scholarly journals Technological proximity and the intensity of collaboration along the innovation funnel: direct and joint effects on innovative performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Anzola-Román ◽  
Cristina Bayona-Sáez ◽  
Teresa García-Marco ◽  
Valentina Lazzarotti

PurposeThis paper aims to advance the understanding regarding the profiting of collaborative innovation practices, focusing particularly on how the intensity of collaboration along the innovation process and the relatedness between the partners’ technological bases affect the outcomes of such process in terms of efficiency and generation of technological innovations.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the results from causal models and the estimation of average marginal effects, this research analyses the direct and joint effect of technological proximity and intensity of collaboration in the early and late phases of the process.FindingsThe findings suggest that there is a positive unconditional relationship between the aforementioned aspects and innovative performance and that the joint effects diverge depending on the stage of the process, i.e. while in the early phase collaborating intensely with close partners seems to be advisable, this circumstance proves to be problematic in the late phase of the innovation process.Originality/valueThe analysis developed provides clarity regarding relevant aspects of collaborative innovation practices, particularly, the search for and selection of optimal partners. In general terms, the evidence found here suggests seeking for collaborating intensely along the whole process with partners whose technological bases present a tight matchup with that of the focal firm. Results also call for awareness of the potential drawbacks derived from intense collaborations with close partners in the late phases of the process, thus hinting toward the convenience of developing protection mechanisms. In addition, this work provides interesting insights that challenge the notion of “proximity paradox” and set out further questions that might be worth considering for future research.

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Rusanen ◽  
Aino Halinen ◽  
Elina Jaakkola

Purpose – This paper aims to explore how companies access resources through network relationships when developing service innovations. The paper identifies the types of resource that companies seek from other actors and examines the nature of relationships and resource access strategies that can be applied to access each type of resource. Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal, multi-case study is conducted in the field of technical business-to-business (b-to-b) services. An abductive research strategy is applied to create a new theoretical understanding of resource access. Findings – Companies seek a range of resources through different types of network relationships for service innovation. Four types of resource access strategies were identified: absorption, acquisition, sharing, and co-creation. The findings show how easily transferable resources can be accessed through weak relationships and low-intensity collaboration. Access to resources that are difficult to transfer, instead, necessitates strong relationships and high-intensity collaboration. Research limitations/implications – The findings are valid for technical b-to-b services, but should also be tested for other kinds of innovations. Future research should also study how actors integrate the resources gained through networks in the innovation process. Practical implications – Managers should note that key resources for service innovation may be accessible through a variety of actors and relationships ranging from formal arrangements to miscellaneous social contacts. To make use of tacit resources such as knowledge, firms need to engage in intensive collaboration. Originality/value – Despite attention paid to network relationships, innovation collaboration, and external resources, previous research has neither linked these issues nor studied their mutual contingencies. This paper provides a theoretical model that characterizes the service innovation resources accessible through different types of relationships and access strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingqin Su ◽  
Shuai Zhang ◽  
Huanhuan Ma

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to explore how technological capability and exogenous pressure interactively influence business model (BM) dynamics over time in new technology-based ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a longitudinal case study of the BM innovations of a Chinese financial technology venture. The structural approach and temporal bracket are used to analyze and theorize the data.FindingsThe findings indicate that distinct contextual changes impel a firm to refine or abandon existing BMs over time. In different stages, the antecedents interactively influence BM dynamics with three successive patterns, namely pressure dominance, parallel influence and hybrid influence. While both antecedents trigger changes during the initiation and implementation of new BMs, they also serve as the filter and the enabler, respectively, during the ideation and integration of BMs.Research limitations/implicationsThe study inductively develops three propositions regarding the relationship between BM dynamics and its antecedents, which is based on the data collected from one single firm. Future research should test the propositions in other domains and take more cross-level antecedents into consideration.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the nascent research stream of BM dynamics by offering in-depth insights into the interaction of internal and external antecedents and by linking the differentiated roles of antecedents to the BM innovation process. The research offers some practical implications for new technology-based ventures seeking to develop BMs in a fast-changing environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (9) ◽  
pp. 1969-1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Mu ◽  
Yiyang Bian ◽  
J. Leon Zhao

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles of online leadership in open collaborative innovation success by extending functional leadership theory in the context of open source projects. Design/methodology/approach This study uses negative binomial regression models to empirically test the proposed hypotheses with samples of blockchain open source projects on GitHub. Findings The results indicate that task-oriented leadership behaviors in forms of technical contributions have little influence on open collaborative innovation success; relation-oriented leadership behaviors embedded in internal social capital and external social capital contribute to open collaborative innovation success prominently. Furthermore, the joint effects of technical contributions, internal social capital and community commitment with openness orientation are positively significant on open collaborative innovation success, respectively. Practical implications For leaders and participants of open collaborative innovation projects, they should attach importance to both leadership behaviors and the joint effects with openness orientation so as to make informed decisions. Originality/value This study offers a new fine-grained framework of open collaborative innovation success by investigating specific dimensions of task-oriented and relation-orientated leadership behaviors, as well as their joint effects with openness orientation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-82
Author(s):  
Fei Li ◽  
Jin Chen ◽  
Yu-Shan Su

Purpose Collaboration with universities is an important innovation strategy for enterprises. However, currently very little research has focused on how such university-industry collaborative innovation activities should be managed. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper introduces the university-industry collaborative innovation practices of Zhejiang NHU Company in China. By using a case study as the method, this paper aims to illustrate the mechanism of university-industry collaborative innovation and how to manage the collaborative innovation activities efficiently. Findings Zhejiang NHU Company established a university-industry collaborative innovation link through three innovation platforms: the technology R&D center, the ZJU-NHU joint-research center, and the national engineer center. Zhejiang NHU Company manages its collaborative relationships with universities through this innovation network. Originality/value NHU Company managed the collaborative relationship efficiently with the institutions, representing an effective degree of university-industry collaborative innovation management.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Varón Sandoval ◽  
Mónica Bibiana González Calixto ◽  
María del Pilar Ramírez Salazar

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reflect on some actions carried out in Colombia, both at the governmental and organizational levels, that can be considered collaborative innovations and that have emerged within this pandemic context seeking to generate an increase in trust and the awakening of others’ emotions, as well as manifestations or expressions of trust and emotions by the population. Design/methodology/approach Through a qualitative descriptive study, innovation strategies applied by different sectors to address the current situation of preventive isolation are identified, with the subsequent identification of manifestations resulting from the execution of the strategies and analyzes of the implications in terms of emotions and confidence as research constructs. Findings Actions taken by the public administration, instead of generating trust and instilling positive emotions, have generated the opposite and there is evidence of greater acceptance of actions when they come from the general population through strategies that can be assimilated into the application of open collaborative innovation. Originality/value This study raises future research challenges, in addition to the practical implications that it may have in terms of the vision of the role of the state and citizens and the impact of administrative decisions regarding the generation of trust and the presence of positive emotions in a crisis context.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten J.G.M. van Gils ◽  
Floris P.J.T. Rutjes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between start-ups and an innovation ecosystem. Start-ups need resources available in the ecosystem to grow, but experience organizational capacity limitations during their open innovation practices. This study frames the “open innovation” interface and discloses ways to accelerate the process of connecting start-ups’ demands to ecosystem’s supplies. Design/methodology/approach A case study was used to describe the development of a conceptual ecosystem model to frame the “open innovation” interface and its subsequent implementation at nine start-up hotspots in the Dutch chemical industry. To develop the ecosystem model, the system of innovation concept was enriched with the perspective of a chemical start-up to pinpoint critical resources for growth. Findings It is suggested that the most relevant “open innovation” interface for start-ups looking to grow is an innovation biotope: a well-defined, business-oriented cross-section of an ecosystem. All stakeholders in a biotope are carefully selected based on the entrepreneurial issue at stake: they can only enter the secured marketplace if they are able to provide dedicated solutions to start-ups. The biotope enables “open innovation in a closed system” which results in acceleration of the innovation process. Originality/value This is the first study to report on the definition and implementation of an innovation biotope as the “open innovation” interface between an ecosystem and start-ups. In addition, it provides a powerful tool, the ecosystem canvas, that can help both regional and national innovation systems to visualize their ecosystem and identify blind spots.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Hampson ◽  
Carlie Goldsmith ◽  
Michelle Lefevre

Purpose Substantial government investment has accelerated innovation activity in children’s social care in England over the past decade. Ethical concerns emerge when innovation seems to be propelled by a drive for efficiency and over-reliance on process output indicators, as well as, or even instead of, improving the lives of children, families and societies. No ethical framework exists at present to act as a check on such drivers. This paper reviews the literature with the aim of considering how best to address this gap. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on a review of innovation in children’s social care, conducted as part of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded project exploring innovation in services for young people exposed to extra-familial risk and harm. Findings This study proposes a new conception of “trustworthy innovation” for the sector that holds innovation in children’s social care to the standards and principles of the code of ethics for social work. This study offers an ethical framework, informed by the interdisciplinary school of organisational ethics, to operationalise this extended definition; the analytic framework guides policymakers and the practice sector to question at every stage of the innovation process whether a particular model is ethically appropriate, as well as practically feasible within a specific context. Implications for local decision-making and national policy are set out, alongside questions raised for future research. Originality/value This paper is the first to offer an ethical framework for innovation in children's social care. The conception of “trustworthy innovation” offers a guide to policymakers and the practice sector, which they can use to ethically test every stage of the innovation process and make decisions about whether a particular model is ethically appropriate, as well as practically feasible within a specific context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Antonczak ◽  
Thierry Burger-Helmchen

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine mobile technology as being a key apparatus and interface for collaborative innovation, which allows organisations to develop their information ecology. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research was performed by in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. The eight main interviews are supported by an interdisciplinary narrative literature review of knowledge management and associated fields. Findings This study validates the following propositions: mobile technology can offer users timely information, mobile technology can foster collaboration beyond physical and organisational boundaries, in general, mobile technology enables a wider amount of interactions between people. Thereby, this paper draws some implications about the knowledge management of creative (and non-creative) workers. Research limitations/implications The collected data sheds light on how organisations and individuals positioned themselves about mobile technology co-creative practices before the COVID era. Therefore, it shall be pertinent to further investigate these findings through a quantitative approach to better ascertain path models and to strengthen the new results with another qualitative perspective, in the post-COVID era. Practical implications The study highlights how mobile devices are facilitating collaborative innovation practices by improving management decisions, enabling new business and/or operating models, developing a flow of ideas inner/outer an organisation and fostering the ability to make innovation. Social implications Mobile technology transforms the way to work (knowledge creation and/or conversion) and it changes the relations between collaborators in a working environment (beyond physical boundaries). This study deciphers how a creative and/or decision-making person can change their work schedule and/or routines based on the use of mobile devices. Originality/value The added value of this transdisciplinary study is that it improves research on collaborative innovation and collective knowledge by revealing three pertinent characteristics of mobile technology: enabling quick decision; connecting with a glocal network and fostering collective creativity. It also creates a bridge between the fields of education and business.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 334-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Bigliardi ◽  
Francesco Galati

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to identify the unique characteristics of family firms in terms of the ability to manage and the willingness to engage in collaborative innovation; second, to investigate the existence of contingent factors affecting the heterogeneity of family firms’ behavior regarding these dimensions; and third, to propose a future research agenda. Design/methodology/approach This study consists of a systematic literature review. Findings Based on the results of a systematic review, the authors explain why family firms have a different behavior in terms of collaborative innovation if compared to the non-family counterparts and, following the contingent-based perspective, the authors also explain how different contingent factors can contribute to cause the heterogeneity of family firms’ behavior when facing collaborative innovation. Finally, the authors present a research agenda aimed at stimulating and guiding future research. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the review is the wide definition of collaborative innovation provided at the beginning of the manuscript, in the introduction. In fact, with the aim of including all the studies dealing with collaborative innovation in the family firms’ context, the authors adopt a broad definition of external collaborative innovation that encompasses each process by which organizations work together to achieve an innovation outcome. Originality/value To the knowledge, this is the first systematic review addressing this relevant topic and proposing a future research agenda. The authors believe it could represent an important guide (but also a stimulus) for scholars interesting in the topic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Jean Barlatier ◽  
Anne-Laure Mention

Purpose This paper aims to present a framework to guide managerial action for social media (SM) strategies for innovation by exploring its constituent elements – the “what” (SM types), the “who” (stakeholders to be reached), the “for” (innovation types) and the “how” (innovation process stages), as well as the value, benefits and barriers. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive and critical review of literature at the intersection of SM and innovation guides the development of a typology of SM types and their use across innovation types and stages. Findings SM type and use tend to differ across innovation processes. The authors identify four types of SM in use across four stages of innovation, supporting six types of innovation, influenced by five categories of barriers, benefits and stakeholders each. Research limitations/implications The research provides an integrative set of building blocks to consider for developing further studies of SM and innovation. Practical implications By highlighting the intertwined aspects of SM and innovation in an open and collaborative environment, the paper calls for development of an SM readiness organisational diagnosis. It empowers managers with a coherent framework of different elements they should take into consideration when defining their SM strategies for innovation. Originality/value Research on SM adoption and the extent of its usage for innovation purposes is still at its infancy. Given the increasingly open and collaborative innovation settings, the authors draw managerial attention to the need of SM strategies for innovation activities and provide a coherent analytical framework to guide action for organisational diagnosis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document