Search results

The purpose of this paper is to identify and screen continuous innovation capability enablers (CICEs) in Indonesia’s manufacturing sectors, develop a relationship among these enablers and determine their driving power and dependence power in the sector.

The initial CICEs identification process is based on a literature review, while a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) was used for the screening process of CICEs. Total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) was used to develop contextual relationships among various CICEs. The results of the TISM are used as an input for the matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification (MICMAC) to classify the driving power and dependence powers of the CICEs.

This paper selected 16 CICEs classified in seven dimensions. TISM results and MICMAC analysis show that leadership, as well as climate and culture, are enablers with the highest driving power and lowest dependence powers; followed by information technology. The results of this study indicate that efforts to continuously develop innovation capabilities in the Indonesian manufacturing industries are strongly influenced by their leadership capability, climate and culture, also information technology-related capability.

The framework assessed in this study provides business managers and policymakers to obtain a bigger picture in developing policies with evidence-based strategy and priority in regard to continuous innovation capability.

The results will be useful for business managers and policymakers to understand the relationship between CICEs and identify key CICEs in Indonesia’s manufacturing sectors, which were previously non-existent.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive continuous innovation capability (CIC) measurement model in manufacturing sectors.

The development of this CIC model was conducted through three stages of research, i.e. identification of manufacturing continuous innovation measures (MCIMs), development of measurement model, followed by model evaluation and validation. MCIMs were identified using systematic literature review and focus group discussion. Selection process for MCIMs employed the fuzzy Delphi method. To develop measurement model, contextual relationships between MCIMs were assessed using total interpretive structural modeling, followed by measurements of MCIMs weight with the analytical network process method. Then, assessment indicators for each MCIM and criteria were determined as well as mathematical model to measure CIC scores. Model evaluation and validation were performed in two case studies: in an automotive company and an electronics company.

This research produced 50 criteria and 103 assessment indicators, as well as mathematical model to measure CIC scores. The validation process showed that currently developed model was deemed valid.

The results of this research are expected to provide a practical input for manufacturing company managers in managing their innovation activities systematically and comprehensively.

The CIC model is a new comprehensive measurement model; it integrates three fundamental elements of CI capability measurement, considering all important dimensions in a company and also able to explain contextual relationships between measured factors.

This paper explores the role of effective resource and knowledge management capabilities on product innovation capabilities of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the authors research the role of the human resource investments in the form of employee training in developing firm's innovation capabilities and how SMEs manage these investments when we account for the boundary conditions such as the level of employee education, SME size and the frequency of investments in research and development (R&D).

The authors use survey data conducted by The Centre for European Economic Research (Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung – ZEW). The final sample for analysis includes 983 SMEs from Germany that belong to 13 different industries. The authors use hierarchical OLS regression to test the hypotheses presented in this paper.

The authors find a positive association between increased investments in employee training and product innovation capabilities in the context of SMEs. More specifically, the authors’ findings support that (1) the relationship between employee training and innovation capabilities is weaker in industries with greater proportion of employees with university degrees, (2) the effectiveness of investments in employee training is lower among larger SMEs than smaller SMEs, and (3) continuous R&D weakens the relationship between training expenditure and innovation capabilities. While on the one hand the authors’ findings contribute to the debate of whether employee training is necessary for SMEs by affirming this notion, on the other hand the authors show that investments in employee training have differing implications for small and large SMEs within boundary conditions. Moreover, these findings have practical implications for the managers of all SMEs in terms of management of their knowledge resources.

The authors’ research makes important contributions to the study of innovation in SMEs. First, the authors contribute evidence to the debate whether employee training is necessary for SMEs by showing that employee training is particularly important for SMEs that are smaller in size, have lower proportion of employees with university degrees and when they invest in research and development in a targeted manner. The authors also demonstrate that investments in employee training is not a waste, rather such investments can increase the likelihood of survival for many of these firms through its positive impact on product innovation.

For managers of SMEs, the authors’ findings suggest that while investments in employee training are important, the managers of particular SMEs with above-mentioned qualities should be persistent in such investments and must make deliberate efforts to reap the benefits in terms of innovative capabilities. Unlike large firms, who have the financial means to carry out investments in an abundant manner, SMEs appear to be more enterprising with their scarce resources when we also consider the role of investments in human resources.

The authors’ research makes important contributions to the study of innovation in SMEs. First, the authors contribute evidence to the debate whether employee training is necessary for SMEs by finding that employee training is particularly important for SMEs that are smaller in size, have lower proportion of employees with university degrees and when they do not invest in R&D continuously. The authors also demonstrate that investments in employee training is not a waste, but such investments can increase the likelihood of survival for many of these firms.

The concept of entrepreneurship in platform enterprises has evolved and developed. The purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurship in platform enterprises can be transformed into the sustainable innovation capability of enterprises based on knowledge integration.

This study adopts a questionnaire survey. The research samples are mainly from well-known domestic platform enterprises, EMBA students and professional online websites, 389 valid questionnaires were collected.

The results show that entrepreneurship has a positive impact on the sustainable innovation capability of platform enterprises, knowledge integration plays a partial mediating role between entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation capability of platform enterprises. Shared leadership plays a moderating role between entrepreneurship and knowledge integration and knowledge-sharing atmosphere plays a moderating role between knowledge integration and sustainable innovation capability of platform enterprises.

This paper emphasizes the key role of entrepreneurship in platform enterprises on the sustainable innovation capability and discusses the realization path of the sustainable innovation capability of platform enterprises from the perspective of knowledge integration, which is of great significance for developing the research system of entrepreneurship and promoting the construction of sustainable innovation capability of platform enterprises.

Influenced by factors such as fluctuations in market supply and demand and the rapid development of new technologies, manufacturing companies are facing greater challenges to transform and upgrade. The existing relevant studies about sustainable innovation capabilities mostly focus on classification of innovation or from a static resource-based view and less on quantitative measurement from a dynamic perspective and inter-organizational relationships. This paper takes a dynamic capabilities and social capital theory, explore the concept and dimensions of sustainable innovation capabilities and then makes development of a new scale.

This paper uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to develop a measure of sustainable innovation capabilities in two studies. Grounded theory methodology is used to explore the concept definition and dimensions of sustainable innovation capabilities. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are conducted to refine and validate the factor structure, and then the authors developed the sustainable innovation capabilities scale.

The results show that sustainable innovation capabilities composed of ideation capabilities, opportunity capture capabilities, agile learning, creative inheritance and networking capabilities. The sustainable innovation capabilities that firms should possess are reflected at the firm level and inter-organizational relationship level, and the culture-specific dimension of creative inheritance reflects the influence of national and organizational culture.

The research reveals the internal driving force of the manufacturer's sustainable innovation capabilities, as well as the role and uniqueness embodied in the specific culture, providing a new perspective for improving the manufacturer's sustainable innovation capabilities.

Achieving continuous innovation performance still poses a major challenge to established companies as it requires high flexibility and adaptability in usually efficiently structured organisations. One way to tackle this challenge lies in establishing effective behaviours to successfully establish and apply innovation leadership mechanisms in an organisation. The emerging agile leadership style could provide such effective behaviours, as it addresses the demand for flexibility and adaptability on the organisational level. Despite these clear parallels research on the link between agile leadership and innovation leadership, and their possible combined contribution to drive continuous innovation performance is still in its infancy. Accordingly, the present study examines the behaviours of agile leaders to promote continuous innovation in established companies. It applies a discovery-driven research process of agile leaders to derive and categorise their behaviours. The subsequent comparison of the identified agile leadership behaviours with innovation leadership mechanisms from existing literature leads to eight specific, combined agile leadership principles within the three categories empowerment, performance enhancement, and support for continuous innovation. Eventually, this basis allows the conceptualisation of a first exploratory framework with the identified behaviours as possible enablers, and innovation leadership mechanisms as possible mediators for the continuous innovation performance, subject to test. These findings enhance existing theory by clarifying a possible link between agile leadership and continuous innovation. That way, practitioners can profit from concrete principles for agile leaders to inspire and enable continuous innovation in individuals and teams.

Environmental capabilities, allowing companies to carry out their productive activities in ways that limit damage to natural environment, are at the heart of the fourth stage of research in intellectual capital. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to explore firm's current environmental capabilities, disclosed by managers through corporate messages, that participate to the development of sustainable intellectual capital (SIC).

With this in mind, we first conducted a lexical content analysis followed by a thematic content analysis of 241 letters to shareholders from the CEOs of major European companies published in 2016.

The lexical content analysis reveals that managers of major European companies have developed green alliances to address the energy transition challenge by modifying their manufacturing processes. The thematic content analysis of the CEOs discourse highlights that managerial competencies, continuous innovation and stakeholder integration are key environmental capabilities that matter to CEOs.

This study contributes to the fourth stage of research on IC highlighting the environmental capabilities and resources that are disclosed by companies in their corporate communication. Our results enhance the understanding on how environmental capabilities and resources enhance the human, organizational, technological and relational sustainable intellectual capital.

This research highlights the importance of green alliances that allow companies to address the challenge of the ecological transition. In this context, the continuous innovation capability seems to be a fruitful way of gaining competitive advantage in this challenge.

This paper provides a detailed description of the environmental capabilities that participate to the development of the human, technological and relational SIC.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate key criteria underpinning network-facilitated green innovation capability development in micro-firms.

Micro-firms, those firms with less than ten full-time employees, need to continuously innovate in order to sustain their business in the emerging green economy. This study uses an interpretive multiple case approach to explore micro-firm owner-manager (O/M) green innovation activities, encompassing O/M views on facilitated network engagement in Ireland and Canada over a 12-month period.

The findings show that proactive implementation of green innovation is influenced by the O/M’s natural environment orientation and the potential for economic gain, while facilitated networks provide an additional resource that the O/M can draw from that allows the O/M to test new ideas, comprehend new and existing legislation and identify potential supports in pursuit of green innovation capability development within the micro-firm.

This study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of green innovation, micro-firm capabilities and facilitated network engagement. However, the sample size is small and distance was a challenge, yet data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in the resource and capability theories, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.

Prior studies have found that facilitated networks have a positive impact on micro-firm sustainability as these networks enhance the firm’s constrained resource base. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations including facilitated networks in assisting micro-firms in reaching their green innovation goals and objectives. It can also be used by micro-firms in the attainment of the green innovation capability.

Competition is today forcing companies to increase their effectiveness exploiting synergy and learning in product innovation. Most literature, however, is still mainly focused on how product development projects, seen as isolated efforts, are organised and managed. Basing on preliminary results from the Euro‐Australian co‐operation project CIMA (Euro‐Australian co‐operation centre for Continuous Improvement and innovation MAnagement), this paper proposes a model to explain how companies can gain a substantial competitive advantage by facilitating knowledge generation and transfer during the overall product life‐cycle

Enterprises generally change their organizational structures in an era of uncertainty for flexibility, and accordingly, employee entrepreneurship emerges as employees gain more power and responsibility during this process. This paper aims to explore how employee entrepreneurship impacts enterprises’ sustainable innovation capability. The authors consider the mediating effect of value cocreation and the moderating effect of role stress.

The authors adopted a questionnaire survey to test the hypothesis, and 356 questionnaires were collected from an online questionnaire platform.

The results show that employee entrepreneurship has a positive impact on sustainable innovation capability, value cocreation plays a partial mediating role in this relationship between employee entrepreneurship and value cocreation and role stress plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between employee entrepreneurship and value cocreation.

The study makes three main contributions to the literature concerning entrepreneurship and enterprise sustainable innovation capability. First, in relation to the entrepreneurship literature, the authors shift entrepreneurship research from entrepreneurs/leaders to employees in the digital transformation context and specify the connotation of employee entrepreneurship. This shift further enriches and broadens the research boundary of entrepreneurship (Bhide, 2000; Djankov et al., 2006). Second, we add the micro dynamic mechanism of sustainable innovation capability by focusing on the effect of employee entrepreneurship. Employee entrepreneurship positively contributes to enterprise sustainable innovation capability, which is partially mediated by value cocreation, and its impact on value cocreation is moderated by role stress due to the identity change of employees in the digital transformation context. The authors answer calls to clarify the micromechanisms of building enterprise competitive advantage (Terziovski and Sohal, 2020). The research confirms the relationship change between enterprises and consumers in value creation from separation to cooperation (Tu et al., 2020; Costa and Hafto, 2021). Additionally, the authors discuss the dynamic mechanism and factors of value cocreation at the employee level and further verify the positive effect of an active interaction among enterprises, consumers and other value creators (Matarazzo et al., 2021; Heinonen et al., 2013). This approach compensates for the deficiency of previous studies investigating the influence of value cocreation at the level of organization members.

The theoretical analysis and empirical conclusions of this study have important practical implications. First, employee entrepreneurship positively impacts enterprises’ sustainable innovation capabilities. Therefore, enterprises should stimulate their employees’ entrepreneurship to strengthen organizational resilience and adaptability, which are important for enterprises to survive in the changeable age. For example, enterprises can authorize their frontline employees with more resource allocation power and reduce hierarchical control; thus, their employees can address emergencies in a timely manner and catch fleeting market opportunities. Second, since value cocreation is a partial mechanism by which employee entrepreneurship contributes to an enterprise’s sustainable innovation capability, enterprises should help employees improve their capabilities and knowledge for value cocreation. For instance, enterprises should develop decision-making support toolkits, upscale training courses and efficient coordination tools to help employees achieve the necessary skills and knowledge. Only in this way can they qualify to perform an increasing number of autonomous tasks. Finally, employees’ role stress negatively moderates the relationship between employee entrepreneurship and value cocreation. This finding provides a reference for enterprises in position setting, role rule-making, role responsibility-planning, etc. Specifically, enterprises should build a feedback mechanism to manage employees’ role ambiguity, conflict and overload; thus, they can eliminate the potential negative effects on value cocreation and their sustainable innovation capability in a timely manner.

This study expands the boundary and connotation of entrepreneurship in an era of uncertainty, specifies the micromechanism of sustainable innovation capability and provides new insights for enterprises constructing their sustainable innovation capability.