DETERMINANTS OF FIRM’S INNOVATION-RELATED EXTERNAL KNOWLEDGE SEARCH STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF POTENTIAL ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY AND APPROPRIABILITY REGIME

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (06) ◽  
pp. 1850044 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIGU KIM ◽  
CHUL LEE ◽  
JINA KANG
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Based Economy ◽  
Exogenous Factors ◽  
Knowledge Search

Firms, especially those in the knowledge-based economy, make increasing use of external knowledge in their innovation processes. To tap into external knowledge sources, the firm follows a search strategy, which is known to be affected by both endogenous and exogenous factors. This study examines the influence of potential absorptive capacity on firms’ external knowledge search strategy. We also propose and test a moderation effect of the appropriability regime on this relationship. Based on a panel dataset of 170 international firms from various industries, we find a curvilinear relationship between the level of a firm’s potential absorptive capacity and the external knowledge search breadth. We also confirm the moderating role of the appropriability regime on this relationship. Our results highlight the role of the endogenous and exogenous factors determining the firm’s use of external knowledge in the innovation process.

Depth and breadth of external knowledge search and performance: The mediating role of absorptive capacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 86-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Ferreras-Méndez ◽  
Sue Newell ◽  
Anabel Fernández-Mesa ◽  
Joaquín Alegre
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
And Performance

scholarly journals Responsible innovation among academic spin-offs: how responsible practices help developing absorptive capacity

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.E. Scholten ◽  
P.A. van der Duin
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Responsible Innovation ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Start Ups

Responsible innovation (RI) among technology-based start-ups has received little attention, while these firms are known to operate on the edges of what is socially desirable or ethically acceptable. In this paper we develop a conceptual model that captures the RI practices among 61 academic spin-offs and investigate how it affects the capacity of the firm to absorb external knowledge to better the exploitation of the innovation. The findings indicate that potential absorptive capacity is increased by both stakeholder engagement and social responsiveness, while realized absorptive capacity is moderately increased through social responsiveness. Remarkable is the finding that the extent that sustainability practices resonate in the start-ups operations does have a negative effect on the potential absorptive capacity. These results provide insight in the way in which start-ups adopt a RI philosophy to their innovation process and help to better understand how they learn and acquire external knowledge to increase the acceptance of their innovations. The findings provide clear recommendations for entrepreneurs and policymakers in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation.

External Knowledge Search Strategy as an Essential Element of a Knowledge Management Strategy

2011 ◽  
pp. 70-89
Author(s):  
Fergal McGrath ◽  
Rebecca Purcell
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Knowledge Management Strategy ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
The Many

This chapter introduces external knowledge search strategy as a central element of an organizations overall knowledge management strategy. The argument cites how knowledge management has developed around a myopic internal focus and has thus far failed to take full account of the many sources of knowledge external to the organization. The chapter offers external knowledge search strategy as a means of integrating this external focus into knowledge management understanding, by providing a conceptual framework for organizations involved in the external knowledge management activity of external knowledge search. The framework identifies 10 search paths organizations may follow into the search space, four of which relate exclusively to external knowledge search. The authors hope that establishing an external element within knowledge management strategy will inform knowledge management’s recognition of the value of the extended enterprise.

External knowledge sourcing and innovation in family firms

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manzoor Ul Akram ◽  
Koustab Ghosh ◽  
Rojers P. Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Realized Absorptive Capacity

Purpose This study aims to investigate the external knowledge search behaviors in terms of search breadth and search depth in family firms and the resultant product innovation in Indian context. The authors theorize the mediating role of absorptive capacity (potential and realized absorptive capacity) between knowledge sourcing from external sources and product innovation. Further, the authors examine the moderating role of crucial internal social capital of the family firm in enhancing the use of external knowledge for firm innovation activities. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a quantitative research design taking single informant for collection of data from 151 family small and medium enterprises in automotive sector in India. The authors use structural equation modeling to test hypothesized relationships. Findings The findings indicate that both search breadth and search depth of family firms are positively associated with product innovation in family firms. The authors also find evidence for partial mediating role of potential and realized absorptive capacity in the relationship between search breadth and innovation and search depth and innovation. The results show how family firms learning taking place while scanning external knowledge sources in terms of external absorptive capacity routines. Finally, the authors find that family firm internal social capital positively moderate the relationship between search breadth and depth, and product innovation. Practical implications Family firms need to innovate to remain relevant in the long-run and as such development of superior capabilities is of great significance to them. Family firm managers must be open to external knowledge as such knowledge help them improve the firm level of innovation through absorptive capacity. Further, family firms must realize and act upon the importance of their social capital for the integration and utilization of acquired knowledge. Originality/value This paper is amongst a few papers that take dynamic capability views of innovation in family firms wherein the authors theorize how external search breadth and depth lead to the development of potential and realized absorptive capacity in family firms. The importance of family firm internal social capital as a strong integrating and knowledge sharing mechanism that helps family firms transform external knowledge into innovation is also highlighted.

Impact of External Knowledge Inflow on Product and Process Innovation of Korean SMEs: Absorptive Capacity as a Mediator

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
So Won Jeong ◽  
Jae-Eun Chung ◽  
Jung-Sim Roh
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Process Innovation ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Product And Process Innovation ◽  
Product And Process ◽  
The Relationship

We examine the role of external knowledge inflow in improving the product and process innovation of Korean exporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the textiles, apparel, and footwear industries. Building on the resource-based view (RBV), we investigate how five sources of knowledge inflow (suppliers, customers, competitors, universities, and government agencies) contribute to product and process innovation through absorptive capacity (AC) as a mechanism to explain the link between external knowledge inflow and innovation. Conducting a path analysis, we found that knowledge inflow from customers and government agencies had a positive effect on AC, subsequently enhancing product and process innovation. Additionally, knowledge inflow from universities and government agencies also affected process innovation and product innovation, respectively. We also demonstrated the mediating role of AC in the relationship between external knowledge inflow and innovation. Korean SMEs should thus invest in developing the knowledge sources of customers, universities, and government agencies to enhance AC and innovation.

scholarly journals Effect of internal R&D activities to the accumulation of organizational technical knowledge with the mediation role of absorptive capacity to establish the innovation capability of electronic industries

2018 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 01059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bambang Purwanggono ◽  
Yohana Aeria Damyana
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Electronics Industry ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
The Relationship

Innovation is a strategy for the electronics industry to create a sustainable competitive advantage, in the midst of a rapidly changing environment with all its complexity. Seven AT program as an effort for PT. Hartono Istana Teknologi (Polytron) into enterprise knowledge, will accelerate the innovation process, combined with good organizational technical knowledge management. Organizational technical knowledge will be instrumental in innovation capabilities properly if there is an internal R & D activities that support and absorptive capacity as a mediator. This study reviewed the organizational technical knowledge influence to innovation capability, the influence of R & D activities to organizational technical knowledge, as well as the role of absorptive capacity as a mediator. The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 130 employees of PT. Hartono Istana Teknologi. Data processing was conducted using SEM. The results showed that the absorptive capacity mediate the relationship between R & D activities and organizational technical knowledge by 51%, and organizational technical knowledge affect innovation capabilities by 64%.

Impact of knowledge search on product and process innovation: mediating role of absorptive capacity and moderating role of IT capability

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Gao ◽  
Xiu-Hao Ding ◽  
Suming Wu
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Process Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
It Capability ◽  
Product And Process Innovation ◽  
Knowledge Search ◽  
Product And Process

PurposeMore enterprises adopt open innovation by breaking technological or organizational boundaries to seek internal and external knowledge when they face a fiercely competitive environment, complex market demands, and increasingly rapid technological change. In this context, a knowledge search strategy is regarded as an effective means of obtaining inside and outside resources and an important way to break the innovation bottleneck. Moreover, information technology (IT) is deemed an important asset for sourcing knowledge, whereas absorptive capacity is seen as an indispensable ability for utilizing novel knowledge. Thus, this paper aims to test the role of knowledge search in open innovation and examine the mediating effect of absorptive capacity and the moderating effect of IT capability.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 1,088 Chinese firms’ data collected by the World Bank in 2012, this paper employs logistic regression to test the hypotheses.FindingsThis study finds that local and boundary-spanning search strategies positively influence both product and process innovation, and absorptive capacity has a mediating role in the relationships between knowledge search and product and process innovation. Moreover, IT capability has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between local search and innovation performance; however, IT capability strengthens the relationship between boundary-spanning search and process innovation while weakens that between boundary-spanning search and product innovation.Originality/valueThis study explores the impact of different knowledge search behaviors on different types of innovation and probes the role of absorptive capacity and IT capability in mediating and moderating the above relationships. By drawing on knowledge-based theory and cognitive-developmental theory, this paper provides a novel perspective to explain the mechanism between knowledge search and innovation performance.

ACHIEVING ALLIANCE INNOVATION VIA ALLIANCE LEARNING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 1350013 ◽  
Author(s):  
TANIA BUCIC ◽  
LIEM VIET NGO
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Sustainable Advantage ◽  
Moderating Role

Firms increasingly enter into business alliances in an effort to manage the innovation process and with a view to achieving better outcomes. The process therefore likely benefits from greater alliance learning, which can help transform alliance creativity and absorptive capacity into innovative outputs and thus a sustainable advantage for the alliance firms. Survey data collected from 389 Australian firms confirm that alliance creativity and absorptive capacity affect alliance innovation through the mediating role of alliance learning. In contrast, a test of an alternative moderating perspective reveals that alliance learning does not play a significant moderating role in these relationships. Although this study uses a cross-sectional, key-informant design, it offers important insights for research and practice.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document