The Effect of Resource Constraint on Radical Innovation: The Mediation Effect of External Knowledge Search

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.

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How does coopetition affect radical innovation? The roles of internal knowledge structure and external knowledge integration

Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing ◽

10.1108/jbim-05-2019-0257 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Huanhuan Chen ◽

Yanhong Yao ◽

Ao Zan ◽

Elias G. Carayannis

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Integration ◽

Knowledge Structure ◽

Radical Innovation ◽

Content Type ◽

External Knowledge ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Architectural Knowledge ◽

The Relationship ◽

Positive Effect

Purpose Building on the resource- and knowledge-based views, this paper aims to explore how coopetition affects radical innovation and the roles of knowledge structure and external knowledge integration in the relationship between coopetition and radical innovation. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes a research model to examine the mediating role of external knowledge integration on the coopetition-radical innovation link, where the mediation is moderated by the firm’s knowledge structure (including component knowledge and architectural knowledge). The authors use regression and bootstrapping to test the proposed model with survey data from 241 Chinese technology firms. Findings This study finds that coopetition positively affects radical innovation and the effect is fully mediated by external knowledge integration. Additionally, component knowledge negatively moderates the coopetition-external knowledge integration link and architectural knowledge positively moderates this relationship. Further, the mediating effect of external knowledge integration is also moderated by component knowledge and architectural knowledge. Practical implications Firms should engage in coopetition to promote radical innovation. Further, it is necessary for firms to appropriately manage coopetition according to their internal knowledge structure. Originality/value This study explains why scholars have different ideas about the relationship between coopetition and radical innovation by exploring the mediating role of external knowledge integration and the moderating effect of knowledge structure. Firms possess increased possibilities for knowledge leakage and partner opportunism with high levels of component knowledge, which will reduce the positive effect coopetition on external knowledge integration; thus, they are less likely to realize radical innovation. Instead, firms possess increased opportunities for resource sharing with high levels of architectural knowledge, thus improving the positive effect coopetition on external knowledge integration and they are more likely to achieve radical innovation.

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External knowledge search paths in open innovation processes of small and medium enterprises

European Journal of Innovation Management ◽

10.1108/ejim-01-2019-0013 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 524-550

Author(s):

Preecha Chaochotechuang ◽

Farhad Daneshgar ◽

Stefania Mariano

Keyword(s):

Open Innovation ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Search Space ◽

Exploratory Research ◽

Content Type ◽

External Knowledge ◽

Search Heuristics ◽

Knowledge Search ◽

Medium Enterprises ◽

Innovation Processes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge by exploring how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) search for external knowledge in their open innovation processes, and how the search can be advanced. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory research employs a qualitative multiple case study design. A literature review of open innovation in SMEs and external knowledge search is used to build the premises of this study. Semi-structured interviews with eight SMEs are employed to collect subsequent exploratory empirical data. Findings This exploratory study revealed that SMEs adopted a combination of cognitive and experiential search heuristics where cognitive search was practiced during the innovation research process when searching for external knowledge, whilst experiential search was practiced during the innovation development process. Concerning the search space, this study found that SMEs mainly explored local knowledge, and occasionally pursued distant knowledge when confronted with complex problems. The reason for the above behavior was explained to be related to the reduction of costs and risks associated with innovation activities. Originality/value External knowledge plays a pivotal role in open innovation. Although extant studies have shed some light on how large firms search for external knowledge, however, it is not clear how SMEs search for external knowledge. Moreover, this study focuses on learning about both the search space and the search heuristics at both the research and the development stages of the innovation process.

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External Knowledge Search, Organizational Proximity and Innovation Performance in South Korean SMEs

10.16980/jitc.12.3.201606.45 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 45-60

Author(s):

Jae-Jin David Roh ◽

◽

Tae-Woo Roh ◽

Keyword(s):

Innovation Performance ◽

External Knowledge ◽

South Korean ◽

Knowledge Search ◽

Organizational Proximity

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External Knowledge Search Strategies in China's Technology Ventures: The Role of Managerial Interpretations and Ties

Management and Organization Review ◽

10.1111/more.12037 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 437-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jingjiang Liu ◽

Lu Chen ◽

Wiboon Kittilaksanawong

Keyword(s):

Positive Relationship ◽

Emerging Market ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Search Strategies ◽

External Knowledge ◽

Managerial Ties ◽

Threat Rigidity ◽

Knowledge Search ◽

Technology Ventures

AbstractDrawing on the threat-rigidity hypothesis, we examine how managerial opportunity and threat interpretations of external environments affect a technology venture's choice of external knowledge search strategies in an emerging market. Results from a sample of 141 technology ventures in China reveal that opportunity interpretation directly and positively influences both the breadth and depth of external search, whereas threat interpretation directly and negatively influences only external search depth. Furthermore, managerial ties strengthen the positive relationship between opportunity interpretation and external search breadth but weaken the positive relationship on external search depth. Managerial ties weaken the negative relationship between threat interpretation and external search breadth but strengthen the negative relationship on external search depth. Implications for both research and practice are offered.

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