The role of Intangible Assets in the Relationship between HRM and Innovation: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration

This paper, as far as known, provides a first attempt to explore the role of intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management (KM) in an integrative way between the relationship of human resource (HR) practices and two types of innovation (radical and incremental). More specifically, the study investigates two sub-components of IC – human capital and organizational social capital. At the same time, four KM channels are discussed, such as knowledge creation, acquisition, transfer and responsiveness.\ud The research is a part of a bigger project financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. The project studies the ‘competencies for innovation’ and is conducted in collaboration with innovative companies in the Eastern part of the Netherlands. \ud An exploratory survey design with qualitative and quantitative data is used for\ud investigating the topic in six companies from industrial and service sector in the region of Twente, the Netherlands. Mostly, the respondents were HR directors. The findings showed that some parts of IC and KM configurations were related to different types of innovation. To make the picture even more complicated, HR practices were sometimes perceived interchangeably with IC and KM by HR directors. Overall, the whole picture about the relationships stays unclear and opens a floor for further research

Reconceptualizing professional service firm innovation capability: Scale development

Building on capability theory, this paper presents a reconceptualization of the innovation capability construct within a knowledge-intensive service context, specifically, professional service firms (PSFs). Employing a rigorous multi-stage scale development process we interviewed 37 participants and surveyed 463 respondents across a wide range of PSFs including lawyers, accountants, consulting engineers and management consultants. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses highlight the multi-dimensional nature of innovation capability within this context. Three dimensions were identified: client-focused, marketing focused, and technology-focused innovation capability. We provide evidence of face validity, content validity, convergent and discriminant validity, nomological validity and reliability of our scale. Our scale offers a new way to measure innovation capability within PSFs and highlights the need to move beyond the narrow manufacturing mind-set focus of prior innovation research. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

A theory of innovation in small knowledge-intensive professional service firms

Performance improvement in the construction industry is significantly influenced by the innovation performance of small construction knowledge-intensive professional service firms (SCKIPSFs). There is thus an urgent need to better understand the nature and process of innovation in such firms. The prevailing innovation literature is generally not appropriate for SCKIPSFs, as it tends to focus on large, manufacturing-based firms operating in 'non-project based' environments; rather than small, service-based firms operating in multiple, fluid 'project based' environments. A knowledge-based innovation model was developed from a review and synthesis of the relevant literature. This model is presented as a holistic, system-orientated framework to better investigate how SCKIPSFs create, manage and exploit innovation. The five variables in the conceptual model are: interaction environment; relationship capital; structure capital; human capital; and, knowledge capital. The conceptual model formed a gap analysis framework to interrogate the meta hypothesis and six sub-hypotheses. The model was investigated and developed through a longitudinal twenty-two month case study which consisted of an exploratory phase and an action research phase. Semi-structured interviews, company documentation and company workshop data collection techniques, and content analysis and cognitive mapping data analysis techniques, were used. The unit of analysis for this research was taken as the 'innovation activity.' In the exploratory phase of the case study, seven innovations were investigated, and key variables for successful and unsuccessful innovation identified. In the action research phase of the case study, an interim project review process innovation was developed and, in so doing, the interactions between the key variables identified in the exploratory phase were investigated. The empirical testing of hypotheses revealed two principal factors that stimulate successful knowledge-based innovation in SCKIPSFs: client requirements (synonymous with the market-based view of innovation) and the competences of knowledge workers (synonymous with the resource-based view of innovation). In developing and testing the conceptual model, the research contributed to innovation theory by: affirming that the prevailing innovation theory is not appropriate for SCKIPSFs; and, conceptualising and empirically validating two forms of knowledge-based innovation: exploitative innovation and explorative innovation, along with their generic variables and their distinctive variables to success and failure, within a SCKTPSF context. The results emphasised the need, in practice, for appropriate: senior management education and training in innovation management; and, mechanisms for knowledge sharing between staff which are not solely driven by immediate project needs.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Knowledge exchange in SMEs service innovation with design thinking

Purpose – This study, adopting a knowledge perspective, aims to explore how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engage in service innovation by implementing design thinking. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research methodology and a multiple case study strategy were adopted on account of the exploratory nature of this study. Three cases based in Scotland have been selected. Data were collected from staff, managers and researchers who participated in Create Cultures of Innovation (CCoI), a project sponsored by the Scottish government. Findings – The research shows that SMEs can be enabled, through design-led interventions, to think collaboratively and leverage knowledge to achieve service innovation. Research limitations/implications – This research contributes to the service innovation literature by theorising an integrated research framework of “Knowledge exchange in SMEs service innovation with design thinking”. Further, this study enriches the extant understanding of service innovation in the traditional sector (manufacturing and hospitality) and redefines the roles and relations of the dimensions of service innovation. Practical implications – This study addresses the call on tools and methods for servitisation, suggesting that changing the culture and mindsets of both the top management and the staff are critical for the success of servitisation and the implementation of design thinking. In addition, this research suggests the need to embed design thinking within the leadership prior to rolling it out to the wider public. Support from the top management should focus on both the engagement of staff and the changing of vision from product to service focused. Originality/value – This paper gets together service innovation, design thinking and knowledge exchange in the context of manufacturing SMEs offering novel insights into how to succeed in servitisation with the implementation of design thinking

Towards a systematic approach to understanding and managing innovation in the public sector: a comparative study of four EU countries

This research is about innovation in the public sector. In a time of economic crisis and continued cost-cutting, public sector innovation is essential for governments in order to maintain service standards and find radical solutions for complex challenges. The research question of the thesis asks what are the main characteristics and driving forces of the public service innovation system and do they differ across countries? The research has four perspectives through which the public sector innovation process is analysed: managerial, learning, technological, and systems perspective. As data on public sector innovation is quite rare, this research provides a unique combination of theoretical foundations and exploratory cross-country survey on public sector technological innovations in four European countries – the UK, Denmark, Finland and Estonia. The current research is one of the early empirical exercises (the survey originated from 2005) to study innovation in the public sector. The main contribution of new knowledge of this thesis is four-fold. Firstly, the purposely developed theoretical framework that gives a structured approach how to understand and manage innovation in public sector services. Secondly, the new conceptual-methodological approach of how to study and analyse the innovation process in public service organisations. Thirdly, the hand-made list of public service innovations from four countries and the database of the survey results. Fourthly, the quantitative analysis and synthesis of the survey results which characterises the innovation process of public service organisations in the survey-countries. Especial value of the research is that it allows understanding the relative importance of different factors (in comparison to other factors) influencing the innovation process in public sector services and shows the dynamics of the public sector innovation system. Research results contribute to the literature of public sector innovation, learning and management, and enriching academic debates around this increasingly important topic. Moreover, the research also analyses the differences of public and private sector innovation as well as innovation-related organisational learning issues, contributing both to theories of evolutionary economics and innovation. Additionally, contributions are made to economic theory, organisational theory, public administration and political science

Beyond knowledge brokerage: an exploratory study of innovation intermediaries in an evolving smallholder agricultural system in Kenya

The recognition that innovation occurs in networks of heterogeneous actors and requires broad systemic support beyond knowledge brokering has resulted in a changing landscape of the intermediary domain in an increasingly market-driven agricultural sector in developing countries. This paper presents findings of an explorative case study that looked at 22 organisations identified as fulfilling an intermediary role in the Kenyan agricultural sector. The results show that these organisations fulfill functions that are not limited to distribution of knowledge and putting it into use. The functions also include fostering integration and interaction among the diverse actors engaged in innovation networks and working on technological, organisational and institutional innovation. Further, the study identified various organisational arrangements of innovation intermediaries with some organisations fulfilling a specialised innovation brokering role, even as other intermediaries take on brokering as a side activity, while still substantively contributing to the innovation process. Based on these findings we identify a typology of 4 innovation intermediation arrangements, including technology brokers, systemic brokers, enterprise development support and input access support. The results indicate that innovation brokering is a pervasive task in supporting innovation and will require policy support to embed it in innovation support arrangements. The paper is not normative about these arrangements

Performance measurement procedures that support innovativeness rather than hamper it

This paper addresses the contemporary challenges in increasing firm-level innovativeness and developing appropriate performance metrics. The authors discuss these challenges and provide a literature review on the innovation enhancing factors in service industries. They subsequently study the case of a multinational telecom company that tries to renew its innovative capabilities after a restructuring. An interpretative approach, based on employee focus group interviews and an extensive management workshop, is taken to co-develop context specific factors that enhance innovativeness. These factors include, amongst others, personal recognition and acknowledgement for an innovative achievement, available time, customer intimacy, and a clear innovation strategy. The identified factors will be used in a follow-up research aimed to develop performance measurement procedures that support the company to develop and exploit its innovative capabilities

The contribution of teamwork, thinking styles, and innovation towards knowledge management

Knowledge management can be enhanced by creating conditions that facilitate knowledge creation, thus the concepts of teamwork,thinking styles, and innovation are central to the effective utilisationof knowledge. This paper presents the results of a survey of 156 civil servants at Putrajaya, investigating relationships between teamwork and thinking styles with technology diffusion and innovation and organisational innovation. The results indicated that team quality and external thinking style made the greatest contribution toward technology diffusion and innovation

Intellectual capital and value co-creation: an empirical analysis from a marketing perspective

The aim of this study is to investigate intellectual capital (IC) drivers that may influence Italian consumers’ decision to participate in value co-creation (VCC) activities with firms. Given the exploratory nature of the research, after a review of the relevant literature, we conducted a survey among Italian consumers to see if IC principal sub-dimensions (i.e. Relational Capital, Human Capital and Structural Capital) played a role in triggering VCC processes. Using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we analyzed 270 usable questionnaires finding that, in order to decide to co-create value with firms, IC sub-dimensions actually play a critical role. Our findings showed that the motivations (i.e., IC components) that influence Italian consumers’ decision to participate in value co-creation activities with firms are quite homogeneous and similar both for those who already participated in past in these activities as well for those who never participated. The study has several managerial implications as well as limitations. In fact, the survey has been conducted only among Italian consumers and therefore the research should be extended by a geographically standpoint. Moreover, the research analyzed only the demand-side, while it would be certainly useful to know the point of view of companies also adopting other research methods (e.g., in-depth interviews). This study provides to practitioners important suggestions and warnings about the importance of the development of IC sub-dimensions to (co-)create value with external actors and consequently suggests the importance of adopting a “open” approach towards consumers to establish an effective and interactive relationship with them. The study fills a gap in the literature, since there are not so many references in literature for a deep understanding of the concrete relationship between IC and VCC. In addition, to our best knowledge this paper is the first that explore IC-related issues from a marketing perspective