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Article
Publication date: 14 February 2024

Yaxi Liu, Chunxiu Qin, Yulong Wang and XuBu Ma

Exploratory search activities are ubiquitous in various information systems. Much potentially useful or even serendipitous information is discovered during the exploratory search…

Abstract

Purpose

Exploratory search activities are ubiquitous in various information systems. Much potentially useful or even serendipitous information is discovered during the exploratory search process. Given its irreplaceable role in information systems, exploratory search has attracted growing attention from the information system community. Since few studies have methodically reviewed current publications, researchers and practitioners are unable to take full advantage of existing achievements, which, in turn, limits their progress in this field. Through a literature review, this study aims to recapitulate important research topics of exploratory search in information systems, providing a research landscape of exploratory search.

Design/methodology/approach

Automatic and manual searches were performed on seven reputable databases to collect relevant literature published between January 2005 and July 2023. The literature pool contains 146 primary studies on exploratory search in information system research.

Findings

This study recapitulated five important topics of exploratory search, namely, conceptual frameworks, theoretical frameworks, influencing factors, design features and evaluation metrics. Moreover, this review revealed research gaps in current studies and proposed a knowledge framework and a research agenda for future studies.

Originality/value

This study has important implications for beginners to quickly get a snapshot of exploratory search studies, for researchers to re-align current research or discover new interesting issues, and for practitioners to design information systems that support exploratory search.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2024

Liang-Hung Lin and Yu-Ling Ho

This study aims to examine the effect of exploratory innovation offshoring on the level of hierarchical control and how this effect is moderated by transnational and dynamic…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of exploratory innovation offshoring on the level of hierarchical control and how this effect is moderated by transnational and dynamic environments.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on a sample of 148 Taiwanese multinational enterprises to examine their governance decisions on foreign investments.

Findings

Findings show that the more innovation offshoring is exploratory, the higher the level of hierarchical control will be used by multinational enterprises (MNEs) and that transnational and dynamic environments have different moderation effects on the positive exploratory innovation offshoring-hierarchical control relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This study has two theoretical implications. First, this study extends the concept of complexity from a transaction attribute level (problem) to an environmental level (transnational environment) and finds that exploratory innovation offshoring and transnational environments interactively impact governance choices. Second, this study distinguishes between two sources of technological uncertainty – uncertainty due to transaction-level attributes (exploratory innovation offshoring) and external environments (dynamic environments) and finds that exploratory innovation offshoring and dynamic environments interactively impact governance choices.

Practical implications

The practical implication of this study lies in the simultaneous consideration of exploratory innovation offshoring and transnational/dynamic environments, which will allow international decision-makers to adjust/select the governance forms most appropriate for speedy responding to and handling environmental changes.

Originality/value

This study employs the theoretical perspectives of transaction cost economics (TCE) and resource-based view (RBV) to analyze and discuss the impact of operational environments – transnational and dynamic environments – on MNEs’ decisions on the governance structure for a given innovation offshoring.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 62 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 December 2023

Ruxin Zhang, Jun Lin, Suicheng Li and Ying Cai

This study aims to explore how to overcome and address the loss of exploratory innovation, thereby achieving greater success in exploratory innovation. This phenomenon of loss…

1062

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore how to overcome and address the loss of exploratory innovation, thereby achieving greater success in exploratory innovation. This phenomenon of loss occurs when enterprises decrease their investment in and engagement with exploratory innovation, ultimately leading to an insufficient amount of such innovation efforts. Drawing on dynamic capabilities, this study investigates the relationship between organizational foresight and exploratory innovation and examines the moderating role of breakthrough orientation/financial orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used survey data collected from 296 Chinese high-tech companies in multiple industries and sectors.

Findings

The evidence produced by this study reveals that three elements of organizational foresight (i.e. environmental scanning capabilities, strategic selection capabilities and integrating capabilities) positively influence exploratory innovation. Furthermore, this positive effect is strengthened in the context of a high-breakthrough orientation. Moreover, the relationships among environmental scanning capabilities, strategic selection capabilities and exploratory innovation become weaker as an enterprise’s financial orientation increases, whereas a strong financial orientation does not affect the relationship between integrating capabilities and exploratory innovation.

Research limitations/implications

Ambidexterity is key to successful enterprise innovation. Compared with exploitative innovation, it is by no means easy to engage in exploratory innovation, which is especially important in high-tech companies. While the loss of exploratory innovation has been observed, few empirical studies have explored ways to promote exploratory innovation more effectively. A key research implication of this study pertains to the role of organizational foresight in the improvement of exploratory innovation in the context of high-tech companies.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the broader literature on exploratory innovation and organizational foresight and provides practical guidance for high-tech companies regarding ways of avoiding the loss of exploratory innovation and becoming more successful at exploratory innovation.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 39 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Kai Zhang, Hefu Liu, Yang Li and Xia Wu

The purpose of this study is to examine the underlying mechanisms of exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation between social media usage and organizational agility, and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the underlying mechanisms of exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation between social media usage and organizational agility, and elucidate the moderating role of learning goal orientation (LGO) in the above relationships, based on adaptive structuration theory (AST).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a multiple-respondent matched survey of 334 Chinese e-commerce firms, authors employed structural equation modeling to examine the correlations among social media usage, exploitative innovation, exploratory innovation and organizational agility. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the moderating role of LGO.

Findings

This study's empirical findings demonstrate that exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation mediate the relationship between social media usage and organizational agility in different ways. Further, LGO positively moderates the relationship between social media usage for customer acquisition and exploratory innovation, as well as the relationship between social media usage for customer relationship and exploitative innovation.

Practical implications

Firms are advised to leverage different types of social media usage to facilitate exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation and promote organizational agility. In addition, LGO within a firm should be established to enhance the effects of social media usage on exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation.

Originality/value

This study adds to the literature on social media usage by proposing and examining exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation as explanatory mechanisms to facilitate organizational agility. This study further identifies LGO as a boundary condition of social media usage's effect on exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation. By contextualizing social media as advanced information technology, this study contributes to the contextualization of AST in the social media context.

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2023

Phong Ba Le and Hung Manh Le

Given the importance of leadership practices and knowledge resources in fostering innovation capabilities of firms, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of…

Abstract

Purpose

Given the importance of leadership practices and knowledge resources in fostering innovation capabilities of firms, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of transformational leadership on exploitative and exploratory innovation via mediating role of knowledge management capability. This study also attempts to increase understanding of the appropriate mechanisms for firms to pursue innovation capability by examining the moderating mechanism of competitive intensity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized the structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model using survey data collected from 351 participants in 120 manufacturing and service firms.

Findings

The findings indicate that transformational leadership induces greater effect on exploratory innovation compared to its effect on exploitative innovation. The mediating role of knowledge management capability between transformational leadership and aspects of innovation capability is also supported. Especially, the influences of knowledge management capability on exploratory innovation capability are enhanced and depended on the degree of competitive intensity.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine the mediating mechanisms of knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge application to provide deeper insight on the role of specific components of knowledge management capability in linking transformational leadership and innovation capability.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the important role of transformational leadership practices for fostering knowledge management capability and specific aspects of innovation capability under high level of competitive pressure.

Originality/value

The paper is unique in the attempts to provide a prospective solution for firms to pursue and improve innovation based on the meaningful insights on the mediating role of knowledge management capability and moderating effect of competitive intensity in the relationship between transformational leadership and specific dimensions of innovation capability.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 44 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 September 2022

Jian Zheng, Renjing Liu, Ru Zhang and Hao Xu

In the context of virtual brand communities (VBCs), based on self-determination theory and organizational binary learning (OBL) theory, this study investigates the direct and…

Abstract

Purpose

In the context of virtual brand communities (VBCs), based on self-determination theory and organizational binary learning (OBL) theory, this study investigates the direct and indirect effects of various dimensions of consumer participation (CP) on firm innovation performance (FIP) and the mediating role of OBL. By introducing the perspective of knowledge absorptive capacity (KAC), this study examines the moderating effect of KAC on the relationship between OBL and TIP.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 751 samples are collected from Chinese firms, and stratified adjusted regression analysis is used to conduct empirical tests.

Findings

Information provision or co-creation directly affects FIP; the latter is more significant than the former, while social interaction does not directly affect FIP. Exploitative or exploratory learning plays a mediating role in the relationship between information provision or co-creation and FIP. In contrast, exploratory learning plays a mediating role in the relationship between social interaction and FIP. KAC has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between exploitative learning or exploratory learning and FIP. When the firm has a low KAC, the improvement of FIP through exploratory learning is slight.

Originality/value

In VBCs, this study tries to divide the dimensions of CP. It also clarifies the mediating effect of OBL on CP and FIP. In addition, it explores the moderating effect of KAC on OBL and FIP. The conclusions of this study provide theoretical support and practical inspiration for firms to use VBCs to improve FIP.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 February 2023

Pengyu Chen and SangKyum Kim

The relationship between industrial policy and exploratory innovation is imperfect.

Abstract

Purpose

The relationship between industrial policy and exploratory innovation is imperfect.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use Chinese high-tech enterprise identification policy (HTEP) as a natural experimental group to test policy impacts, spillover effects and mechanisms of action.

Findings

First, HTEP promotes exploratory innovation. In addition, HTEP has a greater impact on non-exploratory innovation. Second, HTEP has spillover effects in two phases: HTEP (2008) and the 2016 policy reform. HTEP affects exploratory innovation in nearby non-high-tech firms, and the policy effect decreases monotonically with increasing distance from the treatment group. Third, HTEP affects innovation capacity through financing constraints, technical personnel flow and knowledge flow, which explains not only policy effects but also spillover effects. Fourth, the analysis of policy heterogeneity shows that the 2016 policy reforms reinforce the positive effect of HTEP (2008). By deducting the effects of other policies, the HTEP effect is found to be less volatile. In terms of the continuity of policy identification, continuous uninterrupted identification has a crucial impact on the improvement of firms’ innovation capacity compared to repeated certification and certification expiration. Finally, HTEP has a crowding-out effect in state-owned enterprises and large firms’ innovation.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature in several ways. First, the authors enrich the literature on industrial policy through exploratory innovation research. While previous studies have focused on R&D investment and patents (Dai and Wang, 2019), exploratory innovation helps firms break away from the inherent knowledge mindset and achieve sustainable innovation. Second, few studies have explored the characteristics of industrial policies. In this paper, the authors subdivide the sample into repeated certification, continuous certification and certification expiration according to high-tech enterprise identification. In addition, the authors compare the differences in policy implementation effects between the 2016 policy reform and the 2008 policy to provide new directions for business managers and policy makers. Third, innovation factors guided by industrial policies may cluster in specific regions, which in turn manifest externalities. This is when the policy spillover effect is worth considering. This paper fills a gap in the industrial policy literature by examining the spillover effects. Finally, this paper also explores the mechanisms of policy effects from three perspectives: financing constraints, technician mobility and knowledge mobility, which can affect not only the innovation of beneficiary firms directly but also indirectly the innovation of neighboring non-beneficiary firms.

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2024

Xianglin Zhu, Naiding Yang, Mingzhen Zhang and Yu Wang

Technical knowledge is a key factor in firm innovation. This study aims to construct a theoretical framework of technological boundary-spanning search, exploratory innovation and…

Abstract

Purpose

Technical knowledge is a key factor in firm innovation. This study aims to construct a theoretical framework of technological boundary-spanning search, exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation to help firms adjust their search strategies and improve the effect of external resources on internal innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses questionnaires to collect data and conducts empirical analysis using SPSS25 and AMOS24.

Findings

Technological boundary-spanning search is positively correlated with ambidextrous innovation. Additionally, knowledge base positively moderates the effect of technological boundary-spanning search on ambidextrous innovation and knowledge distance negatively moderates the effect of technological boundary-spanning search on ambidextrous innovation. When a firm’s knowledge base is robust, its ambidextrous innovation can benefit more from technological boundary-spanning search. Additionally, when the knowledge distance is less, a firm’s ambidextrous innovation can benefit more from technological boundary-spanning search.

Originality/value

Considering organizational ambidexterity, this study divides firm innovation into exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation and presents a theoretical framework for the effect of technological boundary-spanning search on ambidextrous innovation. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the crucial roles of knowledge base and knowledge distance in the relationship between technological boundary-spanning search and exploratory and exploitative innovation.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 62 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2023

Zhenkuo Ding, Meijuan Li, Xiaoying Yang and Wanjun Xiao

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between ambidextrous organizational learning and performance among small and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between ambidextrous organizational learning and performance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the resource-based view (RBV) and the dynamic capability approach, this paper uses the resource-capability-performance framework to construct the theoretical model of this study and tests the theoretical model with the questionnaire survey data of 189 SMEs in mainland China.

Findings

Ambidextrous organizational learning has different effects on SMEs' performance in terms of survival performance and growth performance. Both exploitative learning and exploratory learning have positive effects on absorptive capacity, and absorptive capacity has positive influences on both the survival performance and growth performance of SMEs. Absorptive capacity plays different mediating roles in the relationships between ambidextrous organizational learning and SMEs' performance: absorptive capacity plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between exploratory learning and SME growth performance, while absorptive capacity plays complete mediating roles in other relationships.

Practical implications

Managers must stress the use of exploratory learning in order to promote SMEs' growth performance. However, to foster both absorptive capacity and SME performance in terms of survival and growth, managers must pay more attention to take advantage of ambidextrous organizational learning. Government as policymakers should create a favorable environment that enable SMEs to benefit much more from the deployment of ambidextrous organizational learning and absorptive capacity.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to theorize and test the mediating role of absorptive capacity in the linkage between ambidextrous organizational learning and SME performance in terms of survival and growth. Additionally, this study also is the first to provide empirical support for the impact of ambidextrous organizational learning on absorptive capacity among SMEs.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 61 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 July 2023

Ali Kazemi, Seyedeh Fatemeh Ghasempour Ganji and Abdullah Na'ami

This paper aims to investigate the link between internal capabilities, innovation strategies and export performance (EP), considering the corporate social responsibility (CSR…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the link between internal capabilities, innovation strategies and export performance (EP), considering the corporate social responsibility (CSR) principle as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical population of the current study is the food and agricultural products exporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) which participated in the 27th International Agrofood Exhibition (2021) in Tehran, Iran. A sample of 296 managers was selected, using systematic random sampling, to answer the questionnaire. To analyze the data, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) and Hayes PROCESS in SPSS.

Findings

Results show that just manufacturing capabilities affect both exploratory and exploitative innovation, in contrast to marketing capabilities that does not have any significant impact on these two innovation strategies. Moreover, the impact of both explorative and exploratory innovation on EP is supported in the context of food and agricultural SMEs. However, CSR positively moderates the impact of exploratory innovation on EP, showing it has a negative effect on the impact of exploitative innovation on EP.

Originality/value

By addressing the research gap on the link between internal capabilities, innovation strategies, EP and CSR among SMEs, the current research provides valuable body of research that later studies in the literature can leverage or build upon.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

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