Open innovation in family firms: empirical evidence about internal and external knowledge flows

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 979-997
Author(s):  
Pasquale Del Vecchio ◽  
Giustina Secundo ◽  
Michele Rubino ◽  
Antonello Garzoni ◽  
Demetris Vrontis
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Young Entrepreneurs

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on how family firms execute open innovation strategies by managing internal and external knowledge flows (KF) to provide a deeper understanding of family firms’ ability to innovate through traditions and create value across generations. Design/methodology/approach Empirical evidence was collected using an online survey of a sample of 208 Apulian entrepreneurs, who were members of the association of young entrepreneurs of Confindustria in the Apulia region (southern Italy). Findings The study derives a model that explains the most relevant factors behind the innovation processes developed by young entrepreneurs in family firms: network membership benefits; KF; track record of innovation; and the entrepreneurial attitude of employees. Research limitations/implications By integrating insights from different research streams, namely, innovation management, open innovation and family firms, the study provides a novel contribution to the open innovation process in family firms. Practical implications The study offers interpretative lenses for entrepreneurs and managers to understand the most suitable knowledge transfer process for encouraging open innovation in family firms, taking into consideration young entrepreneurs’ traditions and interpersonal skills, the KF in local ecosystems and network benefits as the main variables supporting the innovation process. Originality/value This study creates a link between open innovation and family firm research by providing an empirically grounded model illustrating how the innovation process is realized in family firms.

Knowledge transfer in open innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giustina Secundo ◽  
Antonio Toma ◽  
Giovanni Schiuma ◽  
Giuseppina Passiante
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transfer Processes ◽  
Innovation Processes ◽  
Interpretative Framework

PurposeDespite the abundance of research in open innovation, few contributions explore it at inter-organizational level, and particularly with a focus on healthcare ecosystem, characterized by a dense network of relationships among public and private organizations (hospitals, companies and universities) as well as other actors that can be labeled as “untraditional” player, i.e. doctors, nurses and patients. The purpose of this paper is to cover this gap and explore how knowledge is transferred and flows among all the healthcare ecosystems’ players in order to support open innovation processes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual in nature and adopts a narrative literature review approach. In particular, insights gathered from open innovation literature at the inter-organizational network level, with a particular attention to healthcare ecosystems, and from the knowledge transfer processes, are analyzed in order to propose an interpretative framework for the understanding of knowledge transfer in open innovation with a focus on healthcare ecosystem.FindingsThe paper proposes an original interpretative framework for knowledge transfer to support open innovation in healthcare ecosystems, composed of four main components: healthcare ecosystem’s players’ categories; knowledge flows among different categories of players along the exploration and exploitation stages of innovation development; players’ motivations for open innovation; and players’ positions in the innovation process. In addition, assuming the intermediary network as the suitable organizational model for healthcare ecosystem, four classification scenarios are identified on the basis of the main players’ influence degree and motivations for open innovation.Practical implicationsThe paper offers interpretative lenses for managers and policy makers in understanding the most suitable organizational models able to encourage open innovation in healthcare ecosystems, taking into consideration the players’ motivation and the knowledge transfer processes on the basis of the innovation results.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a novel framework that fills a gap in the innovation management literature, by pointing out the key role of external not R&D players, like patients, involved in knowledge transfer for open innovation processes in healthcare ecosystems.

Impact of wise leadership, workplace friendships on open innovation in family firms: a developing country perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir A. Abdulmuhsin ◽  
Ali Tarhini
Keyword(s):  
Developing Country ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Top Management Teams ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Friendships

PurposeThis study draws upon the hybrid approach of the resource-based view and social capital theory, and aims to develop and empirically validate a model that examines the relationship amongst wise leadership, workplace friendships and open innovation (OI) in family firms (FFs).Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted to collect data from a sample of 381 firms from a developing country. Additionally, this study used AMOS software and structural equation model to empirically test the proposed hypotheses of the theoretical model.FindingsFindings show that wise leadership has a significant, positive indirect effect on stimulating OI in FFs via its influence on building workplace friendships and overcoming knowledge–strategic and collaboration–organisational challenges.Practical implicationsTo improve OI, top management teams of family businesses should encourage wise, intelligent, well-informed and strong leaders who drive change. Moreover, they should establish small group, “smart-world” networks for specialised innovation to facilitate friendship based on trust and competence, and develop the coordinating role of family leaders in these networks.Originality/valueThis study complements and advances previous research on OI in many ways. Firstly, the current study proposes a conceptual model that demonstrates the interrelationships amongst the main variables in Iraqi FFs. Secondly, this research explores the crucial mediating role of workplace friendship, which capitalises on the principles of friendship in the context of the acquisition, accumulation and exchange of knowledge, thereby overcoming the challenges associated with innovation.

What influences the innovation environment in BPO companies?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel Soares Ponciano ◽  
Creusa Sayuri Tahara Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Research ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Relationship Of

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the factors that form the innovation environment in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, from a case study in a Brazilian multinational company operating in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and BPO segment.Design/methodology/approachMinnesota Innovation Research Program (MIRP) questionnaire was adopted, aimed to environment conducive to innovation. It was applied to a sample of employees, from different hierarchical levels, who participated in an innovation training program developed and implemented by the organization. The data were analyzed to verify, in a simplified initial diagnosis, the influence of internal and external factors defined by MIRP in the company's innovation process.FindingsInnovation management process focuses predominantly on processes (71.4% of occurrences). As impact of the factors: results (88.9%), autonomy (76.3%), leadership (74.9%), resources (74.6%), internal relationship of the innovation group (73.1%), formalization (68.4%), processes (64.5%), relationship effectiveness (63.7%), external relationship of the innovation group (63.2%) and dependence on external resources (52.6%). There was confirmation that the innovation program of company is effective and that the culture of innovation is institutionalized.Research limitations/implicationsA crossing of supplementary information could reveal some significant difference in the perception of the innovative culture and performance of the innovation processes between distinguished profiles.Practical implicationsBetter guidance for management of ICT/BPO companies in an Open Innovation paradigm.Social implicationsBetter relationship among the actors of an Open Innovation industry arrangement.Originality/valueImprovement of the innovation process can occur through a greater focus on Open Innovation.

External knowledge sourcing and new product development

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (11) ◽  
pp. 2373-2387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Santoro ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Alberto Pastore
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
New Product ◽  
Incremental Innovation ◽  
Knowledge Sourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Npd Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of external knowledge in the innovation process of firms in the food and beverage (F&B) industry and the effects of two external knowledge sourcing modes on new product development (NPD) performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies a quantitative approach, relying on data from 157 Italian firms operating in the F&B industry to test the hypotheses through OLS regression models. Findings Results suggest that the surveyed firms actively engage in open innovation with strong ties with market-based sources. Moreover, the authors found that market-based sources are associated with income from incremental innovation and time to market, while science-based sources are associated with income from radical innovation. Finally, the authors found that the R&D intensity enhances the benefits of the above external knowledge sourcing modes. Originality/value Despite the large amount of studies assessing the effects of external knowledge sourcing on performance in the open innovation field, few studies focused on a specific industry, especially with regard to F&B. Moreover, this paper considers different types of NPD performance measures given that different external knowledge sourcing modes exert different effects.

Putting the cart (antecedents) before the horse (absorptive capacity): the role of competitive antecedents to the absorptive capacity innovation process

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond Ng ◽  
Leonardo F. Sanchez-Aragon
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
The Us

Purpose The purpose of this study is to theoretically and empirically advance a concept of competitive antecedents to absorptive capacity (AC) research and to explain their relationship to a firm’s innovative performance. A firm’s competitive antecedents involve a relative advantage in a firm’s ability to access external knowledge – (i.e. relative advantage in external knowledge flows) – and a relative advantage in appropriating these external knowledge flows (i.e. relative advantage in appropriability regime). Design/methodology/approach By drawing on network and market share explanations, hypotheses were developed in which a firm’s AC is argued to mediate the influence of these competitive antecedents on a firm’s innovations. In using linear and negative binomial estimation methods, a mediation analysis of the US biotechnology industry was conducted. Findings A firm’s competitive antecedents have a positive influence on a firm’s AC and that these influences indirectly impact a biotechnology firm’s product innovations. Originality/value While a firm’s innovation is widely attributed to its AC, this study’s concept of competitive antecedents shows that a firm’s competitive advantage lies upstream from its AC.

Family dynamics and gender perspective influencing copreneurship practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Franco ◽  
Patricia Piceti
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Family Dynamics ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Family ◽  
And Gender

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the family dynamics factors and gender roles influencing the functioning of copreneurial business practices, to propose a conceptual framework based on these factors/roles. Design/methodology/approach For this purpose, a qualitative approach was adopted, through the analysis of seven businesses created by copreneurial couples in an emerging economy – Brazil. Data were obtained from an open interview with each member of the selected couples who are in charge of firm management. Findings The empirical evidence obtained shows that the most important factors for successful copreneurial family businesses are professionalization, dividing the couple’s tasks and business management. Trust, communication, flexibility and common goals are other essential relational-based factors for the good functioning of this type of family business and stability in the personal relationship. Practical implications It is clear that professionalization and the separation of positions and functions are fundamental for a balance between business management and the couple’s marital life. When couples are in harmony and considering factors such as trust, communication and flexibility (relational-based factors), the firm’s life-cycle and business success become real and more effective. Originality/value From the family dynamics factors and gender roles, this study focused on one of the most important and integrated family firm relationships, copreneurial couples. As there is little research on the heterogeneity of family firms runs specifically by copreneurial couples, this study is particularly important and innovative in the context of a developing economy, such as Brazil. Based on empirical evidence, this study was proposed an integrative and holistic framework that shows the functioning of copreneurial businesses practices.

Understanding the relationship between organizational culture and inbound open innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz Barjak ◽  
Fabian Heimsch
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
External Control ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe relationship between corporate culture and inbound open innovation (OI) has been limited to two sub-constructs: a culture for openness and an innovation culture, but until now a richer conceptualization of corporate culture is missing.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply Quinn and Rohrbaugh's (1983) competing values framework and regress these together with company internal and external control variables on five measures of inbound OI, reflecting product innovation, process innovation and the sourcing of innovation activities. The authors use data from a survey of more than 250 Swiss companies, primarily SMEs.FindingsThe importance of the firms' market environments suggests that the results are affected by the specific situation in which the firms found themselves at the time of the survey: after a strong currency shock, inbound OI activities seem to be a reaction to external pressure that favored planning and rule-oriented (formal) cultures to implement cost-cutting process innovations.Practical implicationsCompanies should develop a vision and a strategy, ensure open and transparent communication, have suitable reward and support mechanisms in place, adjust structures and processes, and institutionalize and formalize any change whenever they are confronted with a situation that requires a quick reaction and an adjustment to their degree of openness.Originality/valueThe paper clarifies the relationship between cultural traits and inbound OI, using a well-established understanding of corporate culture and differentiating between innovation types. It points to the importance of the external environment in order to understand the role of culture.

Industrial and tourism perspectives on open innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-532
Author(s):  
Patricia P. Iglesias-Sánchez ◽  
Carmen Jambrino-Maldonado ◽  
Carlos de las Heras-Pedrosa
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Collective Effort ◽  
Two Sectors ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Open innovation (OI) involves the alignment of the organisation’s strategy and resources. Notably, companies will not adopt this emerging paradigm without a guarantee of better results. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify which combination of entrepreneurial managerial approaches makes it possible for companies to improve performance. Design/methodology/approach This study involves a survey questionnaire, 147 enterprises and regression analysis on the survey data to identify to what extent strategic and management orientations affect innovation performance (IP), as well as an analysis focusing on the results of two sectors (i.e. tourism and agri-food industries). Findings The main findings show a direct effect amongst the level of innovation, external openness and open innovation management (OIM), and IP. However, although there are no differences in the perception and orientation of OIM and the results across the two sectors, the influence of the variable firm size has been supported. Finally, the collective effort required by companies to ensure the successful implementation of OI processes and achieve high IP is outstanding. Practical implications This paper discusses the significance of these findings, highlighting the main practical implications for researchers and companies – especially the need to assimilate the organisational change involved in the challenge of OI. Originality/value This study combines the sectors industry and services, emphasises OIM and reinforces the literature in the field of IP.

MAPPING THE PERCEPTION AND REALITY OF OPEN INNOVATION

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (06) ◽  
pp. 1340016 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUSTYNA DĄBROWSKA ◽  
IRINA FIEGENBAUM ◽  
ANTERO KUTVONEN
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Innovation Research ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Current State ◽  
Business Practitioners ◽  
The Right ◽  
Innovation Practices ◽  
Innovation Processes

Open innovation holds great potential for improving the efficiency of companies' innovation processes, but also presents substantial risks. A key issue in innovation management is finding the right balance of openness, i.e., determining how open companies should be in their innovation activities. However, academics and business practitioners hold conflicting notions of what constitutes open innovation practice and of how "open innovation companies" are defined. In this paper, we present three in-depth case studies of global R&D-intensive companies, where we find that the firms' perception of their openness differs from their actual situation (as determined by the innovation practices that they apply), and that each company has a different view as to what constitutes open innovation. We claim that resolving conceptual ambiguity and differentiating between openness (as a philosophical aspect) and open innovation (as a way of structuring the innovation process) in research is critical in order to clarify the current state of open innovation research and enable the communication of results to practitioners.

scholarly journals Prediction Markets for Crowdsourcing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Horn ◽  
Marcel Bogers ◽  
Alexander Brem*
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Prediction Markets ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Prediction Market ◽  
Online Platform ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Opening Up

Crowdsourcing is an increasingly important phenomenon that is fundamentally changing how companies create and capture value. There are still important questions with respect to how crowdsourcing works and can be applied in practice, especially in business practice. In this chapter, we focus on prediction markets as a mechanism and tool to tap into a crowd in the early stages of an innovation process. The act of opening up to external knowledge sources is also in line with the growing interest in open innovation. One example of a prediction market, a virtual stock market, is applied to open innovation through an online platform. We show that use of mechanisms of internal crowdsourcing with prediction markets can outperform use of external crowds.

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