation Survey (IIS) 2011 that covered the period from 2009-2010. Following Laursen and Salter’s (2006) study, OI indicators consist of external search breadth (i.e. the number of external sources or search channels that firms rely upon in their innovative activities) and depth (the extent to which firms draw deeply from the different external sources or search channels) in innovation process. Undertaking logistic and tobit regressions, this study shows that in general, both breadth and depth significantly and positively affect technological and non-technological innovation, as well as innovation performance. However, the over-search on external knowledge, measured by breadth squared and depth squared, negatively and significantly influence innovation and innovation performance. This indicates that too much external knowledge, sourced during the innovation process will diminish the return of innovation. This study also finds an indication of a complementary relationship existing between internal R&D and external knowledge; meaning that the implementation of one knowledge-sourcing strategy (either sourcing from internal R&D or external knowledge) increases the marginal returns from another. Lastly, important implications related to theoretical and innovation strategies are proposed. 

Linking open innovation, innovation barriers and performance of Indonesian firms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Hartono ◽  
Abdur Rafik
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Barriers To Innovation ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Innovation Barriers ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Firm Openness

Purpose This study aims to examine open innovation that consists a wide range of external knowledge search activities, such external search breadth and depth, external R&D, cooperation and acquisition activities, as a response to different innovation barriers faced by Indonesian firms. Design/methodology/approach Data are derived from Indonesia innovation survey. Exploratory factor analysis is used to identify and combine innovation barriers variables. Ordered logistic estimation is used to measure the impact of innovation barriers on firm openness decision. Logistic regression is used to measure the impact of innovation barriers on firm openness indicators such as external R&D, cooperation and acquisition as the variables are binary. Finally, Tobit regression is used to measure the impact of firm openness decision on innovation performance. Findings The main findings indicate that different barriers to innovation lead to different firms’ openness decisions, and different decisions on openness have differentiated influence on innovation performance. Originality/value This study contributes to the innovation barrier literature by empirically testing whether experiencing barriers to innovation is associated with a broader external knowledge search activity. Previous studies tend to link innovation barriers with a narrow activity as indicated by external knowledge searching widely and deeply.

How do ventures become more innovative? The effect of external search and ambidextrous knowledge integration

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyun Rui ◽  
Kalle Lyytinen
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Of Knowledge ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose New ventures search for external knowledge to break through the prevailing knowledge and resource constraints. The influence of search mechanisms can be assessed against the backdrop of internal factors such as the venture’s knowledge integration (KI) capability. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of knowledge search depth (KSD) and knowledge search breadth (KSB) on innovation outcomes and asks to what extent such effects are mediated by levels of KI. Design/methodology/approach The authors distinguish between the current depth and width of the firm’s knowledge base as to detect their possible moderating effects. The authors test the model using data collected from 167 Chinese start-ups. Findings The results show that KSB has a positive effect on KI and innovation performance, but KSD has an inverted U-shaped effect on KI and innovation performance. KI plays a mediating role between external knowledge search and innovation performance, while the breadth of the venture’s knowledge base positively moderates the relationship between explorative KI and innovation performance, and the depth of knowledge base positively moderates the relationship between exploitive KI and innovation performance. Originality/value These results differ from earlier research focusing on mature enterprises.

Are winemaker consultants just another source of knowledge for innovation?

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1523-1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Doloreux ◽  
Ekaterina Turkina
Keyword(s):  
Positive Influence ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
External Sources ◽  
Original Survey ◽  
External Sources Of Knowledge

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of multiple external sources of knowledge and of the use of winemaker consultants on innovation in the Canadian wine industry. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study are taken from an original survey of wine firms in Canada covering the 2007-2009 period. The survey was carried out by computer-assisted telephone interviews, and it was addressed to winery firms that are engaged in growing grapes and producing wine. Findings The results show that the use of winemaker consultants positively affects all forms of innovation. At the same, as far as external knowledge sources are concerned, marketing sources positively affect all types of innovation, while research sources and general sources have a positive influence on particular forms of innovation. The results also show that winemaker consultants interact with other knowledge sources. Nevertheless, there are important nuances with regard to which type of knowledge sources is more compatible with the use of winemaker consultants for which type of innovation. Originality/value To date, there is no empirical evidence of the extent to which the use of external winemaker consultants and external knowledge sources interact together and what are their impacts on the introduction of different forms of innovation.

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