Is the turbulence caused by the dynamic environment straining start-ups' agility? Exploring the pragmatic solution of open innovation while capturing the role of formal and informal protection mechanisms

This Paper emphasizes the role of market dynamics in determining the extent of openness for knowledge sourcing measured on the basis of breadth and depth for startups. The backdrop was formulated on the padding of the resource-based view, knowledge-based view, network theory, organizational learning, opportunistic behaviour and trust, each of which serve as a valuable theoretical underpinning to encapsulate fragmented branches. Protection mechanisms play a critical role when opening up the system to match and align knowledge and resources. Open innovation is contingent on the format used to bring resources together which according to our results is sequenced as divergence (breadth) leading to convergence (depth).