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Operating Successfully on a New Technological Path: The Effect of External Search

Author

Listed:
  • Tobias Stucki

    (Business Department, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 3005 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Martin Woerter

    (ETH Zurich, Swiss Economic Institute (KOF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

Switching to a new technological path is often a serious economic challenge for companies. Incumbents, in particular, are often led by their organizational routines, traditional technological orientation, and experience, and run the risk of losing contact with new technologies, which can decrease their competitiveness. We analyze whether opening up the innovation process to external knowledge partners can help to overcome such path dependence and enable firms to operate successfully on a new technological path. We develop a theoretical concept that shows the potential of external knowledge sources for operating successfully on a new technological path and test it empirically using the example of green technologies. Green technologies are not only relevant for addressing the current environmental problems, but they are also an example of a new technological path that is proving difficult for companies to switch to. Overall, we find strong direct effects of external (green) knowledge on green innovation success. The results even indicate that the direct effect of external knowledge tends to be larger for green than for non-green innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Stucki & Martin Woerter, 2022. "Operating Successfully on a New Technological Path: The Effect of External Search," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-31, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:2:p:957-:d:725308
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    Cited by:

    1. Meng-Jun Hsu & Ming-Chia Hsieh & Emmanuel Kwame Opoku, 2022. "Knowledge Co-Creation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Dual-Regulated Learning Model in Virtual Hospitality Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Janik, Agnieszka & Ryszko, Adam, 2025. "Open innovation and environmental sustainability–A systematic literature review from the firm-level perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    3. Andrea Urbinati & Zahra Shams Esfandabadi & Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, 2023. "Assessing the interplay between Open Innovation and Sustainability‐Oriented Innovation: A systematic literature review and a research agenda," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 1078-1095, July.

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