Managing knowledge reuse: the duality of innovator personality
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 29 April 2022
Issue publication date: 6 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights for managing knowledge reuse in terms of the duality of innovator personality. Continuously developing new products is crucial for firms to maintain and enhance their competitive advantages. However, the limited and highly specialized knowledge can cause innovators of firms to face difficulties in the process of new product development (NPD). In this setting, knowledge reuse becomes a solution that may benefit innovators to overcome the innovation dilemma. Given the fact that innovators with different personality are likely to form incongruent cognitions and affection on knowledge reuse, thus subsequently affecting the performance of NPD, there is an urgent need to investigate the effects of innovator personality in the entire process of knowledge reuse.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper exploits five-factor model (FFM) of personality to comprehensively investigate the dual effects of innovator personality in managing knowledge reuse based on the two distinct sets of knowledge reuse initiation and implementation.
Findings
By using the data from 981 innovators of knowledge-intensive firms in China, this study finds that the FFM traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness had opposing effects on initiation and implementation of knowledge reuse. While the FFM traits of emotional stability and openness to experience both positively affect the knowledge reuse initiation and implementation. Moreover, the FFM traits of extraversion benefit the shaping of knowledge reuse initiation whereas encumbering the implementation of knowledge reuse.
Originality/value
First, this study reveals the different roles of cognitive and affective traits of personality in shaping knowledge reuse. Second, this study exposes the role of innovator personality in determining the performance effects of knowledge reuse implementation. Third, this study highlights the dual effects of innovator personality in managing knowledge reuse. This study offers evidence for arranging the innovators with appropriate FFM traits in various stages of knowledge reuse.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 72072046, 71602041 and 71602042). Social Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (grant number: 21GLB060).Conflict of Interest: Jianyu Zhao has received research grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China. Xi Xi has received research grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China.All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Citation
Zhao, J., Wei, J., Yu, L. and Xi, X. (2023), "Managing knowledge reuse: the duality of innovator personality", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 785-819. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-11-2021-0813
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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