The moderating role of knowledge structure in the open innovation effect
ISSN: 0025-1747
Article publication date: 16 November 2018
Issue publication date: 16 October 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between open innovation (OI) and innovative performance, and to explore the moderating effect of knowledge structure, including component knowledge and architectural knowledge, on this particular relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed model was tested with regression analysis of data collected through a questionnaire survey of 231 employees of Chinese manufacturing firms.
Findings
The findings indicate that inbound OI is positively related to innovative performance and that outbound OI has an inverted U-shaped effect on innovative performance. By presenting empirical evidence of the moderating effects of component and architectural knowledge, our analysis of results demonstrates that the strong alignment between knowledge structure and OI results in superior innovative performance.
Originality/value
This study addresses the controversial issues brought up by previous studies with findings of an inverted U-shaped effect of outbound OI on innovative performance. By exploring the moderating effect of knowledge structure, the authors provide insights into how internal contextual factors in relation to organizational knowledge can affect the efficacy of the inbound and outbound OI on innovative performance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Numbers 71573078; 71473076).
Citation
Zhou, H., Yuan Wang, K., Yao, Y. and Huang, K.-P. (2019), "The moderating role of knowledge structure in the open innovation effect", Management Decision, Vol. 57 No. 9, pp. 2223-2238. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-08-2017-0775
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited