Search breadth, open innovation and family firms: evidences in Italian mid-high tech SMEs

Author(s):  
Fernando G. Alberti ◽  
Stefania Ferrario ◽  
Fabio Papa ◽  
Emanuele Pizzurno
2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1459-1485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Casprini ◽  
Alfredo De Massis ◽  
Alberto Di Minin ◽  
Federico Frattini ◽  
Andrea Piccaluga

Purpose This paper aims to shed light on how family firms execute open innovation strategies by managing internal and external knowledge flows. Design/methodology/approach First, through a comprehensive literature review, the paper identifies the barriers to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge in open innovation processes. Second, it presents and discusses the results of an exploratory case study on Loccioni, an Italian family firm providing high-tech measurement solutions, highlighting how this family firm managed to overcome the barriers in executing an open innovation strategy. Findings The case study shows that Loccioni faced specific challenges in acquiring and transferring knowledge in its open innovation processes and developed two idiosyncratic capabilities – labelled imprinting and fraternization – that helped the firm overcome the barriers to knowledge acquisition and transfer. The analysis shows that these two capabilities are enabled by the distinctive goals and social capital characterizing family firms. Originality/value The paper creates a link between open innovation and family business research with an empirically grounded model illustrating how the idiosyncratic capabilities of a family firm help overcome the critical barriers to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge in executing an open innovation strategy.


Economies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavla Matulova ◽  
Petra Maresova ◽  
Mohammad Ali Tareq ◽  
Kamil Kuča

Open innovation has developed over several decades from a small pool of innovation pioneers, mostly active in high-tech industries, to be widely discussed and implemented in innovation strategy. The primary objective of the Open Innovation Session (OIS) is to create a platform where firms are able to facilitate knowledge transfer. This paper focuses on the contribution of OIS, implemented by regional government, in formulating companies’ strategic management and to overcome barriers to innovation for high-tech companies in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. The methodology adopted for this paper includes monitoring and analysing the activities of this programme over seven years, followed by a quantitative study using both primary and secondary data. The primary data for the research were gathered through questionnaires, where the respondents were general managers of companies that had at least some experience of an innovation process. Secondary data were taken from the Czech Statistical Office. This paper has found that the association between an aspiration for innovation leadership and expenditure for research and development is high, further that participation in OIS led to a shift in the perception of the objectives, needs and conditions of the business and finally the major barriers to the innovation process are a lack of highly motivated people with the necessary technical and business experience.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1144-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Agostini ◽  
Anna Nosella ◽  
Benedetta Soranzo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence that different components of relational capital (marketing capability, open innovation with business and scientific partners, technological reputation, brand) have on customer performance (CP). Moreover, the moderating effect of absorptive capacity on such relationships is tested. Design/methodology/approach First, the direct relationship between the different components of relational capital and CP is analyzed through a linear regression model. Then, to test the moderating effect, two distinct regression analyses are conducted into two sub-samples, defined according to the level of absorptive capacity. The authors carried out these analyses on a sample of 150 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the medium- and high-tech B2B context. Findings Results of this study prove that CP is enhanced through firm marketing capability, open innovation with business partners and technological reputation, while brand and open innovation with scientific partner do not have an association with CP. In particular, the impact of marketing capability and open innovation with business actors on CP is greater for firms with higher absorptive capacity. Research limitations/implications This paper, highlighting the relevance of relational capital and absorptive capacity in improving CP, enhances our knowledge about the factors that help to strengthen the relationships with customers, which is an under-investigated issue especially for SMEs competing in B2B industries, and extends our knowledge on open innovation practices. Practical implications Findings of this paper suggest that, to achieve better CP, managers should pay special attention to nurturing their marketing capability and high-quality relationships with external actors and invest in absorptive capacity to enhance the positive effect of such linkages. Originality/value This work, combining the external perspective of relational capital and the internal organizational dimension of absorptive capacity, provides valuable insights about the knowledge and resource mix that firms might rely on to achieve better customer satisfaction and loyalty.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Muzamil Naqshbandi ◽  
Sharan Kaur Garib Singh ◽  
Pin Ma

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharwa Najar ◽  
Karima Dhaouadi

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.


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