The role of client knowledge absorptive capacity for innovation in KIBS

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolay Chichkanov
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Innovations ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Client Knowledge ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to study the relationship between the knowledge exchanged during client interactions and innovation in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) enterprises. It adapts the concept of absorptive capacity, i.e. the ability of the firm to successfully deal with external knowledge, to the case of client knowledge being absorbed with the support of information and communication technologies and explores whether its three main dimensions (acquisition, assimilation and application of client knowledge) are significant enablers of KIBS’ innovation propensity. Design/methodology/approach An empirical analysis is based on a dataset of 417 Russian KIBS companies collected in 2019 following the recommendations suggested in the new edition of Oslo Manual. To examine the relationship between the three-client knowledge absorptive capacity dimensions and implementation of different types of innovation by KIBS, the study applies linear ordinary least squares and logistic regression methods. Findings The results show that acquisition of client knowledge through the wide number of digital channels, assimilation of such knowledge boosted by its codification through a digital customer relationship management (CRM) system and application of client knowledge across different functional areas are positively associated with both product and business process innovations in KIBS. Originality/value The paper proposes that KIBS should develop and sustain the strong internal capacity to absorb knowledge through routine day-to-day client interactions as a part of their knowledge management systems. The results also indicate that application of digital communication tools and CRM systems are beneficial for KIBS and increases their propensity to innovate.

New ventures, product innovation and business intermediaries

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aiqi Wu ◽  
Shengxiao Li ◽  
Huafeng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Product Innovation ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Innovation Product ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) intermediary ties on new ventures’ product innovation. Product innovation is a critical strategy for new ventures’ survival and growth. However, as a result of smallness and newness, new ventures usually face considerable difficulties in product innovation and require support to help their innovation search and innovation activities. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey of 145 Chinese new ventures is used to test presented hypotheses empirically. Findings – This study finds that the intensity of KIBS intermediary ties has a positive influence on innovation, while the diversity of KIBS intermediary ties has no influence on new ventures’ product innovation. Moreover, the relationship between the intensity of KIBS intermediary ties and new ventures’ product innovation is moderated by the degree of their international venturing and ties with other firms. Originality/value – This study enriches understanding of the important roles of KIBS intermediary ties on new ventures’ product innovation.

Efficiency and the scope of outsourced services: a client firm’s absorptive capacity perspective of knowledge-intensive services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Ellimäki ◽  
J. Alberto Aragón-Correa ◽  
Nuria Esther Hurtado-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Industry Data ◽  
Business Process Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Provider ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Industry Conditions

PurposeStrategic literature has focused on how economies of scale in a firm offering outsourcing may generate incentives for clients to increase the outsourced services, but there has been limited research on how the clients’ features may influence the scope of services that they hire with an outsourcing provider. This study analyzes whether a client’s efficiency motivates it to increase ties with a specific provider of knowledge-intensive services in the context of business process outsourcing (BPO). We further explore whether industry conditions moderate the relationship.Design/methodology/approachA research framework is developed consisting of three main hypotheses. We combine industry data and proprietary and financial data from a longitudinal sample of 107 client firms of a multinational outsourcing service provider to test our hypotheses.FindingsWe find that more efficient firms hire more services from an outsourcing provider and that the munificence of the client firm’s industry positively moderates this relationship. Our results suggest that efficient clients can better keep transaction costs under control when accessing, assimilating, and exploiting the knowledge embedded in an expanded set of services provided by an outsourcing supplier.Originality/valueThis study extends the absorptive capacity perspective by showing that a client’s efficiency reinforces its opportunities to absorb knowledge-intensive services from a supplier when expanding the range of operations in the context of BPO.

scholarly journals Evolving value propositions in knowledge-intensive business services

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1153-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eija-Liisa Heikka ◽  
Satu Nätti
Keyword(s):  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Value Proposition ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what value dimensions and related value components are highlighted in the value proposition of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), both at the relationship and project levels, how value propositions can differ between new and established customer relationships, and finally what is characteristic to the evolution of value proposition in the KIBS context. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a comparative, qualitative multiple case study method. Findings The aim is to offer a comprehensive picture of the variety of value components in KIBS relationships, likewise, how the nature and composition of value proposition changes as a relationship evolves from conducting a single project toward a more established customer relationship. Individual experts seem to possess a crucial role in that development. Originality/value This study contributes theoretically by providing insights into the current literature on core dimensions and components of value propositions in this specific context, and differences there can be between new and established customer relationships. The study also offers much-needed, context-specific knowledge of knowledge-intensive services for managers. Empirically, these findings reflect the perspectives of both the service provider and four of its customers, ensuring a multi-sided description of the phenomenon.

scholarly journals Knowledge-intensive business services and innovation performance in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Bonomi Santos
Keyword(s):  
Innovation System ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Innovation Outcomes ◽  
Analyze Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the way different economic sectors in Brazil use knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and explore which features of KIBS use are associated with better innovation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Clusters and regression analyses were used to analyze data from the national innovation survey (PINTEC) from 2014. Findings The results show that most of the 55 sectors of the Brazilian economy studied make little use of KIBS, but industries in which firms that interact with KIBS providers also have better innovation performance and offer more innovative offerings. The relationship with higher education institutions and research institutes proved particularly relevant, while the interaction with consultancy firms seems to be a strategy that leaves firms “stuck in the middle”. Originality/value The outcomes confirm the arguments of the literature that the use of KIBS has positive outcomes for customer firms. More importantly, however, the paper complements the existing literature by showing that the type of KIBS used in each country is relevant to understand firms’ innovation performance. The outcomes can guide firms and public policy initiatives oriented at the articulation of the national innovation system.

Racial dissimilarity and diversity climate effect organizational identification

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 314-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooklyn Cole ◽  
Raymond J. Jones ◽  
Lisa M. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Identification ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Diversity Climate ◽  
Climate Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationship between psychological diversity climate (PDC) and organizational identification (OID) when influenced by racial dissimilarity between the subordinate and supervisor. Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least squares hierarchical regression analysis was run for hypotheses testing. Findings Three of the four hypothesized relationships were supported. Support was found for the direct relationship between PDC and OID. The moderator race was significant thus also supported. The moderator of dissimilarity was not supported. Finally the three-way interaction with race and dissimilarity was supported. Practical implications OID is an important variable for overall organizational success. OID influences a wealth of organizationally relevant outcomes including turnover intentions. Considering higher turnover exists for minority employees, understanding how diversity climate perceptions vary by employee race and therefore impact OID differently, helps managers when making decisions about various initiatives. Originality/value This study is the first the authors know of to investigate the impact of dissimilarity on the PDC-OID relationship.

“Mind the gap”: to succeed in marketing politics, think of social media innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 806-817
Author(s):  
Patrick Amfo Anim ◽  
Frederick Okyere Asiedu ◽  
Matilda Adams ◽  
George Acheampong ◽  
Ernestina Boakye
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Political Efficacy ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Political Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Young Voters ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationships between political marketing via social media and young voters’ political participation in Ghana. Additionally, this study examines the mediating role political efficacy plays in enhancing the relationship. Design/methodology/approach With a positivist mindset, and adopting the survey strategy, data gathered from the questionnaire administered from the sampled 320 young voters (18-29 years) in Greater Accra were quantitatively analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to assess and confirm the proposed scales validity and the relationships of the research model. Findings The study revealed that a political party or candidate’s ability to achieve political participation from Ghanaian young voters’ is dependent on how effective they build customer relationship or gaining visibility through social media. In addition, the study showed that political efficacy mediates the relationship between customer relationship building or gaining visibility through social media and political participation among Ghana young voters. Thus, young voters in Ghana must see themselves to have a say in the affairs of political parties through the political messages they gather from social media platforms to enhance their political participation activities. Practical implications The results of this paper will enable political marketers and politicians not only in Ghana but across the globe, to better understand how social media as a communication tool could be used to positively influence users’ political participation. Originality/value Considering the uniqueness of this study in a Ghanaian context, this paper is the first of its kind to use the social capital theory in examining the mediating role political efficacy plays in enhancing the relationship between political marketing on social media and young voters’ political participation.

The impact of executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and organizational slack on innovation strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyuan Wang ◽  
Biao Luo ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Zhengyun Wei
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Organizational Slack ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The paper aims to study the relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies and investigate the moderating effect of contextual factor (i.e. organizational slack) on such relations. It proposes a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies, in which different perceptions of environmental threats will lead to corresponding innovation strategies, and dyadic organizational slack can promote such processes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a survey with 163 valid questionnaires, which were all completed by executives. Hierarchical ordinary least-squares regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses proposed in this paper. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about that executives tend to choose exploratory innovation when they perceive environmental changes as likely loss threats, yet adopt exploitative innovation when perceiving control-reducing threats. Furthermore, unabsorbed slack (e.g. financial redundancy) positively moderates both relationships, while absorbed slack (e.g. operational redundancy) merely positively influences the relationship between the perception of control-reducing threats and exploitative innovation. Originality/value The paper bridges the gap between organizational innovation and cognitive theory by proposing a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies. The paper further enriches innovation studies by jointly considering both subjective and objective influence factors of innovation and argues that organizational slack can moderate such dualistic relationship.

Productivity dispersion in the Italian knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) industry: a multilevel analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Campisi ◽  
Paolo Mancuso ◽  
Stefano Luigi Mastrodonato ◽  
Donato Morea
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive Business Services ◽  
Multifactor Productivity ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Business Sectors

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an analysis of the productivity evolution of a sample of 18,459 knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms operating in Italy over the period 2012–2018. The interaction between productivity heterogeneity firm localization and firm sector of business are also analyzed.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical setting is based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the multifactor productivity index (MPI) and on the multilevel models to investigate if the source of productivity heterogeneity among the Italian KIBS are due to the geographic location and/or to the specific business sectors in which firms operate. Data have been gathered from the AIDA database, which contains financial data of all Italian firms.FindingsThe empirical results show that MPI heterogeneity in the Italian KIBS firms' is sensitive to the regional context in which firms operate to the specific KIBS sector and above all at the interactions arising between region and sector.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to identify the source of productivity dispersion in the Italian KIBS.

Audit committee characteristics and the moderating effect of Malaysian code of corporate governance on IPO liquidity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Mohammed Al-Masawa ◽  
Rasidah Mohd-Rashid ◽  
Hamdan Amer Al-Jaifi ◽  
Shaker Dahan Al-Duais
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Initial Public Offerings ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Code Of Corporate Governance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the link between audit committee characteristics and the liquidity of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Malaysia, which is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia. Another purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the revised Malaysian code of corporate governance (MCCG) on the link between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Design/methodology/approach The final sample consists of 304 Malaysian IPOs listed in 2002–2017. This study uses ordinary least squares regression method to analyse the data. To confirm this study’s findings, a hierarchical or four-stage regression analysis is used to compare the t-values of the main and moderate regression models. Findings The findings show that audit committee characteristics (size and director independence) have a positive and significant relationship with IPO liquidity. Also, the revised MCCG positively moderates the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings indicate that companies with higher audit committee independence have a more effective monitoring mechanism that mitigates information asymmetry, thus reducing adverse selection issues during share trading. Practical implications Policymakers could use the results of this study in developing policies for IPO liquidity improvements. Additionally, the findings are useful for traders and investors in their investment decision-making. For companies, the findings highlight the crucial role of the audit committee as part of the control system that monitors corporate governance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this work is a pioneering study in the context of a developing country, specifically Malaysia that investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on IPO liquidity. Previously, the link between corporate governance and IPO liquidity had not been investigated in Malaysia. This study also contributes to the IPO literature by providing empirical evidence regarding the moderating effect of the revised MCCG on the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.

Strategic orientations, firm performance and the moderating effect of absorptive capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel-Alejandro Ibarra-Cisneros ◽  
María del Rosario Demuner-Flores ◽  
Felipe Hernández-Perlines
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Orientations ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to study the moderating effect of absorptive capacity, defined as the set of organizational routines and processes through which companies acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit knowledge to produce a dynamic organizational capacity (Zahra and George, 2002), in three strategic orientations: market orientation; technology orientation and entrepreneurial orientation and their positive relationship in the performance of the medium and large Mexican manufacturing firms. Likewise, it is determined whether these three combined SOs influence firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe data was collected from 171 medium and large-sized Mexican manufacturing firms. The proposed hypotheses are tested using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsDespite the importance of knowledge for the development of firms, the results indicate that the moderating effect of absorptive capacity is only present in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. That is, firms cannot take advantage of knowledge simultaneously between the three strategic orientations. For their part, market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation exert a positive influence on firm performance.Practical implicationsThe main practical implication for the manufacturing industry is that they must develop mechanisms to detect what kind of knowledge affects each strategic orientation, in this way it can make the absorptive capacity influence the relationships between SO and FP.Originality/valueThe main contribution consists of studying the moderating effect of the absorptive capacity on the relationship between three strategic orientations and firm performance, and not concentrating solely on the simultaneous use of these strategies as is commonly done.

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