IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/ijimxx/v23y2019i08ns1363919619400048.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Does Knowledge Sharing Across Generations Impact Innovation?

Author

Listed:
  • PAUL J. WOODFIELD

    (Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand)

  • KENNETH HUSTED

    (The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand)

Abstract

We explore how knowledge sharing impacts innovation across generations of a family firm. We argue that each generation contributes to the knowledge pool differently, and there can be different levels of hostility towards sharing knowledge that can impact a family firm’s ability to innovate. We present two models distinguishing the source of knowledge from the receiver of knowledge for each generation. When the senior generation is the source of knowledge, business tends to be as per usual. Conversely, when the source of knowledge is the next generation, this can lead to new approaches to doing business being introduced, with potential for innovation activities and outcomes. We suggest that to minimise hoarding and rejection of knowledge, strategies need to be in place to avoid redundancy in the knowledge production and problem-solving processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul J. Woodfield & Kenneth Husted, 2019. "How Does Knowledge Sharing Across Generations Impact Innovation?," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(08), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:23:y:2019:i:08:n:s1363919619400048
    DOI: 10.1142/S1363919619400048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S1363919619400048
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S1363919619400048?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Laforet, Sylvie, 2008. "Size, strategic, and market orientation affects on innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(7), pages 753-764, July.
    2. Jacques Mairesse, 2008. "Employment, innovation, and productivity: evidence from Italian microdata," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(4), pages 813-839, August.
    3. Rinaldo Evangelista & Antonio Vezzani, 2012. "The impact of technological and organizational innovations on employment in European firms," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(4), pages 871-899, August.
    4. Tanja Steiger & Christine Duller & Martin R. W. Hiebl, 2015. "No Consensus in Sight: An Analysis of Ten Years of Family Business Definitions in Empirical Research Studies," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(01), pages 25-62.
    5. Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen & David Jacobson (ed.), 2008. "Innovation in Low-Tech Firms and Industries," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13088.
    6. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
    7. Daspit, Joshua J. & Long, Rebecca G. & Pearson, Allison W., 2019. "How familiness affects innovation outcomes via absorptive capacity: A dynamic capability perspective of the family firm," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 133-143.
    8. Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen & Katrin Hahn & David Jacobson, 2008. "The Low-Tech Issue," Chapters, in: Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen & David Jacobson (ed.), Innovation in Low-Tech Firms and Industries, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Frank Hoy, 2006. "The Complicating Factor of Life Cycles in Corporate Venturing," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 831-836, November.
    10. Jaskiewicz, Peter & Combs, James G. & Rau, Sabine B., 2015. "Entrepreneurial legacy: Toward a theory of how some family firms nurture transgenerational entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 29-49.
    11. Woodfield, Paul & Husted, Kenneth, 2017. "Intergenerational knowledge sharing in family firms: Case-based evidence from the New Zealand wine industry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 57-69.
    12. Feranita, Feranita & Kotlar, Josip & De Massis, Alfredo, 2017. "Collaborative innovation in family firms: Past research, current debates and agenda for future research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 137-156.
    13. Pankaj C. Patel & James O. Fiet, 2011. "Knowledge Combination and the Potential Advantages of Family Firms in Searching for Opportunities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(6), pages 1179-1197, November.
    14. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Pramodita Sharma, 1999. "Defining the Family Business by Behavior," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(4), pages 19-39, July.
    15. De Massis, Alfredo & Kotlar, Josip, 2014. "The case study method in family business research: Guidelines for qualitative scholarship," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 15-29.
    16. Santamara, Llus & Nieto, Mara Jess & Barge-Gil, Andrs, 2009. "Beyond formal R&D: Taking advantage of other sources of innovation in low- and medium-technology industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 507-517, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gonçalves, Tiago & Curado, Carla & Oliveira, Mírian, 2023. "Clarifying knowledge withholding: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Jordi Moreno-Gené & José Luis Gallizo, 2021. "Intergenerational Differences in Family Business Management and Their Influence on Business Profitability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Francesca Maria Cesaroni & Gail Denisse Chamochumbi Diaz & Annalisa Sentuti, 2021. "Family Firms and Innovation from Founder to Successor," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Kandade, Kiran & Samara, Georges & Parada, Maria José & Dawson, Alexandra, 2021. "From family successors to successful business leaders: A qualitative study of how high-quality relationships develop in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    3. Aldrich, Howard E. & Brumana, Mara & Campopiano, Giovanna & Minola, Tommaso, 2021. "Embedded but not asleep: Entrepreneurship and family business research in the 21st century," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    4. Barbara Iannone, 2019. "Il controllo strategico nelle imprese familiari del settore vitivinicolo. Elaborazione di una proposta," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(1), pages 45-72.
    5. Julio Diéguez-Soto & María J. Martínez-Romero, 2019. "Family Involvement in Management and Product Innovation: The Mediating Role of R&D Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-24, April.
    6. María del Pilar Casado-Belmonte & María de las Mercedes Capobianco-Uriarte & Rubén Martínez-Alonso & María J. Martínez-Romero, 2021. "Delineating the Path of Family Firm Innovation: Mapping the Scientific Structure," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2455-2499, November.
    7. Andreas Kallmuenzer & Andreas Strobl & Mike Peters, 2018. "Tweaking the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship in family firms: the effect of control mechanisms and family-related goals," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 855-883, October.
    8. Conrad Wiedeler & Nadine Kammerlander, 2021. "Learning the ropes of entrepreneurship: understanding internal corporate venturing for family firms from an entrepreneurial learning perspective," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 669-703, April.
    9. Wen-Ting Lin & Linda C. Wang, 2021. "Family firms, R&D, and internationalization: the stewardship and socio-emotional wealth perspectives," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 91-119, March.
    10. Conz, Elisa & Lamb, Peter William & De Massis, Alfredo, 2020. "Practicing resilience in family firms: An investigation through phenomenography," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    11. Sondos G. Abdelgawad & Shaker A. Zahra, 2020. "Family Firms’ Religious Identity and Strategic Renewal," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 775-787, May.
    12. Clinton, Eric & McAdam, Maura & Gamble, Jordan Robert, 2018. "Transgenerational entrepreneurial family firms: An examination of the business model construct," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 269-285.
    13. Laura Pütz & Sabrina Schell & Arndt Werner, 2023. "Openness to knowledge: does corporate social responsibility mediate the relationship between familiness and absorptive capacity?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1449-1482, April.
    14. Rajan, Bharath & Salunkhe, Uday & Kumar, V., 2023. "Understanding customer engagement in family firms: A conceptual framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    15. Ewa Balcerowicz & Marek Peczkowski & Anna Wziatek-Kubiak, 2009. "The Innovation Patterns of Firms in Low and High Technology Manufacturing Sectors in the New Member States," CASE Network Studies and Analyses 0390, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    16. Pittino, Daniel & Visintin, Francesca & Lauto, Giancarlo, 2017. "A configurational analysis of the antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 224-237.
    17. Preciuk Piotr & Wilczyńska Ewa, 2020. "Intergenerational Familial Ambidexterity in Polish Family Firms," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 28(4), pages 107-133, December.
    18. Sami Basly & Yosra Abdelwahed, 2023. "Commitment to Learning and Open Innovation in Family Firms: Exploring the Moderating Effect of Family-to-firm Identity Fit," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(2), pages 420-448, July.
    19. Francesco Aiello & Paola Cardamone & Lidia Mannarino & Valeria Pupo, 2021. "Does external R&D matter for family firm innovation? Evidence from the Italian manufacturing industry," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1915-1930, December.
    20. Fabel, Oliver & Mináriková, Dana & Hopp, Christian, 2022. "Differences and similarities in executive hiring decisions of family and non-family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(2).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:23:y:2019:i:08:n:s1363919619400048. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/ijim/ijim.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.