European Journal of Innovation Management最新文献

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of personal, organisational and innovation capability on technological innovation and further impacts on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs') performance during uncertainty. Moreover, the moderator role of social sustainability orientation on the relationships of technological innovation, innovation performance and organisational resilience is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach using 524 SME responses and Smart PLS 4.0 are adopted in this research.

Findings

The results indicate a correlation between three types of capabilities with technological innovation and further conversion to organisational resilience. Additionally, social sustainability shows a negative moderating effect between innovation performance and organisational resilience. The research findings advanced the resources-based-view (RBV) by proposing three capability dimensions as platforms for SMEs' innovation success, which later generate resilience possibilities. Specifically highlighted in this study are the personal capabilities of managers, organisational capabilities and innovation capabilities in setting business objectives and resource allocation towards economic and sustainable goals during turbulence and uncertainty.

Originality/value

This study investigates the role of technological innovation and innovation on SME resilience. Notably, we deploy the social sustainability orientation as moderators towards the relationship between technological innovation, innovation performance and SMEs’ resilience. SMEs employing social sustainability orientation might negatively inhibit the translation from innovation performance to SME resilience, providing novel insights into navigating uncertainty in modern business. It has no effect on the relationship between technological innovation and its consequences.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the connection between creativity and innovation in the context of public healthcare. This is achieved by applying the theoretical concept of employee-driven innovation (EDI) to explore employees’ perceptions of their creative engagement in innovation processes, as well as to capture the managerial implications of setting up such processes in the sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A critical discourse analysis (CDA) is applied as a methodological lens to capture the interaction between the macro-level production and meso-level distribution of innovation discourse (top-down), and the micro-level perception of, and response to, the same (bottom-up). This study is based on a qualitative approach and is set in the public healthcare system of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Northeast Italy. In total, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 healthcare professionals. For triangulation purposes, observation and document analysis were also performed.

Findings

The findings of this study reveal that tensions are present between the macro-level discourses and the meso-level strategies around innovation, and the micro-level perceptions of employees’ creative engagement in innovation processes. Healthcare professionals’ creative efforts are not easily recognized and supported by top management, which in turn does not receive a framework of reference in policies acknowledging the importance of human skills and creativity in innovation processes.

Research limitations/implications

That this is a single case study implies a limitation on the generalizability of its results, but the results may nevertheless be transferable to similar empirical contexts. Therefore, a multiple case study design would be preferable in future studies in order to study EDI strategies and policies across various types of organizations in the public sector. Moreover, apart from CDA, other theoretical and methodological lenses can be applied to investigate the interaction between top-down organizing and bottom-up responses to innovation.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the EDI literature by providing a more integrative understanding of EDI in the public sector, demonstrating the importance of scrutinizing the interactions between employees and top-level management.

Purpose

Innovation in financing processes, enabled by the advent of new technologies, has supported the development of alternative finance funding tools. In this context, the study analyses the growing importance of alternative finance instruments (such as equity crowdfunding, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, venture capital, and others) in addressing the small and medioum enterprises' (SMEs) financing needs beyond traditional bank and market-based funding channels. By providing more flexible terms and faster approval times, these instruments are gradually reshaping the traditional bank-firm relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

To comprehensively understand this innovation shift in funding processes, the study employs a novel approach that merges three MCDA methods: Spherical Fuzzy Entropy, ARAS and TOPSIS. These methodologies allow for handling ambiguity and subjectivity in financial decision-making processes, examining the effects of multiple criteria, including interest rate, flexibility, accessibility, support, riskiness, and approval time, on the appeal of various financial alternatives.

Findings

The study’s results have significant theoretical and practical implications, supporting SMEs in carefully evaluate financing alternatives and enables banks to better identify the main “competitors” according to the “financial need” of the firm. Moreover, the rise of alternative finance, notably P2P lending, indicates a shift towards more efficient capital access, suggesting banks must innovate their funding channels to remain competitive, especially in offering flexible solutions for restructuring and high-risk scenarios.

Practical implications

The study advises top management that SMEs prefer traditional loans for their reliability and accessibility, necessitating banks to enhance transparency, innovate, and adopt digital solutions to meet evolving financing needs and improve customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

The study introduces a novel integration of Spherical Fuzzy TOPSIS, Entropy, and ARAS methodologies to face the complexities of financial decision-making for SME financing, addressing ambiguity and multiple criteria like interest rates, flexibility, and riskiness. It emphasizes the importance of traditional loans, the rising significance of alternative financing such as P2P lending, and the necessity for banks to innovate, thereby enriching the literature on bank-firm relationships and SME funding strategies.

Purpose

With the arrival of the big data era, governments have appointed a chief data officer (CDO) to meet the opportunities and challenges brought by big data. The existing research on the CDOs is very limited, and what does exist focuses primarily on what are CDOs do. Little research has explored how CDOs do. To fill this gap, this study employed ambidexterity theory to investigate the ambidexterity of CDOs’ impact on data-driven innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

To empirically test the model, a survey study was conducted to empirically test the model. Data were collected from 261 CDOs in government and government employees in big data management centers or bureaus. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively to answer hypotheses using a structural equation model.

Findings

The findings suggest that data exploitation and data exploration significantly influence data-driven leadership, culture and value propositions. Data-driven leadership and value propositions significantly impact government performance.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first attempts to investigate how CDOs work, especially when promoting data-driven innovation. In addition, this study extends ambidexterity theory into the issue of the CDO in government.

Purpose

In the realm of innovation systems and technology transfer (TT), the emergence of open innovation and complex market dynamics has amplified innovation intermediaries’ prominence of their role and involvement in TT projects. This study delves into private consultants’ involvement in TT projects, namely in what got them involved by the project’s key stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

An iterative two-phased research approach was followed, including exploratory interviews and a quantitative case study of a consultancy firm engaged in 219 TT projects.

Findings

Five main key motivators were found to lead TT stakeholders to involve private consultants in their TT projects, being the most relevant, the proactivity of private consultants.

Originality/value

The case study and results provide an alternative perspective of TT endeavours, emphasising the importance given by TT stakeholders (mostly recipient companies) to private consultants’ involvement as innovation intermediaries.

Purpose

Urban centers, with their dense populations and evolving mobility patterns, are pivotal in addressing global sustainability challenges. This study focuses on identifying the key elements driving the adoption of sustainable urban mobility innovations, with a renewed emphasis on cycling as a core component.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing the Service Dominant Logic framework, this research examines how various conditions associated with the cycling ecosystem influence the adoption or negation of bicycles as a sustainable mode of urban transportation. The study conducts a comprehensive analysis across 60 cities to unravel these dynamics.

Findings

The investigation reveals that five distinct combinations of conditions facilitate the adoption of bicycles, while two specific combinations lead to its negation. Importantly, the study uncovers the presence of a “lock-in” mechanism, a critical factor in hindering bicycle adoption in urban settings.

Originality/value

This research contributes significantly to the field of sustainable urban mobility by integrating Service-Dominant Logic with empirical findings from a diverse set of global cities. It provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of factors influencing cycling adoption, offering a nuanced understanding of the barriers and drivers in this domain. The identification of a “lock-in” mechanism as a key impediment to cycling adoption adds a novel dimension to existing literature, presenting actionable pathways for policymakers and urban planners to foster more sustainable and bike-friendly urban environments.

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine how knowledge distance, which encompasses cognitive and geographic distance, influences efficiency-centered and novelty-centered business model reconfiguration (BMR), and the moderating role of tie strength.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze a sample of 132 Tunisian incumbent firms by multiple hierarchical regressions.

Findings

First, the effect of knowledge distance on novelty-centered BMR may differ depending on whether the firm introduces novelty within or outside its organizational boundaries. Specifically, the authors introduce two new types of novelty-centered BMR: intra-novelty and extra-novelty, which respectively take into account whether the reconfigured activities are governed within or outside the focal firm’s boundaries. Second, cognitive distance has an inverted U-shaped effect on efficiency-centered and intra-novelty-centered BMR. Third, tie strength has a moderating role, with varying effects depending on the type of BMR pursued.

Practical implications

This study provides guidance for managers on structuring alliances and collaborations when pursuing BMR. It provides recommendations on partner characteristics, as well as relationship tie strength, that are most beneficial for different types of BMR.

Originality/value

This paper answers the call for research on how knowledge obtained from distant sources can contribute to BMR. Additionally, the paper introduces a previously absent distinction in the BMR literature. The findings suggest that studying the antecedents of BMR should not be limited to the level of design themes but also encompass the level of design elements such as governance.

Purpose

This study examines the existing literature on generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and its impact across many sectors. This analysis explores the potential, applications, and challenges of Gen AI in driving innovation and creativity and generating ideas.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a comprehensive literature review approach, carefully assessing current scientific articles on Gen AI published from 2022 to 2024. The analysis examines trends and insights derived from research.

Findings

The review indicates that Gen AI has significant potential to augment human creativity and innovation processes as a collaborative partner. However, it is imperative to prioritize responsible development and ethical frameworks in order to effectively tackle biases, privacy concerns, and other challenges. Gen AI is significantly transforming business models, processes, and value propositions in several industries, but with varying degrees of effect. Findings indicate also that despite the theory-driven approach to investigating Gen AI's creative and innovative potential, cutting-edge applications research prioritizes examining the possibilities of Gen AI models.

Research limitations/implications

Although this review offers a picture of great possibilities, it concurrently underlines the necessity for a deep knowledge of Gen AI nuances to fully harness its capabilities. The findings indicate that continuous research and exploration efforts are required to address the challenges of Gen AI and assure its responsible and ethical implementation. Therefore, more study is needed on enhancing human-AI collaboration and defining ethical norms for varied circumstances.

Originality/value

This study presents a relevant analysis of Gen AI's transformational potential as an innovation catalyst. It emphasizes major potential, applications across industries, and ethical issues for responsible integration.