Context Of Open Innovation Research Articles

Navigating Digital Transformation: Current Trends in Digital Competencies for Open Innovation in Organizations

This study explored both the evolution and the integration of digital competencies within the context of open innovation, emphasizing the impact of technological advances across various sectors. The goal was to analyze documents indexed in Scopus from 2017 to 2023 using a quantitative and bibliometric approach. The methodology employed RStudio version 4.3.2 and Microsoft Excel 365 for data analysis, focusing on variables such as documents per year, h-index, total citations, and academic sources. The findings indicated a significant increase in research, highlighting a diversity of approaches, a trend towards international collaboration, and an evolution from basic concepts to complex applications, particularly the integration of digitization with sustainability and innovation. This research underscores the transformation of the business sector through digital competencies in open innovation and suggests further exploration into the effects of the pandemic on digital competencies, the role of artificial intelligence, the digital competencies–sustainable development relationship, and their application across different sectors.

How to Benefit From Open Innovation? The Moderating Effect of Open Culture and Open Organization

How to benefit from open innovation (OI) sustainably is a real concern of enterprises. Therefore, the scholars' focus on OI research has gradually shifted to the implementation of OI. Based on the structural contingency theory, structural adaptation theory, and the investigation of 426 enterprises, this study tries to discuss the moderating effect of open culture (OC) and open organization (OO) in the process of inbound open innovation (IOI) and outbound open innovation (OOI) affecting enterprise growth (EG). The results show that both IOI and OOI are positively related to the EG, and their interaction item is also positively related to EG. Besides, OC and OO are positively associated with EG. What is more, both OC and OO can enhance the positive correlation between OOI and EG. However, the moderating effect of OC and OO between IOI and EG is not significant. Furthermore, compared with the IOI, the OOI may need the fitness of OC and OO, so that enterprises can benefit from the open innovation better and sustainably. This article develops the measurement scale of OC and OO in combination with the OI context, expands the research results of organizational culture and organizational structure in the OI context, enriches the research results in the fields of OI, OC, OO, and EG, and provides practical enlightenment on organizational construction for enterprises to benefit from open innovation.

How Do External Networks and Strategic Targeting Impact Open Innovation in the Global Auto Industry

This research examines the interactions between open innovation (OI) strategies and competitive behavior in global automotive assemblers and suppliers. We show that these firms behave differently when engaging external networks to limit downside risks when dealing with competitors (and rivals). Specifically, we find that firms cross external firm boundaries for incremental, but not radical technology projects using nominal external links. Our results are aligned with emerging innovation trends in the auto industry where the locus of innovation has evolved upstream in the digital age, from final assemblers to suppliers. This study provides support for a theory to explain inter-firm competitive dynamics within OI contexts. In particular, it provides an explanation for boundary selection criteria when engaged in OI projects. We conclude with implications for theory and practice and provide guidance for potential future research.

It's all about opportunities: sourcing and selection of new ventures to accelerate innovation

One‐fifth of the global companies complement their R&D activities with the use of corporate accelerators. Corporate accelerators are claimed to foster innovativeness by engaging with startups. However, we know little about how they work. The few previous studies about corporate accelerators have mainly focused on the design of corporate accelerators or the description of the phenomenon itself, but we have limited insights into the underlying mechanisms of corporate acceleration. This in‐depth qualitative case study of a large German corporation in the automotive sector opens up how the sourcing and selection of new ventures accelerates corporate innovation. The unique access to internal data revealed the mechanisms that accelerate innovation by enhancing the corporate's entrepreneurial behavior. The study thereby contributes to understanding modes of corporate entrepreneurship and their function in the broader open innovation context, opening the black box of corporate acceleration, as well as giving valuable insights to R&D and innovation managers on the sourcing and selection process of startups.

Open innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic policy responses in South Africa and Kenya.

Most governments upscaled technological adaptations and integration into public service delivery during the COVID‐19 pandemic policy responses globally. This article analyzes the context of open innovation (OI) applications and initiatives that characterized public innovation trends and impacted government agencies' responses to contain different consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic in four critical areas: economic recovery strategies, logistics and supply chain, digital health‐care partnerships, and collaborations. We show how policy responses increased the uptake and upscaling of OI strategies in Kenya and South Africa. In both countries, government agencies, among other things, upgraded innovative or created online integrated portals for instant data sharing and used knowledge management platforms to monitor the COVID‐19 pandemic prevalence in transportation systems and the delivery of vaccines. These enabled effective policy communication and tracing of COVID‐19 patients, organizing the population for the vaccination drive, and generating timely data for further action in the four mentioned sectors.Related ArticlesLachapelle, Erick, Thomas Bergeron, Richard Nadeau, Jean‐François Daoust, Ruth Dassonneville, and Éric Bélanger. 2021. “Citizens' Willingness to Support New Taxes for COVID‐19 Measures and the Role of Trust.” Politics & Policy 49(3): 534–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12404.Liu, Zezhao, and Zhengwei Zhu. 2021. “China's Pathway to Domestic Emergency Management: Unpacking the Characteristics in System Evolution.” Politics & Policy 49(3): 619–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12407.Pelizzo, Riccardo, and Abel Kinyondo. 2014. “Public Accounts Committees in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Comparative Analysis.” Politics & Policy 42(1): 77–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12062.

Co-creating a Better Public Value Through Open Innovation: A Bibliometric and Interpretive Review

The evolving institutional, technological, and social contingencies faced by public sector entities make open innovation to be a candidate for being the new normality of public sector management. However, there is little agreement on the distinguishing traits of open innovation in the public realm. The article systematizes the multiplicity of insights delivered by the extant scientific literature, providing a thick and comprehensive account of open innovation in the public sector. A dual approach was taken to conduct this literature review. A bibliographic analysis was implemented to shed light on main research streams driving recent advancements in the management discourse about open innovation in the public sector. Next, an interpretive account of research streams was rendered, highlighting the core arguments addressed by extant scholarly literature. The SPAR-4-SLR protocol was used to collect, assess, and analyze scientific items, enabling us to ensure the study replicability and reliability. Altogether, 108 items were clustered in 5 research streams, accounting for an evolutionary view of open innovation in the public sector. Public sector entities play different roles to foster open innovation. They conventionally act as “senior partners” of private companies, providing funding (Yellow cluster) and data (Purple cluster) to sustain open innovation ecosystems. An alternative perspective understands open innovation as an innovative public management model, which is purposefully enacted by public sector entities to generate public value (Red cluster). Fitting architectures (Green cluster) and mechanisms (Blue cluster) should be designed to propel open innovation in the public sector. Alongside unveiling compelling avenues for further developments, the paper points out insights for scholars and practitioners, emphasizing the need for reconceptualizing the role of public sector organizations in the open innovation context. Tailored management and organizational interventions are needed to overcome the obstacles and the barriers which prevent the exploitation of open innovation as a new public value creation model

Are You Listening?’: Sentiment Diffusion in GitHub

Do expressed sentiments affect remote-workers? My paper addresses this question in the important context of open innovation, using extensive online communication data on GitHub. I use the VADER sentiment analyzer to determine latent sentiment in open source software developer communication, and study the correlation of individual sentiments within developer teams. I employ an instrumental variable identification strategy to identify peer effects in sentiment diffusion. I find significant, positive correlation within in-group sentiments, which suggests potential channels through which sentiments can propagate. I also find sentiments expressed by an individual does not affect the entire team, and this suggests expressed sentiments tend to attenuate rather than magnify via propagation. These findings provide useful lessons to managers of remote working teams regarding ways to manage employee morale and team cohesion.

Investigating the drivers of failure of research-industry collaborations in open innovation contexts

Collaboration between research and industry is fundamental for technology innovation. Most existing research in this domain has focused on the drivers or enabling factors that lead to the success of such collaboration. On the contrary, the lack of information about collaboration failures in research-industry settings still represents one of the main obstacles to studying this topic. In this paper, we argue that management scholars should deepen inquiry on unsuccessful research-industry collaborations, as these occurrences may also have major repercussions in terms of business failures. Accordingly, we take stock of research on unsuccessful collaborations in the Big Science context, a special open innovation environment characterised by unexplored cases of research-industry collaboration failures. To address the need to investigate the drivers of failure in this context, we leverage a multiple case study analysis with a retrospective approach of a polar sample type of six case studies of collaborations between CERN – the biggest fundamental research organisation in the world – and supplier companies: three collaborations that have been recognised as successful, and three that have been recognised as failures. By doing so, we aim to provide a framework highlighting the main drivers that lead to failures of collaborations in this peculiar open innovation context and to shed light on the reasons why research-industry collaborations may fail in the Big Science context.

Fostering knowledge creation through network capability ambidexterity with the moderation of an innovation climate

PurposeThis paper aims to adopt the knowledge-based view and social network theory to investigate the relationship between network capability ambidexterity and knowledge creation (KC) in the context of open innovation. It also examines the moderating effects of innovation climate on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper developed a model including network capability ambidexterity, innovation climate and KC. A total of 463 samples were collected from China to test the model and hypotheses by SEM.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that network capability ambidexterity is the crucial antecedent of KC. Specifically, network capability ambidexterity consists of the balanced and combined dimensions that both have significant and positive effects on KC. More importantly, the balanced dimension has a stronger effect on KC than the combined. In addition, an innovation climate positively moderates the effects of network capability ambidexterity and KC.Originality/valueThis study advances a new understanding of how network capability ambidexterity influences KC. Moreover, investigating the relationships should provide fresh insights into network capabilities and KC for practitioners in the open innovation context.

Outcomes of Industry–University Collaboration in Open Innovation: An Exploratory Investigation of Their Antecedents’ Impact Based on a PLS-SEM and Soft Computing Approach

The outcomes of industry–university collaboration, in an open innovation context, may be of great support to firms, in their response to the challenges of today’s highly competitive environment. However, there is no empirical evidence on how these outcomes are influenced by their antecedents. Aiming to fill this gap, a research model to investigate the impact of the major antecedents, identified in the literature as motives, barriers and knowledge transfer channels on the beneficial outcomes and drawbacks of open innovation between the two organizations was developed in this study. The research model was empirically assessed, using a dual-stage predictive approach, based on PLS-SEM and soft computing constituents (artificial neural networks and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems). PLS-SEM was successfully used to test the hypotheses of the research model, while the soft computing approach was employed to predict the complex dependencies between the outcomes and their antecedents. Insights into the relative importance of the antecedents, in shaping the open innovation outcomes, were provided through the importance–performance map analysis. The findings revealed the antecedents that had a significant positive impact on both the beneficial outcomes and drawbacks of industry–university collaboration, in open innovation. The results also highlighted the predictor importance in the research model, as well as the relative importance of the antecedent constructs, based on their effects on the two analyzed outcomes.

La dynamique des « communs » de connaissances : le rôle d’un living lab comme intermédiaire d’innovation ouverte dans l’écosystème de santé

The dynamics of the knowledge commons: the role of a living lab as an open innovation intermediary in the health ecosystemIn a context of open innovation, an increasing role is played by innovation intermediary devices that articulate the knowledge of heterogeneous actors in the health ecosystem. This article presents the case study of a living lab in health ecosystem, which we interpret through the theoretical framework of innovation commons, which are defined as dynamic bases of knowledge assets, orchestrated by a community of innovation gravitating around the living lab. This study enriches the reflection on the articulation of the commons and the role of living labs as intermediaries, by highlighting their capacity to reconfigure user relations and to generate a dynamic of collaborative innovation in a rigid context such as in an hospital.

Performing openness: how the interplay between knowledge sharing and digital infrastructure creates multiple accountabilities

PurposeThe present study aims to address the emergence of platform-organized open innovation (OI). The research has the two main aims: the first is to increase the understanding of the performance of OI by investigating how the achievements of OI are measured in situated practices from a performative and strategic knowledge management (SKM) orientation. The methodological disadvantages of not pre-given case selection are partially counterbalanced by the second aim of the research, which is to extend existing SKM theory and examine how platforms create knowledge as they include actors and digital devices, thereby potentially redistributing relations of accountability.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on performativity theory, the paper studies how the achievements and knowledge created in OI are managed and evaluated in practice. The case description draws on different sources from a spiral case study, as openness is performed by platform, firm, crowd and innovation intermediaries.FindingsThe paper illustrates how a strategy of digitally enabled openness brings its own issues as platforms enable knowledge sharing and perform a redistribution of accountability. In the heterarchies studied through this research endeavor, managers and their team members were accountable not only to multiple units, or teams, across the organization, but also to the crowd. The case material demonstrates that the ecology of devices and their performative struggles create lateral accountability.Research limitations/implicationsWhile recent streams of research suggest that the context of OI (i.e. distributed sources of knowledge for innovation) shifts the unit of analysis of organization design from the individual firm to networks of actors organized on platforms, the authors find that the focal firm still remains a key conceptual parameter in SKM research, which, in turn, makes it difficult to capture the suggested radicality of OI.Practical implicationsThe authors show, that in practice, the firm has to take into account the performance of the external crowd and at times put resources into its training and education. In heterarchy, distributed authority is assumed to be facilitated through lateral accountability, whereby the traditional principles of vertical authority no longer hold, but rather, managers and their team members can be accountable to multiple units, or teams, across the organization.Originality/valueThe paper develops a performative theory of openness. OI is a model, strategy and socio-material practice whereby digital designs create an ecology of devices that can enact all kinds of openness. Ultimately, the current paper proposes that SKM and OI theory need to consider how platforms perform relations of accountability beyond the boundaries of the single organization.

Open Innovation Competence for a Future-Proof Workforce: A Comparative Study from Four European Universities

Digital transformation is a key driving force of open innovation to capture and transfer knowledge inside and outside of a company’s bounds. New challenges in organizing multiple knowledge flows imply the need for increased competences related to this paradigm of future employees. In this article, we organize and aggregate the competencies required for open innovation collaboration and develop a competence profile that organizes individual competencies in an open innovation context. Based on elements of the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework, we delineate an OI Competence Profile and list the core competencies to manage and accelerate the inflow and outflow of knowledge. We explore this profile by comparing data from 2332 students from four European universities to find differences in the distribution of OI competencies between countries. The study contributes to understanding the individual competencies that target the future OI needs of companies necessary in the context of digital transformation. It also introduces an interdisciplinary approach to integrate the research streams of management practice, open innovation, and entrepreneurial education.

Identifying Crisis-Critical Intellectual Property Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed firms, organisations and their respective supply chains to unprecedented challenges, thus triggering the formation of new relationships in a short period of time. More specifically, Firms from other sectors, such as automotive, luxury and home appliances, have entered into the Crisis-Critical Sector in order to support the effort to upscale incumbent manufacturing capacities, thereby creating new relationships and thus introducing Intellectual Property (IP) related dynamics and challenges. We apply an innovation ecosystem perspective to three industrial firm entry strategies identified by Tietze, Vimalnath, Aristodemou and Molloy (2020) and adopt a novel visual mapping approach to identify IP associated challenges and IP specific dynamics during and potentially beyond the crisis. In this paper, we contribute to the IP management literature in the open innovation context by proposing paraground IP as a novel IP type. Finally, we deduce managerial implications for IP management practitioners at both incumbent firms and new entrants for navigating innovation ecosystems subject to crisis-induced dynamic shifts.

Investigating Determinants of Industry–University Collaboration in an Open Innovation Context: Comparative Evidence from an Exploratory Study

In an open innovation (OI) paradigm, universities are considered as important sources of external scientific knowledge for industry, and comparative study of such collaboration can result in more effective and efficient employment of OI. Within this framework, this study explores how the determinants of collaboration between industry and universities in an open context of innovation are addressed by firms within industrial areas. For this purpose, a conceptual framework of industry–university determinants in an open context of innovation is developed from the related literature. Taking into consideration the determinants integrated into the framework, this study compares motives, barriers, channels of knowledge transfer, benefits and drawbacks of such collaboration in two Italian and Romanian industrial areas. Comparative differences in each OI determinant between the firms from the two Italian and Romanian industrial areas are analysed. The associations among the study determinants are also investigated based on correlation matrices among the five determinants in both Italian and Romanian firms. An artificial intelligence approach based on fuzzy logic was developed to predict the impact of the study determinants on the perception of universities as a source for OI activities of firms.

Publishing in the Academy of Management Journals

Publishing in the Academy of Management Journals

Green Innovation in Environmental Complexity: The Implication of Open Innovation

People have become more conscientious about the environment in recent years. Increasing environmental awareness drives customers to be more selective about environmentally friendly products and forces governments to adopt environmentally friendly policies. As a result, competition in the market becomes more challenging. Thus, companies cannot remain indifferent to adopting environmentally friendly strategies to be sustainable. In this regard, this study investigates the effect of green innovation on firm performance. We also examined whether the environmental uncertainty moderates the investigated effect. For this purpose, first, data were collected from the first 1000 exporting firms declared in 2019 by the Turkey Exporters Assembly using a survey method. Secondly, factor analyses and regression analyses were performed with the data set obtained from 136 companies. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that green innovation increases both environmental performance and economic performance. It also was found that green innovation positively affects firm performance, but environmental uncertainty reduces this effect. According to these results, it was offered that firms should increase their green innovation activities to achieve better outputs and seek ways to reduce environmental uncertainty to keep these outputs at the maximum level. Finally, the research includes some considerations on the positive implications and potential of green innovation in an open-innovation context.

Adaptive Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Modeling and Applying to Italy Ceramic Tile Manufacturing Sector: Its Implication of Open Innovation

Converging business, sustainability, and technology is a challenge that manufacturing firms face to create value and be competitive. Energy- and raw material-intensive manufacturing industries are particularly aware of environmental issues and circular economy practices due to the large amounts of resources they use. However, manufacturing companies must also be mindful of economic sustainability in order to make their business profitable. For this, appropriate economic evaluation tools are needed, one of which is life cycle costing (LCC). LCC, when applied to the manufacturing context, is often considered as a simple extension of the life cycle assessment (LCA). This is the main limitation of LCC, as it only contributes to determining the economic value of environmental damage. This research aims to overcome this limitation, analyzing the Italian ceramic tile manufacturing sector as a case study in order to conceptually develop, through the abductive methodology, a calculation framework that extends the potential of LCC by including circularity parameters. Subsequently, the conceptual framework is empirically validated using sectoral industrial costs by configuring two scenarios (with and without circularity practices) and building a benchmark for individual firms in this industry. Finally, the research includes some considerations on the positive implications and potential of life cycle costing in an open innovation context.

The intertwining of knowledge sharing and creation in the digital platform based ecosystem. A conceptual study on the lens of the open innovation approach

PurposeGenerally, there is a common sense to consider knowledge sharing and creation as two separate processes but a new matter emerges when those processes are intertwining. In this vein, this research aims to discuss on the lens of the open innovation (OI) model how such intertwining generates digital platform-based ecosystem.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical approach is used to largely discuss the intertwining of knowledge sharing and creation in the current digital era. It debates such scenario considering past and present studies and suggests future research streamlines.FindingsIt offers a new theoretical model that can be implemented in a micro, meso and macro level where the concept of “ba” (or ba-sho) assumes the form of a digital platform where knowledge sharing is in motion and dynamically interacts with the knowledge creation.Originality/valueBy discussing the intertwining of knowledge creation and sharing in OI context along with digital trends (e.g. platform innovation ecosystems and platform innovation management), the study offers a new conceptual framework that relies on such intertwining accompanied by the concept of “ba – sho.” In this vein, research limits and new research are suggested to demonstrate and support this conceptual study.

Micro design in inter-organizational hybrid governance: a study on product adaptation, reverse knowledge transfer and integration mechanism

PurposeThis study aims to explore the extent to which inter-organizational hybrid governance manages the micro design for optimum reverse knowledge transfer in the open innovation context. The authors use two essential facets of micro design in hybrid governance: product adaptation and integration mechanism.Design/methodology/approachData for this study were collected from franchisees through structured questionnaires in Indonesia.FindingsResults indicated that product adaptation has a positive relationship with reverse knowledge transfer. This study also found that the formalization strengthens the relationship between product adaptation and reverse knowledge transfer. However, the socialization does not have a moderation effect.Research limitations/implicationsThis research estimates the knowledge transfer from the agent’s side only. Therefore, further research is expected to estimate the reverse knowledge transfer in dyads (from agent and principal) to get a detailed understanding of reverse knowledge transfer.Practical implicationsThis study offers guidelines to managers, especially in inter-organizational hybrid governance. The authors suggest reverse knowledge transfer as a form to manage the dispersed knowledge from their agents. Governing institutions should change their view that agents have diverse knowledgebase from experience adapting to local conditions and can improve their open innovation through reverse knowledge transfer. From the results, it is found that giving agents the flexibility to adapt products can boost reverse knowledge transfer to support open innovation.Originality/valueThis study provides an understanding of the utilization of external knowledge sourcing in the context of open innovation from agent to principal in hybrid governance through reverse knowledge transfer, which has thus far been empirically under-researched.