External heterogeneity and its impact on open innovation performance

While current research commonly finds there may be an optimum overall level of search depth commitment at the apex of an inverted U relationship, it says comparatively little about the optimal allocation of search depth between competing search channels. Neither does it explore in depth the qualitative differences in the breadth of different external search channels. Here we conceptually and empirically explore the idea of the intra-search channel allocation problem using the concept of heterogeneity in search depth and breadth. We explore how variations in the distribution of open innovation search depth and breadth influnence innovation performance and in doing so contribute to a more fine grained conceptual understanding of external innovation. We do so an emerging market context, namely China. Our contributions are therefore twofold, involving both conceptual and empirical elements

Antecedents, Moderators, Mediators and Outcome of Open Innovation: A Study Among Manufacturing Firms in the UK

This thesis integrates the resource-based theory, the capability-based view, and the contingency approach to examine the key antecedents, moderators, mediators, and outcomes of open innovation. Based on a rigorous systematic literature review, using a comprehensive set of survey data from 206 UK manufacturing firms, this thesis integrates three interrelated papers on open innovation. The first paper examines the current state of knowledge in open innovation literature. Nine hundred and forty-four (944) articles from leading journals on open innovation were reviewed and synthesised. Overall, the findings identify common themes in the literature and highlight research gaps that, if pursued, could enrich the literature. The second paper examines the influence of technological capability and marketing capability on inbound and outbound open innovation, and the moderating effect of government support. The study shows that technological capability enhances inbound and outbound open innovation, while marketing capability hinders inbound and outbound open innovation. In addition, the study shows that the interaction of government support and technological capability is significant and positive for inbound open innovation, but insignificant for outbound open innovation. Furthermore, the interaction of government support and marketing capability is significant and negative for both inbound and outbound open innovation. The third paper examines the internal mechanisms between inbound and outbound open innovation on firm performance. It was found that both inbound and outbound open innovation were not significantly related to firm performance. In addition, strategic flexibility negatively mediated the relationship between outbound open innovation and firm performance, while innovation performance did not mediate this relationship. Furthermore, strategic flexibility and innovation performance were serial mediators in the relationship between outbound open innovation and firm performance. In addition, organisational relearning positively moderated the relationship between inbound open innovation and firm performance

External knowledge search strategies toward product innovation performance in Malaysian manufacturing firms

It is commonly accepted that External Knowledge Search (EKS) strategies are important for firms’ Product Innovation Performance (PIP). However, there are two questions that are still not clear. First, what dimensions of firms’ EKS strategies that are crucial in determining their product innovation success? Second, how firms are exploiting the external knowledge from their external knowledge search activities? This study intends to open the “black box” between different dimensions of EKS strategies and PIP by proposing Absorptive Capacity (AC) as the mediating variable. Employing path analysis through Partial-Least Squares- Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) among a sample of 137 Malaysian manufacturing firms, this study demonstrates that collaboration depth, information search breadth and information search depth are directly related to AC, and indirectly related to PIP. These results suggest that AC mediates the relationship between these three types of EKS strategies and PIP. Interestingly, this study found that AC partially mediates the relationship between collaboration depth and PIP, but fully mediates the relationship between information search breadth and PIP. Although partially mediates, the relationship recorded significant mediation effect between information search depth and PIP. In this way, it provides insights that information search breadth and depth are essential in contributing to firms’ AC development, whereas collaboration depth, albeit contributes to developing firms’ AC, and yet, this strategy could also contribute directly to PIP. This study advances the extant literature by explaining the way of a firm in attaining superior PIP from EKS strategies and AC. Besides that, this study provides insight for managers in developing suitable strategies to gain and sustain competitive advantages. As firms improve in their PIP, it could move up the value chain of a country and encourage a better economic development for the nation