Facing the open innovation gap: measuring and building open innovation in supply chains

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rania Abd Elmonem Shamah ◽  
Shaymaa M. Elssawabi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Assembly Lines ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Customer ◽  
Automobile Assembly ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
Middle Managerial ◽  
Managerial Level

Purpose – This study aims to develop a standardized instrument to measure open innovation and trust. The instrument is designed to examine the willingness of those involved in supply chains (SCs) to apply open innovation. It may also be used to observe the potential role of customers, competitors and suppliers in improving the performance of SCs. Design/methodology/approach – This survey of the extant studies of Multinational Automobiles Assembly lines in Egypt involved a questionnaire, which was provided across all grades at the middle managerial level. This questionnaire was divided into two main sections. The first section was concerned with elements of open innovation such as innovation, shared values and shared knowledge. The second section was focused on interrelated types of organizational and extra-organizational trust. Findings – The developed instrument was designed to access and analyze the different types of trust required for the optimal application of open innovation. Its purpose was to enhance customer satisfaction, and to help to create better internal-customer performance and the provision of innovative products. This explorative study indicated that Multinational Automobile Assembly lines in Egypt are willing to apply open innovation methods to improve their performance. Research limitations/implications – The study had a number of limitations. As the survey was conducted entirely on Multinational Automobile Assembly lines in Egypt, the applicability of the proposed scale will need to be tested further on different countries and types of industry. Originality/value – There is little empirical research about implementation of open innovation. Practitioners and researchers should find value in this unique instrument tool.

AI technologies and their impact on supply chain resilience during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Modgil ◽  
Shivam Gupta ◽  
Rébecca Stekelorum ◽  
Issam Laguir
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Weak Links ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience

PurposeCOVID-19 has pushed many supply chains to re-think and strengthen their resilience and how it can help organisations survive in difficult times. Considering the availability of data and the huge number of supply chains that had their weak links exposed during COVID-19, the objective of the study is to employ artificial intelligence to develop supply chain resilience to withstand extreme disruptions such as COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachWe adopted a qualitative approach for interviewing respondents using a semi-structured interview schedule through the lens of organisational information processing theory. A total of 31 respondents from the supply chain and information systems field shared their views on employing artificial intelligence (AI) for supply chain resilience during COVID-19. We used a process of open, axial and selective coding to extract interrelated themes and proposals that resulted in the establishment of our framework.FindingsAn AI-facilitated supply chain helps systematically develop resilience in its structure and network. Resilient supply chains in dynamic settings and during extreme disruption scenarios are capable of recognising (sensing risks, degree of localisation, failure modes and data trends), analysing (what-if scenarios, realistic customer demand, stress test simulation and constraints), reconfiguring (automation, re-alignment of a network, tracking effort, physical security threats and control) and activating (establishing operating rules, contingency management, managing demand volatility and mitigating supply chain shock) operations quickly.Research limitations/implicationsAs the present research was conducted through semi-structured qualitative interviews to understand the role of AI in supply chain resilience during COVID-19, the respondents may have an inclination towards a specific role of AI due to their limited exposure.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers can utilise data to embed the required degree of resilience in their supply chains by considering the proposed framework elements and phases.Originality/valueThe present research contributes a framework that presents a four-phased, structured and systematic platform considering the required information processing capabilities to recognise, analyse, reconfigure and activate phases to ensure supply chain resilience.

The role of boundary management in open innovation: towards a 3D perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 57-84
Author(s):  
Rosita Capurro ◽  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Stefano Garzella ◽  
Rosa Lombardi
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Firm Boundaries ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Innovation Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
The One

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the role of boundary management when firms should implement open innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe relevant literature on strategic management, firm boundaries and open innovation fields is revised and critically assessed. An interpretive-qualitative methodology is applied to analyse empirical data obtained from a questionnaire and subsequent interviews of a sample of Italian listed firms. By critically integrating literature review and empirical analysis, a framework is provided with the objective of supporting open innovation implementation.FindingsThe study shows that on the one hand, open innovation and many modern paths of growth are connected to a firm's boundaries and that on the other hand, boundary management plays a key role in the implementation of open innovation.Practical implicationsThe paper has implications for practitioners by driving them to shift the focus of open innovation implementation towards the management of boundaries, in which boundary capabilities and activities play a key role.Originality/valueThis paper sheds light on the advantages and risks that can jeopardize a successful opening up innovation processes without the effective management of boundary studies. Thus, the authors identify and propose causes for reflection and tools maximizing potentiality and reducing risks in the implementation of such processes.

Multicultural skills in open innovation: relational leadership enabling knowledge sourcing and sharing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelia Engelsberger ◽  
Jillian Cavanagh ◽  
Timothy Bartram ◽  
Beni Halvorsen
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Relational Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Sourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Teams

PurposeIn this paper, the authors argue that multicultural skills and relational leadership act as enablers for open innovation, and thereby examine the process through which teams can utilize multicultural skills to support the development of relational leadership and knowledge sourcing and sharing (KSS) through individual interaction and relationship building. The authors address the following research question: How does relational leadership enable open innovation (OI) among employees with multicultural skills?Design/methodology/approachThis paper applies a multi-level approach (team and individual level) and builds on interviews with 20 employees, middle and senior managers with multicultural experiences, working in open innovation environments.FindingsThe authors’ findings shed light on the process through which social exchange relationships among team members (e.g. R&D teams) and knowledge exchange partners are enhanced by the use of multicultural skills and support the development of relational leadership to facilitate KSS and ultimately OI. The decision for participants to collaborate and source and share knowledge is motivated by individual reward (such as establishing network or long-lasting contacts), skill acquisition (such as learning or personal growth in decision-making) and a sense of reciprocity and drive for group gain. The authors encourage greater human resource (HR) manager support for relational leadership and the development and use of multicultural skills to promote KSS.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the value of our findings, this paper is not without limitations. The authors explained that the focus of this study design was on the work activities of the participants and their skill development and not specific projects or organizations. It was outside the scope of this study to examine variations across organizations and individuals as the authors wanted to focus on multicultural skills and relational leadership as enablers for OI. The authors recommend that future studies extend our research by unpacking how various boundary conditions including relational leadership and multicultural skills impact KSS and OI over the life cycle of innovation teams within large multinational organizations, across countries and ethnicities.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings provide managers with improved understandings of how to enable an individual's willingness and readiness to source and share knowledge through multicultural skills and relational leadership. Managers need to ensure that human resource management (HRM) practices celebrate multicultural skills and support relational leadership in innovation teams. The authors suggest managers engaged in OI consider the components of social exchange as described by Meeker (1971) and utilize reciprocity, group gain, rationality and status consistency to support the emergence relational leadership and KSS in innovation teams.Originality/valueIn this paper, the authors contribute to the dearth of literature on the boundary conditions for OI by examining the role of relational leadership and characteristics/skills of the workforce, namely multicultural skills and contribute to the scarce research on the role of employees with multicultural skills and their impact on OI and present multicultural skills/experiences and relational leadership as enablers for OI.

On the path towards open innovation: assessing the role of knowledge management capability and environmental dynamism in SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Martinez-Conesa ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta ◽  
Elias George Carayannis
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Environmental Dynamism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to shed light on the internal and external antecedents of open innovation (OI) in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a special focus on the role of knowledge management (KM) capability. The paper develops and tests an integrative research model which assesses the effect of internal factors on KM capability; the impact of organizational and external factors, namely, KM capability and environmental dynamism, on OI; and whether environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between KM capability and OI. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the knowledge-based view and the social exchange and the contingency theories, this paper develops an integrative research model which analyzes several relations between organizational antecedents of KM capability and its effect on OI by using covariance-based structural equation modeling on a data set of Spanish SMEs. Findings Results confirm that information technology-supported operations and commitment-based human resource practices have a positive and significant influence on KM capability. In contrast, results do not find support for the relationship between interdepartmental connectedness and KM capability, whereas both KM capability and environmental dynamism have a direct influence on OI. Originality/value This paper adds to existing research on OI, as it is the first study that addresses the critical role of KM capability for the implementation of OI.

Chief Executive Officer's traits and open innovation in small and medium enterprises: the mediating role of innovation climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharwa Najar ◽  
Karima Dhaouadi
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Innovative Climate ◽  
Innovation Climate

PurposeThis paper aims to study the impact of Chief Executive Officer's (CEO's) personality traits on open innovation (OI) strategies and the mediating effect of innovation climate by mobilizing the upper echelons theory and the OI literature. In fact, CEO's role in OI promotion has been under-investigated in the literature especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and in developing economies.Design/methodology/approachBased on the structural equation modeling, a survey is scheduled by administrating a questionnaire within 178 CEOs in Tunisian high-tech sector. The relevance of the empirical evidences is to disclose human levers to the success of OI strategies in the Tunisian context as a developing country.FindingsThe results show the importance of CEO's entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and attitude in promoting innovation climate and so then OI strategies. The study offers a reading grid for managers of high-tech SMEs to better lead and identify key factors for OI adoption. Innovative climate is found to be a relevant driver of OI encompassing the key role of attitude and EO of top managers.Practical implicationsResults highlight the relevance of the recruitment of appropriate top managers with high levels of EO and with positive attitude toward OI in order to facilitate OI integration and to enhance SMEs' competitiveness. Entrepreneurially oriented CEOs should be required in order to overcome "Not Invented Here" and "Not Shared Here" syndromes, to support innovative climate and to encourage knowledge import and export in the Tunisian SMEs.Originality/valueThis paper sheds light on the micro-foundation of OI by emphasizing the relevance of human factors and namely EO and attitude of CEOs in OI issue. It provides conceptual and empirical clarification of the extent to which CEO's traits affect OI through innovative climate. This would value initiatives exploring key individual's characteristics influence on OI strategies within SMEs.

Knowledge co-creation in Open Innovation Digital Platforms: processes, tools and services

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1434-1447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tindara Abbate ◽  
Anna Paola Codini ◽  
Barbara Aquilani
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Innovation Intermediaries ◽  
Innovation Platform

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how Open Innovation Digital Platforms (OIDPs) can facilitate and support knowledge co-creation in Open Innovation (OI) processes. Specifically, it intends to investigate the contribution of OIDPs-oriented to successfully implement all the phases of interactive coupled OI processes. Design/methodology/approach The paper carries out an exploratory qualitative analysis, adopting the single case study method. The case here investigated is Open Innovation Platform Regione Lombardia (OIPRL). Findings The case study sheds light on how OIPRL supports knowledge co-creation through its processes, tools and services as a co-creator intermediary. In its launch stage, the platform simply aimed at giving firms a tool to “find partners” and financial resources to achieve innovative projects. Now, however, the platform has developed into an engagement platform for knowledge co-creation. Research limitations/implications One limitation lies in the particular perspective used to perform the case study: the perspective of the digital platform itself. Future research should focus on the individuals engaged in the platform to better investigate the processes, tools and services used to implement the OI approach. Practical implications The paper suggests ways in which OIDPs could be used by firms for effective exploration, acquisition, integration and development of valuable knowledge. Originality/value The study conceptualizes the role of OIDPs in shaping knowledge co-creation, assuming that the platforms act as Open Innovation Intermediaries (OIIs). Specifically, OIDPs can be observed to function as “co-creator intermediaries” that define, develop and implement dedicated processes, specific tools and appropriate services for supporting knowledge co-creation activities.

High-performance work systems and open innovation: moderating role of IT capability

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 1441-1457
Author(s):  
Jia Zheng ◽  
Hefu Liu ◽  
Jingmei Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
It Capability ◽  
Role Of It ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on open innovation and the moderating role of information technology (IT) capability on the relationship between HPWS and open innovation.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a questionnaire survey in the industrial parks of the Yangzi River Delta in China and obtained 108 useful responses.FindingsHPWS positively impacts open innovation. IT exploration capability strengthens the relationship between HPWS and open innovation, whereas IT exploitation capability and ambidexterity do not strengthen such relationship.Research limitations/implicationsFirms should use HPWS to improve employees' motivation of external learning and searching for enhancing innovation openness. They should acknowledge the enabling role of IT exploration capability in facilitating employees' learning and searching toward open innovation and discreetly develop IT exploitation capability and ambidexterity during external knowledge searching, which may not achieve the desired facilitation purpose.Originality/valueThis study contributes to human resource management (HRM) by suggesting that a new antecedent, which is HPWS in our case, should be taken into account when considering the influence of HRM in the process of open innovation. This study has important implications for HPWS, IT capability and open innovation; open innovation can be improved by using HPWS and IT capability. This study also expands IT ambidexterity to HRM and innovation studies.

scholarly journals Exploring the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains: a multi-evidence-based approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1599-1625
Author(s):  
Yousef Bin Makhashen ◽  
Piyya Muhammad Rafi-ul-Shan ◽  
Mahdi Bashiri ◽  
Ruaa Hasan ◽  
Hassan Amar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contextual Framework ◽  
Effective Decision Making

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge gaps in the extant literature on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains (RFSCs), and to develop a contextual framework for effective decision-making to enable practitioners to enhance their supply chain resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a novel multi-evidence-based approach comprising Denyer and Tranfield's (2009) systematic literature review (SLR) with context, intervention, mechanism and outcome (CIMO) logic, text mining and network analysis. The approach constitutes a rigorous methodology that cross-validates results and ensures the reliability and validity of findings.FindingsThe authors identified key knowledge gaps in the literature and explored the main contribution categories (e.g. conceptual understandings, operational impacts, use of theories and frameworks). Subsequently, we developed a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition to design RFSCs. Finally, an empirical research agenda is proposed with the five research directions to address the gap and take forward the notion of ambidextrous coopetition and RFSCs.Research limitations/implicationsThe multi-evidence-based approach is a structured and triangulated SLR approach and thus lacks empirical study.Practical implicationsThis research proposes a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition that can be used by fashion companies to embed resilience into their structures and operations. This research also presents an agenda for the future empirical research.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by providing a combinatory synthesis on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing RFSCs. This paper introduces a novel methodological triangulation for improving the quality and validity of SLRs. It identifies significant knowledge gaps and defines directions for future research.

Doing good across organizational boundaries

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 2389-2412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo K.S. Lam
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Signalling Theory ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to theoretically hypothesise and empirically test the impact of sustainable supply chain practices (SSCPs) on firms’ financial risk. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts signalling theory to explain the signalling role of SSCPs and the moderating role of the signalling environment in terms of supply chain characteristics. It collects and combines longitudinal secondary data from multiple sources to test the direct impact of SSCPs on firms’ financial risk and the moderating role of supply chain complexity and efficiency. It conducts various additional tests to check the robustness of the findings and to account for alternative explanations. Findings This research shows that SSCPs help firms reduce financial risk but do not affect their returns. Moreover, the risk reduction of SSCPs is greater for firms with more complex and efficient supply chains. The findings are robust to alternative variable measurements and analysing strategies. Research limitations/implications This research reveals the role of SSCPs in reducing financial risk, urging researchers to pay more attention to the financial risk implications of supply chain practices in general and SSCPs in particular. Practical implications This research encourages firms to engage in SSCPs to reduce financial risk and enables them to assess the urgency of their SSCPs investments in view of the complexity and efficiency of their supply chains. Originality/value This is the first research examining the impact of SSCPs on financial risk, based on longitudinal secondary data and signalling theory. The empirical evidence documented and the theoretical perspective adopted offer important implications for future practice and research on SSCPs.

The role of owner/manager in adoption of electronic commerce in small businesses

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Ghobakhloo ◽  
Sai Hong Tang
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Commerce ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Managerial Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Based on theories from the innovation diffusion literature, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model of electronic commerce (EC) adoption in small businesses (SBs) of developing countries. The research model specifies variables at managerial level as the primary determinants to EC adoption in SBs. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based field survey was conducted to collect data from 268 owner/managers of SBs in Iran. The data were analysed using factorial analysis. Subsequently, six hypotheses were derived and tested by hierarchical multiple regression and logistic regression analysis. Findings – Perceived benefits, perceived compatibility, perceived risks, perceived costs, and innovativeness were found to be the significant determinants of decision to adopt EC. Likewise, discussion on discriminators between adopters and non-adopters of different EC applications has been provided. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data of this research tends to have certain limitations when it comes to explaining the direction of causality of the relationships between the variables. The study focuses only on the manufacturing SBs of Iran. Practical implications – The research findings have important implications for practising managers, information systems experts, and policy-makers. Governments should follow specific policies to facilitate institutionalisation of EC in SBs. Similarly, EC vendors and technology providers should collaborate with SBs to enhance the compatibility of different EC applications with specific characteristics of these businesses. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is perhaps one of the first that examines the adoption of EC by SBs in a developing country context, using a research model which tests the effects of owner/managers' attributes on adoption of simple and advanced EC applications.

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