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Abandoning innovation activities and performance: The moderating role of openness

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  • Tsinopoulos, Christos
  • Yan, Ji
  • Sousa, Carlos M.P.

Abstract

Firms are encouraged to continually initiate innovation activities as part of their new product development processes and to be open to the use of external knowledge sources. Yet, many are abandoned. Openness to external knowledge sources and the experience of abandoning innovation activities are, therefore, becoming a part of an organization’s reality and innovation strategy. In this paper, we aim to explore how the experience of having abandoned an innovation activity can affect innovation performance and the role two key dimensions of openness, external search breadth and formal innovation collaboration breadth, play. Using data from the UK Innovation Survey, we find that the experience of having abandoned an innovation activity leads to improved innovation performance and that this is negatively moderated by the two dimensions of openness. When external search breadth is high, i.e. when an organization engages with a higher number of different types of knowledge sources, the link between abandoning innovation activities and innovation performance weakens. Similarly, when formal innovation collaboration breadth is high, i.e. the breadth of a firm’s formal collaboration relationships is high, the link between abandoning innovation activities and innovation performance also weakens. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsinopoulos, Christos & Yan, Ji & Sousa, Carlos M.P., 2019. "Abandoning innovation activities and performance: The moderating role of openness," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 1399-1411.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:48:y:2019:i:6:p:1399-1411
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2019.02.005
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    5. HANEDA Shoko & IKEDA Yuya, 2019. "Determinants of Staged Project Management and Success in Innovation: Empirical Analysis based on the Japanese National Innovation Survey," Discussion papers 19094, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    6. González-Moreno, Ángela & Triguero, Ángela & Sáez-Martínez, Francisco José, 2019. "Many or trusted partners for eco-innovation? The influence of breadth and depth of firms' knowledge network in the food sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 51-62.
    7. James H. Love & Stephen Roper & Priit Vahter, 2020. "Do Firms Really Learn From Failure? The Dynamics Of Abandoned Innovation," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 124, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    8. Yu-Chun Chen & Min-Nan Chen, 2020. "Social Trust and Open Innovation in an Informal Economy: The Emergence of Shenzhen Mobile Phone Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, January.
    9. Almodóvar, Paloma & Nguyen, Quyen T.K., 2022. "Product innovation of domestic firms versus foreign MNE subsidiaries: The role of external knowledge sources," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
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