Impact of multiple commitments on the performance of open innovation projects: the mediating role of trusted and vigilant knowledge interaction
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 22 December 2022
Issue publication date: 24 July 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Based on commitment system theory and commitment-trust theory, this study aims to reveal the effects of participating teams’ multiple commitments (i.e. synergistic commitments and conflicting commitments) on the performance of open innovation projects through the mediating role of trusted knowledge interaction and vigilant knowledge interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary survey data collected from 242 respondents of 47 open innovation projects in the manufacturing industry was used to test eight hypotheses. Correlations between multiple commitments, knowledge interaction and the performance of open innovation projects were investigated.
Findings
The findings reveal that synergistic commitments improve the performance of open innovation projects through enhancing trusted knowledge interaction. Synergistic commitments reduce the level of vigilant knowledge interaction, and the performance of open innovation projects follows an inverted U-shaped relationship with vigilant knowledge interaction. Conflicting commitments negatively moderate the effect of synergistic commitments on trusted knowledge interaction and vigilant knowledge interaction.
Originality/value
The authors extend commitment system theory and commitment-trust theory to open innovation project field. The findings bridge the gaps in isolated and static focus in previous commitment literatures and innovation management literatures, and provide practical guidance for how to better manage the dynamic combination of multiple commitments and knowledge interaction among participating teams in open innovation projects.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by Innovation fund project for graduate students of China University of Petroleum (East China) [grant number 22CX04007A], the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number 19CX04033B] and Soft Science Research Project in Shandong Province [grant number 2021RZA04027]. The authors are grateful to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their helpful reviews and comments.
Citation
Qin, Y. and Wang, J. (2023), "Impact of multiple commitments on the performance of open innovation projects: the mediating role of trusted and vigilant knowledge interaction", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 27 No. 7, pp. 1992-2014. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-06-2022-0454
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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