International Journal of Innovation Management

Collaboration structure and temporal dispersion (TD) in teams have been studied independently so far. This study uses Media Synchronicity Theory (MST) to derive hypotheses positing that the structure of collaboration networks in distributed teams changes when those teams are more temporally dispersed. The empirical test of hypotheses using ordinary least squares with archival data from 230 open source software (OSS) projects shows that the collaboration structure networks of those OSS teams that are more temporally dispersed are sparser and more centralised, and these associations are stronger in those teams exhibiting higher relative performance. Theoretical and practical consequences are discussed.

We investigate how the propensity to trust, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation drive the intentions of individuals to share knowledge in idea crowdsourcing. Building on motivation theories and Uses & Gratifications (U&G) approach, we conducted a web-based survey within IdeasProject, an open innovation and brainstorming community dedicated to harvesting ideas. Based on a sample of 244 users, our research shows that the key driver of knowledge-sharing intentions is made up of two intrinsic motivations — social benefits and learning benefits. We also found that recognition from the host company affects intention to share knowledge. From the management point of view, the relative importance of social integrative benefits calls for better facilities available for users to be able to help each other in formulating and developing their ideas. Learning and creativity could be inspired by feedback from professionals and experts, while providing insight into technological advances and features dealing with the current tasks.

Advances in the capacity to manage overseas operations have been linked to foreign-owned subsidiaries of multinational enterprises performing more varied roles for their parent organisations than they did in the past. Drawing on evidence from an original large-scale survey, this study explores the international roles performed by 429 foreign-owned subsidiaries in New Zealand. Traditionally, subsidiaries in New Zealand have predominantly been established to service the local market which although comparatively small is remote from major sources of foreign investment. The study finds that many subsidiaries have some form of international role and that subsidiaries frequently perform a variety of roles for their organisations. Investigation of subsidiary characteristics associated with an international role finds that those managed independently, and those managed by a network of reporting channels have most propensity and potential to engage in international roles. This evidence justifies greater recognition that subsidiary operations may make multiple contributions to their organisation rather than have a single purpose.

This paper builds upon Berkhout et al.'s (2010) cyclic innovation model (CIM). This model was shown to provide an effective framework for understanding and managing the innovation process and to address many of the shortcomings of previous models. Building on that article we have applied CIM to an in-depth case study featuring a formable paperboard technology within the packaging industry. Using data gathered from 28 interviews conducted over a three year period, CIM, for the first time, is applied to a low technology industry. In so doing, this paper contributes to a growing body of literature exploring low technology industries and, in turn, demonstrates the wider applicability of CIM beyond technology intensive industries.

This paper discusses organisational innovation among state, private, foreign and joint-stock enterprises with focus on leadership and resource which are expected as key factors to innovation. Data drawn from a survey with more than 600 respondents in most industrialised regions in Vietnam is analysed. The finding shows that higher educational level of respondents in state enterprises has negative relationship with all kinds of innovation. State enterprises absorb large amount of funding from government budget but still need more financial resource to generate innovation. However, private and foreign companies do not require more financial capital but they need human capital that is leaders owning transformational characteristics, motivation and ability of building organisational culture to generate organisational innovation. This current research proposes that authorities in these enterprises are suggested to use financial capital in appropriate time only otherwise they should use other tool to do innovation in their organisations.

We investigate the relationship between openness and value appropriation in the open innovation strategies of multinational corporations (MNCs). Previous research has suggested an inverted U-shaped relationship between external knowledge sourcing and innovative performance of firms engaged in open innovation (Laursen and Salter, 2006). Little research, however, has been conducted on the specific relationship between openness and value appropriation in the context of open innovation involving MNCs. To address this, we conduct a sequential mixed-methods study involving: (1) interviews with 31 elite key informants in large, well-known MNCs, and (2) a survey questionnaire of innovation managers in 75 MNCs. We find strong support for an inverted U-shaped relationship between openness and value appropriation in MNCs engaging in open innovation. Our interview data provides rich and substantive insight into this relationship. We discuss implications for theory and practice.

Understanding how contextual and individual characteristics affect employee willingness to propose innovative ideas to an organization is an important, if understudied aspect of the innovation process. Based on an interactional perspective, widely used in creativity and innovation studies, this paper examines the influence of both contextual and individual characteristics on employee willingness to contribute innovative ideas to other organizational actors. Using a quasi-experimental approach, it is reported that intrinsic motivation, knowledge and curiosity are more important motivators than individual position in the company and any potential financial rewards. Additionally, the personality dimensions of the Big-Five Inventory (BFI) show no significant affect on employee willingness to contribute ideas. The results of the study are contextualized with the literature regarding the idea contribution processes, and further research directions are indicated.

Major investments in science and technology are designed to generate something beyond the science itself. Government-funded big science infrastructure, exemplified by the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron (CLS), offers places for scientists both to conduct their scientific investigations and to do things that more directly add economic and social value. Scientists, however, do not work in isolation. They are usually part of larger networks or communities that can generate bigger net effects for the affiliated individuals and institutions. Understanding the structure and scale of these scientific networks provides insights into the impacts of big science on the scientific community (locally and globally) and the potential opportunities that may be realised. This study applies the social network analysis (SNA) methodology and combines it with a survey and statistical analysis to assess the network of scholars attached to the CLS, to explore the evolution of collaborative behaviour over time and to explore the relationships between the network and specific output and outcome variables. The study concludes that the CLS has generated a large and growing scholarly community; at the core of the network is a group of highly linked and engaged scholars who have the aptitude and experience to extend their research results into application and use.

This study investigates the average levels of product advantage and innovativeness across the products in the firm's new product development (NPD) portfolio. Launch rate is defined as the percentage of products with a "launch" versus a "discontinued" outcome. A dataset of drug development activity for 73 pharmaceutical companies for the period 1995–2006 supports a positive relationship between average advantage and launch rate and between average innovativeness and launch rate. The interaction of high advantage and high innovativeness reduces launch rate. The distribution of activity across knowledge categories in the development portfolio strengthens the positive relationship between advantage and firm profitability.

The recent global recession has focused efforts towards better understanding of both firm response and the outcome of that response to recession, or decline. Past research suggests that firms either respond by being conservative, reducing costs, etc., or, they proactively try to innovate out of the decline. This work examines the various responses to decline with respect to firm innovativeness. Using data from US manufacturing firms, it is shown that innovativeness has important performance implications even in dire economic times. However, increasing innovativeness levels during decline is not shown to be superior to maintaining innovativeness. Findings provide limited evidence that decreasing innovativeness is not a desirable downturn strategy. Potential, practical, and theoretical implications of the findings are presented.

Innovation is the key for an organization to achieve sustainable development. Open innovation which emphasizes the integration of internal and external resources in an organization has brought about a new perspective in technological developments. In order to promote and ensure the performance of the open innovation, an assessment framework and the evaluation indicators are required. This study extracted dimensions from literatures and propose knowledge operation is an important element as well as knowledge exploitation and exploration in open innovation practice. After compiling opinions from both academic researchers and business experts and flowed into hierarchy analysis, "non-R&D employee involvement" was the most significant. The developed indicators were conducted in a survey to nine industrial parks and one science park to verify the reliability of assessment. The results reflected that the medium size company which has capability and awareness in open innovation usually falls into lower performance than they expected.