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1 – 10 of 27José Antonio Belso‐Martínez, F. Xavier Molina‐Morales and Francisco Mas‐Verdu
This paper aims to address a central question in strategy: how do internal resources firms mediate the effect of the external resources on the firms' performance?
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to address a central question in strategy: how do internal resources firms mediate the effect of the external resources on the firms' performance?
Design/methodology/approach
The research was conducted in a sample of 173 Spanish innovative firms located in the Valencia region. Following the literature, the growth of the firm has been used as the main performance indicator. The paper considers the application in this context of the particular and new analysis techniques to combine mediator and moderator effects.
Findings
The research shows firms with higher internal resources exploit better external resources. The results confirm that knowledge intensive business services providers, as a form of external resources, exercise a positive influence on innovative firms' performance through the mediating effect of firms' internal assets.
Research limitations/implications
First, the study uses only two well‐known internal resources and capabilities indicators. Second, the paper applies a strict and simple measure to the growth of innovative firms. Third, another limitation of this research relates to the sample and population of companies.
Practical implications
The study shows that the partial mediating effect exercised by internal resources and capabilities on growth, becomes more intense when new firms benefit from cluster location.
Originality/value
This study represents a new step toward closing the analytical gap in the existing literature on the potential interactions between external resources and new firm's internal attributes, and their combined effects on performance.
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Valmir Emil Hoffmann, F. Xavier Molina‐Morales and M. Teresa Martínez‐Fernández
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the competitiveness of the Brazilian ceramic tile industry using a conceptual model that the authors developed which integrates two…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the competitiveness of the Brazilian ceramic tile industry using a conceptual model that the authors developed which integrates two contemporary approaches: industrial districts and the resource‐based view.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study was carried out, using a survey with firm CEOs.
Findings
The results indicate that companies present in industrial districts have greater access to the strategic resources they share, such as knowledge transfer, access to information, and collective reputation. This fact results in higher levels of competitiveness, from the resource‐based view, since companies outside the district do not have the same resources available to them.
Research limitations/implications
Idiosyncratic characteristics of the industry can limit our results. For further discussion, we suggest studies with other industries and local players and the positive effect of the social capital.
Originality/value
One contribution from our work is linking the resource‐based view to industrial district dynamics, which can help to develop local industrial policies.
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Manuel Expósito-Langa, José-Vicente Tomás-Miquel and F. Xavier Molina-Morales
The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated model of the determinants of innovation in clusters. In the understanding, internal, external and relational dimensions must…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated model of the determinants of innovation in clusters. In the understanding, internal, external and relational dimensions must be considered to make up a complete picture of the innovation processes. The authors propose that the exploration capacity of the firm, as well as its networking intensity and the external resources provided by supporting organizations are relevant in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical study has drawn on the population of the firms belonging to the Valencian textile industrial cluster in Spain and was carried out in two different phases. In the first step the authors applied the social network analysis technique to study the relational structure of the participating companies, followed by a second analysis aimed at performing a more detailed analysis of the companies that answered the roster by means of face-to-face interviews.
Findings
Results suggest that firms in clusters must develop individual capacities parallel to the systemic resources in order to improve their innovation performance. These systemic resources are provided by the position in the knowledge network and the relations with Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS), as agents that connect the cluster with external networks.
Originality/value
In spite of diverse contributions, previous research only provides a partial explanation of the issue and others underestimate one of the elements (internal or external to the firm) where the sources of innovation are generated. The originality of this study lies in the fact that it presents a complete perspective of the innovation process in clustered firms and clarifies key questions in cluster studies through network analysis techniques.
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Yunlong Duan, Yilin Chen, Shuling Liu, Chi-Sum Wong, Meng Yang and Chang Mu
This study aims to fill the research gap on the moderating effect of leadership empowerment on the relationship between relational capital and firms' innovation performance in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to fill the research gap on the moderating effect of leadership empowerment on the relationship between relational capital and firms' innovation performance in the entrepreneurial ecosystem by addressing the following research questions: (1) How do different types of relational capital positively or negatively affect firms' innovation performance in China? (2) Does leadership empowerment play a moderating role in the above relationship?
Design/methodology/approach
Using data derived from the firms distributed in eastern, central and western China, the authors study the impact of relational capital, one of the dimensions of intellectual capital, on firms' innovation performance in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Based on firms' operation process regarding the relationships with their external stakeholders, the authors divided relational capital into three aspects: trust, reciprocity and transparency. Furthermore, leadership empowerment is taken as the moderating variable in the above theoretical relationship.
Findings
There is significant evidence that trust, reciprocity and transparency have positive impact on firms' innovation performance. Leadership empowerment positively moderates the impact of trust and reciprocity on innovation performance. However, there is no significant moderating effect of leadership empowerment on the relationship between transparency and innovation performance.
Originality/value
In the era of the knowledge economy, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is a critical foundation for firms to improve their innovation capacity and performance, and intellectual capital is one of the most imperative drivers in terms of firms' innovation performance. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated thoroughly concerning the relationships among the entrepreneurial ecosystem, intellectual capital and innovation performance. As this study explores the relationships among the above three factors, it may have profound theoretical and practical significance for firms to extent external relationship networks, improve their innovation performance and strengthen their core competencies, which is of great significance to facilitate the construction of entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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José Antonio Belso‐Martínez, F. Xavier Molina‐Morales and Francisco Mas‐Verdu
Despite the sizable amount of previous research on this topic, little is known about the reasons why firms decide to start collaboration projects with innovation advanced service…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the sizable amount of previous research on this topic, little is known about the reasons why firms decide to start collaboration projects with innovation advanced service providers, such as universities and technological institutes. This paper aims to investigate which factors at an individual firm level are involved in these collaborative strategies on supporting product and management improvements offered by local institutions to innovative firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is contextualized in the Valencian region and applies the resource based view and the regional innovation system approach as theoretical frameworks. Methodologically, the paper adopts a cross‐sectional analysis and employs ordered regression models on a sample of innovative firms during 2009.
Findings
Firstly, this paper endorses previous research suggesting the crucial role of cooperation and external knowledge on SME innovation. Secondly, it evidences how internal resources and capabilities determine a firm's use of public supported innovation. Thirdly, previous experience appears to be extremely relevant in explaining successful engagement in both technological and managerial innovation programs.
Research limitations/implications
Because the case study approach and qualitative methodologies are used, the authors advise readers not to generalize their findings. The research on the subject matter is offered as a means to substantiate or refute the latest research premises, and provide empirical evidence on the selected region.
Originality/value
Although this paper corroborates recent contributions, it does provide some novel findings. High‐level managerial capabilities seem to discourage the use of public programs supporting innovation practices (either in technological or managerial aspects), while engagement in university programs relies heavily on the firm's technological capabilities or exposure to global competition, and less on other characteristics. Policy makers should pay particular attention to both pieces of evidence when designing programs.
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Shuliang Zhao and Junchen Wang
Proximity is a crucial factor influencing innovation collaboration and performance. Most existing studies have primarily focused on the organizational level and been static in…
Abstract
Purpose
Proximity is a crucial factor influencing innovation collaboration and performance. Most existing studies have primarily focused on the organizational level and been static in nature. Therefore, a further study on how proximity affects innovation performance is needed. This paper aims to fill this gap by highlighting the organizational, cognitive and geographical proximity in China’s open regional innovation system.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper analyzes the data from 2010 to 2015 through path analysis.
Findings
The results reveal that geographical proximity has a direct positive effect on regional innovation performance in China’s regional innovation system. It also shows that organizational proximity exerts a negative impact on absorptive capacity, and through it adversely affects regional innovation performance. In contrast, cognitive proximity is found to have a positive effect on absorptive capacity, enhancing regional innovation performance.
Originality/value
Based on these findings, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the role of proximity in innovation collaboration and performance. By highlighting the importance of different proximity types, it provides insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to foster regional innovation.
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Collaborative advantage and geographical embeddedness of the firm have recently been receiving a growing amount of attention in a dynamic vision of the attainment and…
Abstract
Collaborative advantage and geographical embeddedness of the firm have recently been receiving a growing amount of attention in a dynamic vision of the attainment and sustainability of the competitive advantage of firms. Concepts such as the Industrial District and Regional Cluster have been used in these studies, yet in spite of this interest little effort has been devoted to establishing links between these competitive dimensions and theories of differences in firm performance. This work consists of a multisource case study of the Spanish Ceramic Tile Industry. This empirical study focused on investigating the nature and implications of interfirm relationships and social control. The paper suggests that the competitiveness of clustered firms can be accounted for by low transaction costs and strategic knowledge-based resources.
F. Xavier Molina-Morales and M. Teresa Martínez-Fernández
This paper draws upon the idea that an organisation can be understood as an open system embedded in a larger social system. We propose that geographical proximity is a key…
Abstract
This paper draws upon the idea that an organisation can be understood as an open system embedded in a larger social system. We propose that geographical proximity is a key determinant of the porous boundaries of organisations. Proximity produces repeated, trusting and long-term perspective relationships. Consequently, clustered firms (i.e. in an industrial district) develop relevant relations and interactions within this social system. Firms acquire new resources and capabilities using external endowments. In an industrial district, firms benefit from a common reputation, from an intense exchange and combination of resources, and the presence of different local institutions. As a result, firms in the industrial district may improve innovation and net-value creation capacities, which explain the competitive superiority of these firms. Our study draws on an empirical study involving a sample of 350 Spanish industrial firms in which we compared district and non-district member firms. Findings suggest relevant conclusions with respect to our theoretical propositions.
Harini K.N. and Manoj T. Thomas
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the available insights regarding interorganizational network evolution. The research questions being addressed are as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the available insights regarding interorganizational network evolution. The research questions being addressed are as follows: What is the nature of interorganizational network evolution? And what causes interorganizational network evolution? The review hence focuses on the nature of interorganizational network evolution (at the ego-network level and whole-network level) and the causes of interorganizational network evolution (firm-related causes and environmental causes). This paper highlights relevant gaps in the existing literature on interorganizational network evolution while outlining a research agenda by identifying key research questions and issues requiring further scholarly contributions to stimulate research in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive review of scholarly peer-reviewed English language journal articles was conducted in the subject areas of economics, sociology, business and management (including entrepreneurship) while excluding articles in the domain areas of computer science that dealt with computer networks and the health field that addressed neural networks to obtain articles on interorganizational network evolution for the period 1970-2019. Various journal databases such as EBSCO, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Emerald, JSTOR and ABI/INFORM and Ebook Central on ProQuest were used to extract relevant articles using specific keywords.
Findings
To better understand this phenomenon of interorganizational network evolution, there is a need for future studies to focus on the less researched areas such as the “nature of evolution” of EINR1, EINR3 and EINR4 and the “causes of evolution” of FRC3, FRC5, FRC7 and FRC8. Further, over the years, in comparison to the evolution of interorganizational network relationships (EINR), fewer works have considered the evolution of overall interorganizational network structure (EINS). The research studies on environmental causes (EC) have been less in number in comparison to firm related causes (FRC), and this could be an area for further research. Also, studies on interorganizational network evolution have not examined the impact of FRC1 on EINR 3 and only a few studies have examined the impact of FRC1 on EINR1 and EINR4. Less attention has been given to the impact of FRC2 on EINR1, EINR3, EINR4 and EINS. Additionally, the impact of FRC3 on EINR1, EINR3 and EINS needs more in-depth examination. The impact of FRC4 on EINR4; FRC5 on EINR1, EINR2 and EINR4; FRC6 on EINR1 and EINS; and FRC7 and FRC8 on all forms of “nature of interorganizational network evolution” requires more research work. Finally, the impact of EC on EINR3 and EINR4 is also a less researched stream in the literature needing more scholarly contribution to better understand the phenomenon under consideration in this study. Some of the least explored theoretical lenses and relevant questions that can be addressed using these lenses to advance research on network evolution have also been discussed.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper is that it provides a comprehensive literature review, collating the dispersed knowledge on interorganizational network evolution – nature of evolution and causes of evolution, identifying areas that require further research attention for the development of this domain.
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Mai Anh Thi Nguyen, Hui Lei, Khoa Dinh Vu and Phong Ba Le
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain collaboration and how it relates to radical and incremental innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain collaboration and how it relates to radical and incremental innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on quantitative approach to analyze the data of 218 firms in a developing and transition economy. The proposal model is tested with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
The authors’ findings show that cognitive proximity facilitates decision synchronization and incentive alignment in the supply chain. Furthermore, the authors’ results indicate that information sharing and decision synchronization are determinants of radical innovation while incentive alignment is a determinant of incremental innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This study was cross-sectional, so the authors could not consider the control variable such as sectors or firms’ size. It is hard to control the specific features of cognitive proximity in one single industry when using cross-sectional data. In future investigations, it may be possible to use a different dimension of proximity to explain the implementation of collaboration for innovation.
Originality/value
This study attempted to explore the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain implementation process in the context of a transition economy. Moreover, the authors’ findings provide the clearer understanding of the relationship between collaboration and innovation.
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