Innovation Performance Research Articles

Enhancing SME performance through innovation: evidence from a transition economy – Kosovo

Purpose – What are the effects of implementing various types of innovation, including product, process, and technological innovations, on the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector? This is a question that preoccupies us a lot. This study seeks to examine the individual and integrated effects of these innovations. Indeed, we examine the impact of three categories of innovation – product, process, and technological innovation – on the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Research methodology – We used a quantitative approach to execute this research, selecting SMEs at random using self-administered questionnaires. The data collected from 153 manufacturing SMEs was analyzed using hierarchical linear regression to investigate, evaluate, and refine the relation among product, process, and technological innovation and SME performance. Findings – This study’s findings reveal a clear and direct relationship between these three forms of innovation and SMEs’ performance. This study also provides empirical evidence that various forms of innovation, either examined individually or as integrated, exert a positive effect on the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Limitations – This study focuses on Kosovo-based SMEs, with the assumption of an upright connection between variables. Future studies can examine the existence of reverse causality in a variety of regional, cultural, and industrial settings. Originality/Value – This study significantly advances existing knowledge by providing useful insights into the complex interplay among product, process, and technological innovation (examined from both individual and integrated perspectives) as well as the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing industry.

Bibliometric Analysis: Mapping the Role of Intellectual Capital in Enhancing Excellence Competing Colleges

In the knowledge economy, competitive advantage in Higher Education (HE) is based on intangible assets of Intellectual capital such as quality in teaching, research, innovation, image, reputation and stakeholder relations. Several studies have been conducted to analyze how intellectual capital contributes to competitive advantage in different contexts. However, it is still rare in the higher education sector. This study aims to fill this gap by providing knowledge mapping and evaluating articles , the role of intellectual capital contribution to competitive advantage in higher education. This study was conducted through a literature study using a bibliometric meta-analysis method approach . This study analyzed 13 publications taken from the Google Scholar database. The results of the study propose the development of variables that are able to improve the relationship between the role of intellectual capital contribution to competitive advantage in higher education comprehensively. The fields of leadership style, innovation and university performance are often associated with the context of university competitive advantage.

The impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance a study with communication behavior as a mediator variable.

This study aims to delve into the impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance and to analyze the mediating role of communication behavior in this process. Given the central role of innovation in the sustained competitiveness of enterprises, understanding how team psychological safety promotes employee innovation through communication behavior is of significant theoretical and practical importance. The study employs a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze survey data from 580 employees across various high-tech enterprises. The results indicate that the three dimensions of team psychological safety-team collaboration and understanding, team information sharing, and team give-and-take balance-have a significant positive impact on employee innovative performance. Moreover, communication behavior plays a significant mediating role between team psychological safety and employee innovative performance. This study reveals the positive influence of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance through communication behavior, emphasizing the importance of building a positive team psychological safety environment to stimulate employee innovation potential. It provides empirical evidence for enterprise managers to optimize team communication strategies and enhance employee innovative performance.

Nexus between intellectual capital and innovation performance: the mediating role of firm’s attractiveness and knowledge sharing

Purpose Intellectual capital has recently gained significant attention for achieving a competitive advantage for firms. Accordingly, this study aims to examines the impact of intellectual capital on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) innovation performance. Additionally, it also examines the mediating role of firm’s attractiveness (FATR) and knowledge sharing (KS) in small enterprises of India’s National Capital Region (NCR). Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from 395 owners and managers of the NCR region through a self-administered survey questionnaire. The author applied a “variance-based structural equation modeling” to examine the outcomes. Findings The outcomes exhibited that relational capital (RC) significantly influences the FATR, while human capital (HC) and structural capital (SC) insignificantly influences the FATR. Furthermore, HC, RC and SC substantially influence KS. Interestingly, the outcomes also reveal that a FATR and KS substantially influence innovation performance. Research limitations/implications This research provides valuable opportunities to expand the study of intellectual capital and innovation performance in SMEs across different countries, paving the way for future comparative analyses in diverse international contexts. Practical implications The results assist policymakers and practitioners in assessing an organization’s ability to transform data into intellectual capital within the context of “Industrial Revolution 4.0” to strengthen its sustainability and innovation performance. Originality/value The current paper delivers a more affluent and novel understanding of Indian SMEs by examining the interplay between intellectual capital and innovation performance mediating by a FATR and KS behavior. Furthermore, the proposed model has not been previously addressed in the academic literature, which signifies advancement in scientific knowledge.

The impact of informal control on the innovation performance of female technology professionals from the perspective of role pressure

BackgroundWith the rapid advancement of the technology industry, particularly in STEM fields, female professionals have increasingly become key drivers of innovation. Despite this, existing research has seldom examined the psychological impact of informal control on their innovation performance. Therefore, this study distributed questionnaires to female technology professionals in China’s STEM field to investigate the effect of informal control on their innovation performance from a psychological perspective. It further explored the mediating role of role pressure and the moderating role of environmental turbulence in this relationship.MethodsThis study primarily utilized AMOS 24.0 to develop structural equation models, and employed PROCESS 24.0 and SPSS 26.0 for data analysis purposes.ResultsThe findings reveal that informal control positively predicted the innovation performance of female technology professionals in STEM field. Role pressure partially mediates this relationship, while environmental turbulence positively moderates the relationship between informal control and innovation performance among female technology professionals in STEM field.DiscussionTheoretically, this research enriches the individual-level approaches to enhancing management control effectiveness. Practically, it aids managers in focusing on the psychological well-being of female technology professionals in STEM field, thereby facilitating the judicious selection of management control methods. The study’s conclusions aim to provide logical guidance for enterprises to further strengthen their attention and support for female technology professionals in STEM field. Simultaneously, it offers a theoretical foundation for enhancing their innovative capabilities.

Dopamine in Sports: A Narrative Review on the Genetic and Epigenetic Factors Shaping Personality and Athletic Performance

This narrative review examines the relationship between dopamine-related genetic polymorphisms, personality traits, and athletic success. Advances in sports genetics have identified specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in dopamine-related genes linked to personality traits crucial for athletic performance, such as motivation, cognitive function, and emotional resilience. This review clarifies how genetic variations can influence athletic predisposition through dopaminergic pathways and environmental interactions. Key findings reveal associations between specific SNPs and enhanced performance in various sports. For example, polymorphisms such as COMT Val158Met rs4680 and BDNF Val66Met rs6265 are associated with traits that could benefit performance, such as increased focus, stress resilience and conscientiousness, especially in martial arts. DRD3 rs167771 is associated with higher agreeableness, benefiting teamwork in sports like football. This synthesis underscores the multidimensional role of genetics in shaping athletic ability and advocates for integrating genetic profiling into personalized training to optimize performance and well-being. However, research gaps remain, including the need for standardized training protocols and exploring gene–environment interactions in diverse populations. Future studies should focus on how genetic and epigenetic factors can inform tailored interventions to enhance both physical and psychological aspects of athletic performance. By bridging genetics, personality psychology, and exercise science, this review paves the way for innovative training and performance optimization strategies.

Green finance and ESG performance: A quasi-natural experiment on the influence of green financing pilot zones

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance are major elements of green finance policies. It effectively aligns the financial incentives with the sustainable development goals. This study focuses on how green financing policies affect green innovation and business environmental performance. This study uses the difference-in-differences model to examine how green finance policy affects the ESG performance of enterprises. The results show that companies in economically better-developed pilot zones, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and those with fewer financial limitations drive more robust ESG performance based on the triple differences technique. The pilot program improves ESG performance despite tightening budgetary restrictions based on mechanism analysis. Thus, green finance policy positively impacts ESG performance, having better performance in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. Policymakers should prioritize targeted green finance policies to boost ESG performance and support maximum environmental impacts.

Unveiling the Nexus: Foreign Ownership, Innovation Dynamics, and Firm Performance through a Resource-Based Lens in Vietnam

This study investigates the complex relationships between firm resources, innovation, foreign ownership, and firm performance in the context of Vietnam's emerging market. Using a comprehensive dataset of 17,430 firm-year observations from 1,245 manufacturing firms across Vietnam for the period 2010 to 2023, we employ system GMM estimation to address potential endogeneity concerns. Our findings reveal non-linear effects of firm resources and foreign ownership on performance, measured by both ROA and Tobin's Q. Specifically, we observe inverted U-shape relationships for human capital and foreign ownership, diminishing returns for physical capital, and a positive squared term for R&D intensity. Moreover, we find that foreign ownership positively moderates the effects of firm resources on performance. These results are robust to alternative measures and subgroup analyses. Our study contributes to the literature by providing a nuanced understanding of firm performance drivers in Vietnam's unique institutional context, extending the applicability of resource-based and knowledge-based views to this emerging market. The findings offer valuable insights for managers and policymakers in Vietnam, highlighting the importance of balanced resource allocation, strategic innovation investments, and the potential benefits of foreign ownership in enhancing firm performance.

Research on the mechanism of digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness on the digital innovation performance of complementary enterprises: evidence from China

PurposeIn the era of the digital economy, the digital innovation ecosystem is an important vehicle to alleviate enterprises' resource and capability constraints and thus improve their digital innovation performance. Embedding digital innovation ecosystems for survival and development opportunities has become a new strategic choice for enterprises. However, how digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness affects the digital innovation performance of complementary enterprises has not yet been fully revealed. This study examines whether digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness affects the digital innovation performance of complementary enterprises through ambidextrous capabilities (exploration and exploitation) and the moderating role of strategic flexibility.Design/methodology/approachA field survey was conducted in China, collecting survey data from 578 complementary enterprises in advanced manufacturing industries embedded in digital innovation ecosystems. This study applies multiple regression analysis to verify the relevant hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirmed that (1) digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness has a significant positive effect on complementary enterprises' digital innovation performance; (2) Ambidextrous capabilities play a partial mediating role in the relationship between digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness and complementary enterprises' digital innovation performance. (3) Strategic flexibility positively moderates the effect of digital innovation ecosystem embeddedness on ambidextrous capabilities and digital innovation performance.Practical implicationsThe findings, intended to guide enterprises that complement the digital innovation ecosystem to achieve digital innovation and performance improvement, highlight the importance of eco-embedded strategies, ambidextrous capabilities and strategic flexibility.Originality/valueThe finding enriches antecedent research on digital innovation performance and provides practical insights for firms to embed themselves in digital innovation ecosystems to improve performance.

Coopetitive service innovation: the role of geographical proximity, innovation focus and customer cooperation

PurposePrevious research on the impact of coopetition on innovation performance has provided contradictory results. Thus, this study aims to fill the gap by gathering data to explain the impact of coopetition on service innovation, considering the partners’ geographical proximity, innovation focus of the firm and cooperation with customers.Design/methodology/approachA logistic regression model is applied, and four hypotheses are tested using data from the Eurostat Community Innovation Survey 2018. The cross-sectional data set consists of 13,723 firms innovating services in selected European Union countries.FindingsThe findings verify the importance of coopetition for service innovation. However, the coopetitive partners’ nationality does not have a significant impact. Furthermore, the integration of customer cooperation with coopetition enhances service innovation. Hence, competing partners seem not to avoid cooperation in output functions near the customers. To coopete in innovation is risky, but the findings reveal that partners develop novel services through coopetition, intended to produce a higher return to compensate for the risks.Originality/valuePresumably, this is one of the first large-scale studies examining the impact of coopetition on service innovation in a European context. This study indicates that coopetition amplifies service innovation, thus reducing the divergent views on the impact of coopetition on innovation performance. It responds to the request for more research on the context of coopetitive innovation by explaining how the firms’ geographical proximity, innovation focus and cooperation with customers impact their service innovation performance.

Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities: The Role Of Accounting Systems And Technology In MSME Performance Post-COVID-19, Enhanced By Market Innovation

This research explores the impact of technology adoption on the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the post-COVID-19 landscape, with a particular focus on the moderating role of market innovation. Utilizing a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, data was collected from MSMEs to evaluate the relationships among technology adoption, market innovation, and business performance. The findings reveal that technology adoption has a significant positive effect on MSME performance, contributing to operational efficiency and improved customer engagement. However, contrary to expectations, market innovation does not significantly moderate this relationship. This suggests that the immediate benefits of technology adoption are sufficient to drive performance improvements without the need for market innovation to enhance these effects. The research highlights the importance for MSMEs to prioritize technology adoption as a strategy for resilience and growth in the wake of the pandemic, while market innovation can be pursued as a complementary initiative for long-term competitiveness. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to support the recovery and development of MSMEs in Indonesia.

The Moderating Role of Supply Chain Agility on the Relationship Between Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Market Performance in Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry is key to the survival of the human race, but equally becoming increasingly susceptible to global disruptions. In Nigeria, records have shown that the industry is plagued with several problems, inclusive of low employee productivity, poor market share, low innovation performance, poor and marginal sales growth and low profitability, which are likely a result of a lack of strategic flexibility in the face of increasing environment turbulence and intense competition. Despite efforts from researchers, the moderating role of supply chain agility has been largely overlooked in the literature. Therefore, this study examines the moderating role of supply chain agility on the relationship between strategic flexibility (resource flexibility, coordination flexibility, proactive flexibility, reactive flexibility and futurity) and organisational performance. A survey research design was used to collect data from 642 management and senior staff employees of six pharmaceutical companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group. A total enumeration method was adopted for the study, with a well-structured adapted questionnaire, having Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients ranging from 0.725 to 0.945. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was chosen to achieve the research goal. The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that strategic flexibility positively affects organizational performance (β = -0.093, p> 0.050, Q2 = 0.644). However, supply chain agility negatively moderates this effect, indicating that while agility is beneficial independently, it can counteract the positive impact of strategic flexibility when combined. The study recommended that the management of pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria should pay serious attention to strategic flexibility as an organizational capability that can enhance performance in the face of increasing uncertainties in and unpredictability nature of the business environment.

Centralization or decentralization? Power allocation in team innovation management.

Power disparity, as an important form of internal team hierarchy, presents a "double-edged sword effect". To reconcile the inconsistent effects and systematically explore the different mechanisms of power disparity, this study constructs a comprehensive theoretical model based on power functionalism and power conflict theory, with team coordination and team conflict as dual mediators, and power legitimacy as moderator. By collecting valid questionnaires from 76 teams across 27 different types of companies in various regions, statistical analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted on the data. The results conclude that power disparity positively influences team innovation performance through the team coordination path and negatively affects it through the team conflict path. However, under the moderating effect of power legitimacy, the negative effect of the team conflict path is suppressed, and the positive effect of the team coordination path is strengthened, thus ensuring that power disparity has a positive effect on team innovation performance. This study provides a useful reference for designing the power hierarchy within enterprises, and offers profound insights into effective organizational structure and decision-making processes.

The Contribution of GHRM and Green Innovation to Environmental Performance at Pt. Indonesian Air & Marine Supply

This study aims to explore the relationship between Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), Green Innovation, and Environmental Performance at PT. Indonesian Air & Marine Supply. The study population consisted of 100 employees from the company’s shipping department. The purposive sampling method was used to select 80 respondents who had been employed for at least two years and were directly involved in the shipping field. The analysis results indicate that the implementation of GHRM and Green Innovation significantly influences Environmental Performance at PT. Indonesian Air & Marine Supply. Recommendations for company management include increasing investment in GHRM and Green Innovation, as well as enhancing the integration between these two factors to achieve better environmental sustainability goals.

Research on the Configuration Path of Innovation Performance of Strategic Emerging Enterprises

As vehicles for implementing innovation-driven strategies, the strategic emerging industries are crucial for enhancing national competitiveness and sustainable development. Improving innovation performance in these industries has been a central focus of academic research. Notably, existing studies have primarily analyzed the net effects from a single perspective. This study examined 261 strategic emerging Chinese enterprises listed on the A-share market. Utilizing the Technology–Organization–Environment framework and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, this study explores the impact paths and mechanisms of the coupling configurations of technology, organization, and environment to enhance enterprises’ innovation performance from a configuration perspective. We discovered that, first, no single antecedent condition is necessary to achieve high enterprise innovation performance. However, increasing the level of digital transformation and intensity of innovation investments universally results in high innovation performance. Second, the technological, organizational, and environmental conditions exhibit “multiple concurrency”, forming diverse configurations that drive enterprise innovation performance; hence, the driving paths of enterprise innovation performance are varied. Third, four schemes exist for achieving high innovation performance in strategic emerging enterprises: environment-driven under technological dominance, technology–organization driven type, organization-driven under technological–environmental dominance, and technology–organization–environment co-driven type. Exploring the synergistic paths driving innovation performance from a configuration perspective enhances our understanding of the complex interactions among multiple factors in improving such performance. This provides significant theoretical and practical implications for enterprises aiming to improve their innovation performance.

Public sector innovation teams: Experience from field‐level bureaucracies

How public sector innovation teams take on innovation assignments has attracted insufficient attention from researchers. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the experiences of innovation teams in field‐level bureaucracies in a non‐Western context. In‐depth interviews with 62 public bureaucrats involved in 31 district and subdistrict innovation teams in Bangladesh reveal that the team members lack innovation orientation and team‐building activities, both constraining their innovation performance. It contributes to the innovation literature by explicating that several hostile organizational practices constrain team members' innovation orientation and team‐building activities, which preclude them from being proper innovation teams, affecting their innovation performance.

The impact of nurse managers’ boundary spacing leadership on the relationship between nurses’ work embeddedness and innovative work behaviors

AimThis study was designed to examine the nurse managers’ boundary-spacing leadership’s impact on the relationship between nurses’ work embeddedness and innovative work behaviors.BackgroundIn today's evolving healthcare environment, innovation is essential for enhancing patient care, optimizing resources, and supporting healthcare professionals. Nurses are pivotal in driving bedside innovation, but cultivating a culture of innovation within nursing teams involves more than just promoting creative ideas.MethodsThis is a descriptive correlational study that was conducted at one governmental hospital in Tanta, Egypt. Using Nurse Managers Boundary-Spacing Scale for assessing boundary-spacing leadership, The Global Job Embeddedness Scale for measuring work embeddedness, and Innovative Work Behavior Scale for assessing innovative work behavior, 250 nurses were surveyed. Data analysis was run using descriptive and inferential analysis. Correlation and regression analysis were used to examine the study hypotheses.ResultsThere is a statistically significant positive relationship between boundary-spacing leadership and work embeddedness (r = 0.615, p < 0.001). Boundary-spacing leadership accounted for 56% of the variance in work embeddedness and 36% of the variance in nurses' innovative work performance. These results highlight the pivotal role of boundary-spacing leadership in both enhancing nurses' work embeddedness and boosting their innovative behaviors. The substantial variance explained by boundary-spacing leadership underscores its critical influence on fostering a supportive and innovative work environment within the nursing field.ConclusionBoundary spacing leadership style involves connecting internal and external resources, fostering information exchange, and advocating for the nursing team. While work embeddedness positively correlated with innovative work performance, its impact was less significant than boundary-spacing leadership. This suggests that feeling attached to the organization fosters innovation, but leadership style has a stronger influence. Furthermore, the study found a positive and significant correlation between innovative work performance and both work embeddedness and nurse managers' boundary spacing leadership.Practical ImplicationsThe findings emphasize that boundary-spacing leadership is crucial for enhancing both nurses' work embeddedness and innovative behaviors. Healthcare organizations should focus on developing these leadership skills to create a supportive work environment, foster innovation, and improve staff retention

Understanding the relationship between team diversity and the innovative performance in research teams using decision tree algorithms: evidence from artificial intelligence

Understanding the relationship between team diversity and the innovative performance in research teams using decision tree algorithms: evidence from artificial intelligence

Green nexus womenpreneurs: harnessing internal-external capabilities for sustainable MSMEs fashion

Purpose This study aims to analyze the capabilities and external conditions of womenpreneur owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) Fashion EcoPrint Indonesia in green business practices and their implications for sustainable business performance. Design/methodology/approach This study chooses a quantitative approach with a sustainable business internal-external capability model. Using the structural equation modeling-partial least square analysis tool, the analysis was conducted on a sample of womenpreneurs who owned MSMEs EcoPrint Indonesia (n = 493). Findings In the internal capability dimension, total quality environment and green core competence affect green supply chain management, affecting green product innovation performance. Meanwhile, women entrepreneurs’ external capability dimensions (regulation, customer awareness of the environment and technological innovation infrastructure) are connected to sustainable development business capabilities, which affect the performance of green process innovation. The study confirms that green products and processes have the potential to influence sustainable business performance. A key finding is the strong influence of environment-based total quality management governance on both sides. At the same time, womenpreneurs have a significant impact on their respective dimensions. Research limitations/implications This study has implications for increasing competency, Sustainable MSME industrial infrastructure, and protecting women in developing countries. The theoretical implications of creating a model that examines the impact of womenpreneurs’ internal and external abilities on eco-friendly businesses’ success are significant for developing nations’ promising growth. Originality/value This study explores women’s contributions to family well-being and environment-based economies, focusing on eco-friendly supply chain management and sustainable external capabilities of women entrepreneurs in Indonesia, using a gender equality approach in developing economies.

CIO leadership, employee digital ability, and corporate green innovation performance–moderating effect of organizational agility and environmental culture

CIO leadership, employee digital ability, and corporate green innovation performance–moderating effect of organizational agility and environmental culture