Knowledge sources and innovation in the hotel industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 2537-2561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Nieves ◽  
Gonzalo Diaz-Meneses
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
External Agents ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Organizational Collaboration

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the role played by external knowledge sources and intra-organizational collaboration as determinants of innovation in hotel firms. It proposes that local knowledge sources and intra-organizational collaboration determine the probability of producing incremental innovations, and that non-local knowledge sources determine the introduction of radical innovations.Design/methodology/approachDescriptive statistics made it possible to evaluate the importance of each of the external sources as the origin of ideas for innovation. Principal component analysis was used to find homogeneous groups based on the different knowledge sources contemplated. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which variables predict a hotel’s capacity to introduce innovations.FindingsThe findings suggest a dissociation between innovations adopted by directly incorporating the specific knowledge provided by external agents and innovations that require the mediation of intra-organizational collaboration for their development.Research limitations/implicationsFuture qualitative studies can provide data that would considerably improve the understanding of how innovation processes are produced in hotel companies based on the use of external knowledge and how hotel firms develop spaces to exchange and combine internal knowledge.Practical implicationsHotel firms can adopt innovations by incorporating specific knowledge from external companies or by developing their own innovations based on information gathered from external agents or events (e.g. customers, attending trade fairs and professional conferences). The transformation of this information into innovations requires the establishment of internal communication channels that foment employees’ collaboration and exchange of information.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence for the relevant role played by both external agents and intra-organizational relationships as sources of knowledge to foster innovation in hotel firms. External agents are classified as local and non-local sources, and their effect on innovation is analyzed, distinguishing between incremental and radical innovations.

Connecting local and global technological knowledge sourcing

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cantwell ◽  
Salma Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
City Region ◽  
Knowledge Sourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Knowledge Connectivity ◽  
International Knowledge ◽  
Changing Knowledge

Purpose Through increasing globalization, cities are becoming increasingly interconnected with each other. To remain competitive, it is necessary for cities to combine complementary non-local sources of knowledge with local knowledge sources. The authors contend that an increase in non-local knowledge sourcing tends to enhance local knowledge sourcing too. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of international knowledge sources on the capacity to build upon local knowledge sources in a city region. In addition, the authors investigate whether information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge sources have a bigger impact than do other fields of knowledge on local knowledge connectivity. Design/methodology/approach Using the US Patent and Trademark Office data, the authors study knowledge sourcing trends for the years 1980-2016 across 33 global cities. Backward patent citations from these granted patents are used to identify the location of inventors of prior knowledge sources, and the geography of knowledge building connections over time is assessed by using the inventor locations of cited (source) and citing (recipient) patents. Findings The authors show that international knowledge sourcing is highly connected with local knowledge sourcing. The authors also find that ICT have a significant effect on this relationship. However, there are significant differences across cities in the extent and nature of this relationship. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the changing geography of knowledge connections. It provides a detailed picture of changing knowledge sourcing trends at a city region level, and it improves our understanding of the role played by a variety of knowledge connections in helping a city remain competitive.

Local vs non-local sources of knowledge for the low-tech firms’ product innovation: evidence from the food-processing industry in Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 651-670
Author(s):  
Phakpoom Tippakoon
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Non Local

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect on firms’ new product development (NPD) and significant product modification of knowledge interaction with local and non-local knowledge actors. Design/methodology/approach This study draws insights from the literature on external knowledge sources. The negative binomial regression is used to analyse the data of 245 sample food-processing establishments in Thailand. Findings Local knowledge actors play only limited roles in enhancing food-processing establishments’ product innovations. Only knowledge interaction with local universities and public research organisations helps enhance establishments’ ability to modify their products. For the NPD, significant sources of knowledge are non-local industrial actors. Originality/value This study adds new empirical evidence on knowledge sources for innovation of low-tech firms in less developed countries. It contributes new findings to an on-going debate on the importance of local vs non-local knowledge sources on firms’ innovativeness. It also contributes some implications for the Thai Government’s cluster-based innovation strategy.

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.

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.

Benefiting from External Knowledge in Open Innovation Processes

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Kruse ◽  
Peter Geißler
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Innovation Processes ◽  
Internal Knowledge

The importance of knowledge management for organizations has been widely discussed in recent years. Today, only few firms can sustain their competitiveness and innovativeness by focusing exclusively on internal knowledge sources. Managing highly specific knowledge from customers, technologies, markets, etc. is now a key to innovation. However, integrating external knowledge to foster innovation faces companies with a number of challenges. This study examines the role of external knowledge in the field of open innovation. By carrying out a systematic literature review the author develops eight categories with 19 sub-categories of potential external knowledge sources. A systematization of the identified sources investigates assets and drawbacks that can be associated with the integration of such knowledge. Thereby, the article shows that research on open innovation is highly concerned about the role of external knowledge, but mainly focuses on just a few categories and tends to neglect positive and/or negative influences on competitiveness and innovativeness.

The mediating role of supply chain collaboration on the relationship between information technology and innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 548-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jimenez-Jimenez ◽  
Micaela Martínez-Costa ◽  
Cristobal Sanchez Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Supply Chain Collaboration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transmission Of Knowledge ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
External Agents ◽  
The Creation

PurposeThe high level of competition in the globalized business environment forces companies to innovate to remain competitive. Previous literature often cites information technology (IT) and supply chain collaboration as direct contributors to product innovation and IT as a direct enabler of supply chain collaboration. This suggests that IT could have an indirect effect on product innovation through supply chain collaboration, although this relationship has not been addressed yet. This paper aims to analyze empirically the direct impacts of IT and supply chain collaboration on incremental and radical product innovation and the indirect effect of IT on both types of product innovation through supply chain collaboration by using data collected from a sample of 200 manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to check the research hypotheses with a sample of 200 manufacturing companies.FindingsThe results show supply chain collaboration has a positive effect on technological innovation, showing that the collaboration with external agents foster both incremental and radical innovations. Furthermore, results show that IT directly enhances both types of product innovation (incremental and radical) indirectly through supply chain collaboration.Research limitations/implicationsThis article supports the pursuit of open innovation that suggests the need to acquire external knowledge to be able to develop innovation projects. The use of tools that facilitate this transmission of knowledge becomes indispensable in environments in which companies must be involved in supply chains in which different external agents intervene and in which collaboration can promote the creation of synergies and superior competitive advantages.Practical implicationsInnovation requires more and more the use of knowledge management practices that capture external information to be used in the creation of new products. In this case, collaboration within a supply chain facilitates incremental and radical innovations. However, to strengthen this transfer of information and the adoption of behaviors that stimulate innovation, the company must use ITs.Originality/valueThis paper focus on the indirect effect of IT on product innovation through the creation of the collaborations with external agents. In spite of the importance of this relation, it has been poorly studied by previous literature. The paper’s greatest interest lies in the fact that ITs not only facilitate the transmission of knowledge but also facilitate other types of behavior among supply chain agents that invite collaboration and generate innovations.

External knowledge sources as antecedents of organizational innovation in firm workplaces: a knowledge-based perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lurdes Simao ◽  
Mário Franco
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Community Innovation Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the impact of different knowledge sources used by firms to adopt organizational innovation, in relation to organization of responsibilities and decision-making in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach To fulfil the proposed objective, quantitative research, based on a sample of 2,591 Portuguese firms, has been undertaken. Data have been obtained from the Community Innovation Survey 2012. Findings The results show the importance of external knowledge from suppliers, clients, consultants and commercial laboratories in new innovation practices in firm workplace. Knowledge from competitors, universities, the State and research institutes does not present a significant effect. Practical implications Knowledge sources can stimulate the introduction of new management practices in the workplace, consistent with the external search literature on technological innovation, which argues that many of the ideas and implementation skills for organizational innovation come from outside sources. Originality/value Within the innovation management literature, very few studies tried to explore organizational innovation in firm workplaces. This paper is innovative and makes a novel contribution mainly to the knowledge management field by highlighting the importance of external knowledge sources in organizational innovation in firm workplaces from a knowledge-based perspective.

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.

The interaction between external and internal knowledge sources: an open innovation view

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 430-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nieves L. Díaz-Díaz ◽  
Petra de Saá Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
External Sources ◽  
Internal Sources ◽  
External Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Internal Knowledge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the external sources of knowledge that better exploit internal knowledge in order to innovate. Design/methodology/approach – A balanced panel of 1,266 firms that respond to the Survey of Business Strategies for a five-year period was used, which represents a total of 6,330 observations. Findings – The influence of the absorptive capacity on new products is significant, with an inverted U-shaped relationship. The interaction between external sources of knowledge and firm ' s absorptive capacity has a negative effect on innovation up to a certain level (substitution effect), after which that interaction improves the innovation of firms, displaying a complementary effect. Practical implications – Firms with excess of internal sources of knowledge do not obtain better innovative results because overtime firms tend to inertia and need external sources of knowledge to obtain new knowledge. Firms must be conscious that the effect on innovation of using a strategy of external knowledge acquisition could be different depending on their internal knowledge base level. Thus, those firms that select their strategies to combine knowledge appropriately will have better results. Originality/value – This paper reveals that the positive effect of internal sources of knowledge on innovation decline after it reaches a high level because those firms with strong absorptive capacity may enter a state of organizational inertia that reduces their innovation. This research enhances the importance of identifying each of the external knowledge sources likely to be used, since their influence on innovation differs depending on the level of internal knowledge. Finally, this study is based on panel data models, which allows us to control unobservable heterogeneity improving earlier studies that had to rely on cross-sectional data.

Knowledge creation in small building and construction firms

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Durst ◽  
Ingi Runar Edvardsson ◽  
Guido Bruns
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Small Building

Studies on knowledge creation are limited in general, and there is a particular shortage of research on the topic in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given the importance of SMEs for the economy and the vital role of knowledge creation in innovation, this situation is unsatisfactory. Accordingly, the purpose of our study is to increase our understanding of how SMEs create new knowledge. Data are obtained through semi-structured interviews with ten managing directors of German SMEs operating in the building and construction industry. The findings demonstrate the influence of external knowledge sources on knowledge creation activities. Even though the managing directors take advantage of different external knowledge sources, they seem to put an emphasis on informed knowledge sources. The study´s findings advance the limited body of knowledge regarding knowledge creation in SMEs.

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