The role of innovation ambidexterity on the relationship between cognitive computing capabilities and entrepreneurial quality: A comparative study of India and China

Abstract

Cognitive computing holds potential for improving the information processing capabilities of organizations by providing a computing infrastructure that support business analytics for both structured and unstructured data. It offers a basis for entrepreneurial activities, as it helps obtain and analyze market intelligence to extend business opportunities. Based on dynamic capabilities theory, this empirical study conceptualizes and establishes the linkages between cognitive computing capabilities, which is resultant of technology led information aggregation, and processing capabilities and entrepreneurial quality while examining the moderating effect of innovation ambidexterity as a capability of organizations in a comparative analysis of China and India. The findings based on a survey of 300 firms from the two countries, reveal a positive impact of cognitive computing capabilities on entrepreneurial quality in both countries. Innovation ambidexterity is found playing instrumental role in the case of India, but not in China. This study contributes to the understanding of four measures of entrepreneurship quality, i.e. risk-taking propensity, pro-activeness, frequency and innovativeness, from a dynamic capabilities lens in the context of cognitive computing capabilities and provides empirical validation to the established association in a comparative context of China and India. The findings are discussed in light of academic and managerial implications.