Openness to Innovation as a Driver of Knowledge Integration in High-Tech SMEs: The Roles of Social Capital and Network Competence

Abstract

This paper studies an original analytical framework to address the implementation dynamics of open innovation practices by discussing their impacts on SMEs' social capital and knowledge integration. A total of 358 High-Tech SMEs in the Democratic Republic of Congo participated in the survey. The collected data were statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in Smart PLS to verify the postulated hypothesis. The results reveal that open innovation practices promote knowledge integration, and social capital partially mediates open innovation and knowledge integration capability. The results further indicate that network competence moderates the practice of open innovation and social capital interactions with external knowledge sources. The theoretical implications of this study contribute to advance the discussion on the antecedent of social capital and knowledge integration in SMEs in developing countries and propose network competence as a moderator. The study also highlights the social capital nature of open innovation and reinforces the knowledge of scholars.