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What we know about open innovation, unresolved issues, and a checklist for future research

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  • Keld Laursen

    (Copenhagen Business School)

  • Ammon Salter

    (The University of Warwick)

Abstract

We synthesize and provide a critical overview of the set of quantitative papers on open innovation which have had an influence on analyses of open innovation in a corporate strategy context. We categorize the literature into (a) firms’ external search and knowledge sourcing activities, (b) absorptive capacity, and (c) appropriability. We discuss the firm and individual level contributions to each of these literature streams, identifying those contributions specific to knowledge about open innovation and unresolved issues which represent future research opportunities. In addition, we try to draw some lessons in terms of future challenges for open innovation research in relation to the growth and influence of this domain. Specifically, we discuss some specific problems related to the robustness, validity, reliability, and causal identification of open innovation research, and how these might be overcome through a new research approach. We conclude by proposing a checklist for future quantitative empirical studies of open innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Keld Laursen & Ammon Salter, 2023. "What we know about open innovation, unresolved issues, and a checklist for future research," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(4), pages 743-764, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolin:v:50:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s40812-023-00283-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s40812-023-00283-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Open innovation; Critical overview; External search; Absorptive capacity; Appropriability; The future of open innovation research;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O36 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Open Innovation

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