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Using AI to strengthen creativity and problem-solving capabilities of professionals involved in innovation management holds huge potential for improving organizational decision-making. However, there is a lack of research on the use of AI technologies by innovation managers. The study uses the theory of appropriation to explore how specific factors – agile leadership (AL), innovation orientation (IO) and individual creativity (IC) – impact innovation managers' use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT (CGA).

The research model is tested through a large-scale survey of 222 Italian innovation managers. Data have been analyzed using structural equation modeling following a two-step approach. First, the measurement model was assessed to ensure the constructs reliability. Subsequently, the structural model was analyzed to draw the conclusions on theorized model relationships and their statistical significance.

The research findings reveal positive associations between IO and IC with CGA, demonstrating that innovation managers who exhibit strong innovation orientations and higher Individual Creativity are more likely to adopt and personalize ChatGPT. However, the study did not confirm a significant association between AL and CGA.

Our findings have important implications for organizations seeking to maximize the potential of generative AI in innovation management. Understanding the factors that drive the adoption and customization of generative AI tools can inform strategies for better integration into the innovation process, thereby leading to enhanced innovation outcomes and improved decision-making processes.

In the landscape created by digital transformation, developing the ability to adapt and innovate by absorbing and generating new knowledge has become a strategic priority for organizations. The theory of dynamic capabilities, especially from a knowledge-based perspective, has proven particularly useful in studying the phenomena of transformation and change. Moving from this premise, this paper aims to map the state of research and to define guidelines for the actualization of dynamic capabilities theory in the digital transformation era.

A structured literature review of 75 papers, using descriptive, bibliographic and content analysis, was performed to analyze the evolution of dynamic capabilities in the context of digital transformation.

Studies concerning knowledge-based dynamic capabilities for digital transformation have been clustered into five main research areas: the micro-foundation of dynamic capabilities for digital transformation; dynamic capabilities for value creation in digital transformation; dynamic capabilities for digital transition in specific industries; dynamic capabilities for “data-driven organizations”; and dynamic capabilities for digital transformation in SMEs and family firms. A future research agenda for scholars in strategic management is presented.

A conceptual framework and a future research agenda are presented to highlight directions for this promising research field concerning the renewal of dynamic capabilities in the context of digital transformation.

The originality of the paper lies in the conceptual framework aiming to systematize current research on knowledge-based dynamic capabilities for digital transformation and to provide a new conceptualization of digital dynamic capabilities, clarifying how organizations create and share knowledge in the era of digitalization.

The article discusses the current relevance of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and how AI improves various research methods. This article focuses on the practical case study of systematic literature reviews (SLRs) to provide a guideline for employing AI in the process.

Researchers no longer require technical skills to use AI in their research. The recent discussion about using Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), a chatbot by OpenAI, has reached the academic world and fueled heated debates about the future of academic research. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, AI will not replace our job; a human being using AI will. This editorial aims to provide an overview of the current state of using AI in research, highlighting recent trends and developments in the field.

The main result is guidelines for the use of AI in the scientific research process. The guidelines were developed for the literature review case but the authors believe the instructions provided can be adjusted to many fields of research, including but not limited to quantitative research, data qualification, research on unstructured data, qualitative data and even on many support functions and repetitive tasks.

AI already has the potential to make researchers’ work faster, more reliable and more convenient. The authors highlight the advantages and limitations of AI in the current time, which should be present in any research utilizing AI. Advantages include objectivity and repeatability in research processes that currently are subject to human error. The most substantial disadvantages lie in the architecture of current general-purpose models, which understanding is essential for using them in research. The authors will describe the most critical shortcomings without going into technical detail and suggest how to work with the shortcomings daily.

This paper explores digital transformation's impact on the work of owners in entrepreneurial firms. The interplay between working practices and technology is analyzed, taking into account the organizations' specific contexts.

A multiple case study design was applied. Eight cases of entrepreneurial firms, defined as companies that bring new products and services to the market by creating and seizing opportunities, were selected, with the goal to maximize the diversity of cases. The sample includes both small- and medium-sized firms, as well as high- tech and low- tech companies in equal number. Interviews have been used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, which was analyzed in a structured way.

The digital transformation of entrepreneurial work, that is the daily work of entrepreneurs, is an evolutionary, practice-based phenomenon, rather than the result of rational design. The use of different digital tools is interrelated and depends on the characteristics, and dynamics of the surrounding environment.

The findings of this study are relevant to entrepreneurs interested in understanding the dynamics of their working practice, to software development firms interested in entrepreneurs as customers and to institutions interested in the education of entrepreneurs.

To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first study which considers the interplay between digital technology and the daily activities of entrepreneurs, considered as a whole. It provides insights on how these interconnected dimensions evolve, thus contributing to understanding the work of entrepreneurs, and as a consequence the dynamics of entrepreneurial firms in the context of digital transformation of organizations.

This work aims at investigating the variables that foster antifragility in the context of small and medium-sized service companies (service SMEs).

This work adopts an exploratory approach in order to deepen five examples of service SMEs that were able to change their own business models and to reinforce their strategic position while facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ingredients of antifragility ability include: entrepreneurial orientation, context insightfulness and operational dexterity. This article singles out the resources and capacities backing the blossoming of antifragility abilities in service SMEs. Slack financial resources, many and diverse research-and-innovation partners, operational dexterity, fastness and creativity are included among such resources and capabilities.

Crises may occur frequently in many ways; thus, this work provides some guidance geared to services SMEs in order to increase their level of preparedness for future crises and to nurture their ability to transform them into opportunities.

Despite many concepts associated with antifragility have been dealt with in literature such as resilience or agility, antifragility is hitherto underexplored. This article is among the first ones to explore factors fostering antifragility in service SMEs.

Corporate-startup collaboration is an opportunity for inter-organizational learning. This paper aims to develop an empirically grounded typology to guide researchers and managers in choosing a model that is coherent with the underlying learning processes.

The empirical research consisted of three phases. First, 30 large companies were interviewed to identify different models of interaction. Second, eight different models and cases were selected, and a list of key characteristics of each model was drawn based on the empirical data, obtaining a first typology. Third, the typology was tested, improved and validated on nine corporations.

The main result of the study is an empirically grounded typology of models for corporate-startup interaction and inter-organizational learning. Six dimensions distinguish each model from the others.

The paper contributes to extend the literature on inter-organizational learning through different models of corporate-startups interaction. It also contributes to organizational ambidexterity theory, showing how collaboration with startups can improve exploitation and exploration.

The typology provides an instrument for analyzing and selecting operational models for corporate-startup collaboration and learning. The models can be modified or broadened, creating new hybrids.

The paper presents a novel way of looking at corporate-startup relations by studying them through the lens of organizational learning theory. It explains the existence of different inter-organizational arrangements and provides guidance in selecting the correct model.

Startup companies represent a powerful engine of open innovation (OI) processes. The purpose of this paper is to represent a first step in building a map of the state-of-the-art knowledge of the “startups in an OI context” phenomenon. Through the selection and analysis of relevant literature, this study aims at deepening our understanding of the theme and at providing directions for future research.

By using an explicit method for the review (Pittaway et al., 2004) the authors selected a set of papers, which cover the knowledge domain object of this study. In total, 41 articles about “startups and OI” have been selected and the full papers have been analysed.

The analysed literature has been synthesized in seven sub-topics, which have been evaluated as the most relevant in explaining the phenomenon of startups in relation to OI. Implications for research, for managers and for policy makers conclude the paper.

The review produced valuable knowledge for both managers and policy decision-makers. The paper allows a better understanding of the role of startups in OI processes. This improved understanding can help managers of large firms as well as policy makers involved in OI in making their decisions. Besides, implications of OI strategies for startup managers have been singled-out.

Startup companies are intrinsically open organizations, necessarily engaged in innovation processes. Research at the intersection between the themes of OI and startups is gaining momentum. This review of the literature represents the first attempt to organize the scientific knowledge related to the intersection between the startups and OI phenomena systematically.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the contribution of professional social networking websites (PSNWs) to entrepreneurial learning in high-tech startups. In addition, in the present paper, the relationships between intellectual capital (IC) and PSNW-supported entrepreneurial learning have been investigated.

The paper is based on data collected through a questionnaire distributed to entrepreneurs and managers of high-tech startups. In order to understand the behavior of startuppers in PSNWs two theoretical constructs have been devised, which could put into evidence knowledge sharing and knowledge seeking occurrences. In these constructs, entrepreneurial learning represents the dependent variable, while IC components are considered as moderators. The obtained results have been analyzed through hierarchical regression.

Results have indicated that PSNWs support the learning processes of startuppers and that the social capital, one of the components of IC acts as an important mediator in the hypothesized relationships between knowledge seeking activities and entrepreneurial learning.

This study has taken a sample of middle-sized entrepreneurships into consideration. Future research could be focused on larger entrepreneurships, in order to validate the obtained results. In addition, it could be interesting to examine further factors affecting the improvement of entrepreneurial learning practices in startuppers and larger organizations.

PSNWs are often used by entrepreneurs to create relations and to exchange knowledge. This fact notwithstanding, there is a dearth of studies that analyze how entrepreneurial learning can be facilitated by online social networking. The paper provides a clearer view of these issues and represents a first step in filling this research gap.