The roles of external embeddedness and institutional distance in the subsidiary product/process innovation and R&D capacity

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 2513-2530
Author(s):  
Cristina Doritta Rodrigues ◽  
Felipe Mendes Borini ◽  
Muhammad Mustafa Raziq ◽  
Roberto Carlos Bernardes

Purpose This study aims to look at the relationship of external embeddedness and institutional distance (governance aspects) with the foreign subsidiary research and development (R&D) capacity. Furthermore, it examines whether these relationships are mediated by subsidiary product and process innovation, and whether institutional distance plays a moderating role in the relationship between subsidiary innovation and R&D capacity. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on survey data from 130 foreign subsidiaries operating in Brazil and test their model using variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings Results suggest that subsidiary (product and process) innovation fully mediates the relationships between: subsidiary external embeddedness and R&D capacity; and institutional distance and subsidiary R&D capacity, such that the relationship is positive in case of the former and negative in case of the latter. The relationship between subsidiary product and process innovation and R&D capacity is positive and stronger at lower levels of institutional distance. Originality/value The research ignores the underlying mechanisms of the external embeddedness and institutional distance relationship with subsidiary R&D capacity. Furthermore, institutional distance based on formal governance aspects and their impacts on subsidiary innovation and R&D capacity are rarely investigated. This paper contributes with regard to these aspects.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisangela Lazarou Tarraço ◽  
Roberto Carlos Bernardes ◽  
Felipe Mendes Borini ◽  
Dennys Eduardo Rossetto

Purpose Is the development of local innovation capabilities enough for foreign subsidiaries in emerging markets to be able to integrate into global R&D projects? The authors argue that it is not. The purpose of this paper is to show the central role of R&D capacities when it comes to inserting foreign subsidiaries in emerging markets into global R&D projects. Design/methodology/approach The study investigated 131 foreign multinational subsidiaries operating in Brazil. For each subsidiary, the authors surveyed two to five directors or C-level executives from innovation, R&D, engineering, product development and projects. the authors used structural equation modeling for analysis. Findings The results indicate that product and process innovations alone do not guarantee the insertion of the emerging market subsidiaries into global innovation projects. Such insertion depends on the subsidiary’s accumulation of R&D capacities. Practical implications The results reinforce the central issue of building product and process innovation capabilities as the first step toward a blueprint for global projects. However, the effort is not limited to these initiatives. Product and process innovation efforts need be reverted in headquarters’ eyes in order for subsidiaries to gain R&D center status. To achieve this, subsidiaries must align their technological innovations with multinational corporations’ innovation strategies. Originality/value In authors’ view, this study contributes to the literature in three main areas: the evolutionary process of innovation capability in subsidiaries, the reverse innovation debate and the discussion of subsidiaries’ initiatives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-89
Author(s):  
Muhammad Athar Rasheed ◽  
Khuram Shahzad ◽  
Sajid Nadeem

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of transformational leadership on the innovation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through employee voice behaviors. Drawing from the upper echelon theory, it is hypothesized that employee voice is the mediating mechanism through which transformational leadership affects the process and product innovation in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 169 SMEs of Pakistan through an online self-administered questionnaire. The proposed hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Findings confirm that transformational leadership positively affects both process and product innovation in SMEs and employee voice behavior mediates between these relationships. Originality/value This research contributes to both theoretical and practical domains by providing evidence that encouraging employees to raise their voice positively impacts product and process innovation and transformational leadership is a potential organizational factor to shape employee voice and process and product innovation. To the best knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the mediating role of employee voice between transformational leadership and process and product innovation in SMEs and developing country’s context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuan-Yang Chen ◽  
Levent Altinay ◽  
Po-Yuan Chen ◽  
You-De Dai

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the attributes of market knowledge (depth/breadth) and particular types of (process/product) innovation. The mediating mechanism of ambidextrous (exploratory/exploitative) capabilities is also investigated. Design/methodology/approach Data from 153 travel agencies from two phases of data collection in Taiwan were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. Findings Market knowledge depth directly and positively impacts product and process innovation. Market knowledge breadth indirectly and positively impacts product and process innovation. Ambidextrous capabilities affect process and product innovation and mediate the effect of market knowledge breadth on the two innovations. Research limitations/implications This study provides different theoretical views, such as dynamic capability and organizational learning, to supplement the explanation of knowledge-based theory in the relationship between market knowledge and innovation. Practical implications This study encourages firms to accumulate market knowledge depth and breadth and facilitate ambidextrous capabilities for innovation. Originality/value Seldom has research explored the relationships between the attributes of market knowledge and types of innovation simultaneously to extend the input-process-output context. This study has done so and forwards the possibility that ambidextrous capability is critical mechanism.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peivand Ghasemzadeh ◽  
Jamal A. Nazari ◽  
Mandana Farzaneh ◽  
Gholamhossein Mehralian

Purpose Different studies have analyzed the relationship between organizational learning (OL) and innovation performance (IP). However, the question of how innovation culture (IC) affects the relationship between OL and IP remains unexplored. This study aims to examine the impact of IC on the relationship between OL and various dimensions of IP, including product, process and objective innovation. Design/methodology/approach A research model was developed and performed based on the relevant literature in the field of OL, IC and IP. The hypotheses are tested with the data collected from companies operating in an intensive knowledge-based industry. Findings Based on the results of 625 questionnaires completed by pharmaceutical companies, OL activities and IC can result in product and process innovation. However, this relationship was not supported for the objective innovation. Furthermore, in terms of the moderating role of IC in the relationship between OL and IP dimensions, the results were significant. Practical implications The findings help to gain a better understanding of how organizational commitment by creating a culture for innovation can help to maximize the benefits of continuous OL in product and process innovation. Originality/value Considering the three aspects of IP, it is the first survey of the contribution of OL in firms’ IP with considering the moderating role of IC. The proposed model would enrich the relevant literature and provide us with better understanding how OL contributes to the IP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 1159-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Cesar Ferro De Guimarães ◽  
Eliana Andréa Severo ◽  
Domingos Fernandes Campos ◽  
Walid Abbas El-Aouar ◽  
Fabiana Lucena Bezerra de Azevedo

Purpose The organizations need to use strategic drivers such as market orientation (MO) and knowledge management (KM) for the development of product and process innovations, which can become a major source of sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). However, there is a gap in the use of these precepts, specifically in Brazilian companies. The purpose of this paper is to measure the relationship among MO, KM orientation, innovation (product and process), SCA and organizational performance (OP). Design/methodology/approach The research was developed through a survey in 1,072 companies from the industrial manufacturing, commerce and services activity sectors. For the analysis of data, the study used the structural equation modeling method. Findings This study contributes to managerial decisions in the choice of investment in strategic drivers and innovation, to obtain competitive advantages and economic gains. The results highlight that companies that use market information have formal structures to support innovation processes achieving more successful results. Research limitations/implications The framework proposed in this research can be used for different industries and segments. Originality/value The theoretical value of this paper is the contribution to the literature with the provision of a framework to analyze the strategic drivers, which are antecedents of innovation in different sectors of activity and in different sizes of companies. It is highlighted as managerial contributions, that the study identified evidence that organizations seek a superior OP to the competitor, creating competitive differentials that result in SCA.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1177-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Katerina Gotzamani ◽  
Vasiliki Gkana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which five core dimensions of quality management, as a single factor, are associated with product innovation and process innovation; and finally how these two affect a firm’s competitive advantage in the market. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis followed in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model, includes an initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and finally structural equation modelling (SEM) Findings – According to the study findings, quality management (QM) directly contributes to product and process innovation. Furthermore, product and process innovation have a direct impact on companies’ competitive advantage. Thus, the study proves that QM is an opportunity for a firm to improve its innovation and consequently its competitiveness. Research limitations/implications – This study relies on the perceptions of the respondents to operationalize the survey instrument. In addition, all variables are measured in the year that the survey was carried out. However, since the research exams the relationship between QM, technical innovation and competitive advantage across various organizations, it would be interesting to conduct a longitudinal study within these organizations. Practical implications – Our study offers clear implications for managers, proving that they should give higher emphasis on QM and innovation in order to prioritize their product, production and technology strategies, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Originality/value – Based on the multi-dimensional structure of QM, this empirical study determines the contribution of QM to specific innovation performance and overall competitiveness of companies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Sik Cho ◽  
Kevin Linderman

Using a resource-based approach to innovation, this study proposes an alternative innovation model to the existing market-based Product Life Cycle (PLC) model. In particular, this study explores how the attributes of corporate strategic resources affect product and process innovation patterns. This study covers the development of new theory, as well as the empirical validation of the innovation model proposed in this study. Based on survey data from 257 chief operations officers in the United States, the ‘resource-based innovation model’ was tested and validated through various analytical methods, such as clustering, discriminant, and structural equation modeling analysis. The main findings are that (1) companies relying on both knowledge-based resources (KBR) and property-based resources (PBR) tend to focus on product and process innovation at the same time, (2) companies relying heavily on KBR tend to centralize their efforts for process innovation rather than product innovation, (3) companies with low reliance on KBR and PBR tend to minimize R&D efforts in product and process innovation, and (4) in a dynamic market condition, process innovations serves as order winners, while product innovations serves as order winners in a stable market. This research contributes to the operational management literature by proposing a new resource-based innovation algorithm that helps to understand innovation phenomena that are difficult to explain through the lens of the PLC-based innovation paradigm.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Zhang ◽  
Zhiqiang Wang ◽  
Xiande Zhao ◽  
Min Zhang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the effects of institutional support on product and process innovation and firm performance and describe how dysfunctional competition influences relevant outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This study develops a research model based on institution-based view and tests it using structural equation modeling and empirical data collected from 300 manufacturers in China. Findings The results show that institutional support positively affects product and process innovation and firm performance. Both product and process innovation improve firm performance. The findings reveal that dysfunctional competition significantly reduces the positive effects of institutional support on product and process innovation but leaves the effects of institutional support and product and process innovation on firm performance unaffected. Originality/value This study contributes to innovation literature by providing insights into the impact of China’s institutional environment on manufacturing firms’ product and process innovation decisions. The findings also contribute to institution-based view literature by providing empirical evidence on the joint effects of institutional support and dysfunctional competition on product and process innovation and firm performance. This study can help manufacturers in China take advantage of institutional environment and adjust product and process innovation decisions accordingly.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Badraoui ◽  
Ivo van der Lans ◽  
Youssef Boulaksil ◽  
Jack G.A.J. van der Vorst

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) characteristics on the antecedents of horizontal logistics collaboration (HLC). Specifically, the study compares the relationship between collaboration activities and outcomes for companies in and outside AFSCs.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a survey was used to collect data from different industries. Second, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied to compare the measurement and structural models from different industry categories.FindingsThe results support the premise that collaboration improves trust and commitment in the relationship, which in turn enhance satisfaction. The results also show the existence of a minor influence of AFSCs characteristics on HLC antecedents, in the form of an indirect impact of dedicated investments on commitment.Practical implicationsThe factors having a significant influence on the collaboration outcomes and their respective effects are generally similar across food and nonfood supply chains, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary and collaboration experiences.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the body of knowledge on interfirm collaboration by considering the specificities of HLC. It also highlights the importance of conducting contingency research on collaborative experiences, as firms from different industry contexts operate under distinct operational conditions.


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