IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/123400.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Joint forces: Towards an integration of intellectual capital theory and the open innovation paradigm

Author

Listed:
  • Barrena Martinez, Jesus
  • Criceli, Livio
  • Ferrándiz, Esther
  • Greco, Marco
  • Grimaldi, Michele

Abstract

Intellectual capital (IC) is among the most long-lived topics in managerial literature. More recently, the emergence of the open innovation (OI) paradigm has encouraged the understanding that firms should collaborate with other organizations to leverage their own R&D capabilities. We propose that these two streams of managerial literature should join forces since the OI paradigm could be considered an approach to innovation with foundations in relational capital, facilitated by an appropriate level of human and structural capital. Surprisingly, only a few researchers have put IC and OI into relation. Therefore, this paper has two main goals: providing a theoretical model that synoptically presents how IC and OI overlap and testing the theoretical model by analyzing how firms’ IC affects OI-related performance. We analyze a sample of 3744 Spanish firms. We find that the three IC constructs positively affect OI performance, with relational and human capital subject to diminishing returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Barrena Martinez, Jesus & Criceli, Livio & Ferrándiz, Esther & Greco, Marco & Grimaldi, Michele, 2020. "Joint forces: Towards an integration of intellectual capital theory and the open innovation paradigm," MPRA Paper 123400, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:123400
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/123400/1/MPRA_paper_123400.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Valentina Lazzarotti & Raffaella Manzini & Anna Nosella & Luisa Pellegrini, 2016. "Collaboration with scientific partners: the mediating role of managerial mechanisms," International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 13(2/3), pages 216-237.
    2. Harison, Elad & Koski, Heli, 2010. "Applying open innovation in business strategies: Evidence from Finnish software firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 351-359, April.
    3. Jo Thori Lind & Halvor Mehlum, 2010. "With or Without U? The Appropriate Test for a U‐Shaped Relationship," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 72(1), pages 109-118, February.
    4. Xie, Xuemei & Zou, Hailiang & Qi, Guoyou, 2018. "Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: A multi-mediating analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 289-297.
    5. Livio Cricelli & Marco Greco & Michele Grimaldi, 2013. "The assessment of the intellectual capital impact on the value creation process: a decision support framework for top management," International Journal of Management and Decision Making, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(2), pages 146-164.
    6. Heidenreich, Martin, 2009. "Innovation patterns and location of European low- and medium-technology industries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 483-494, April.
    7. Fabrizio, Kira R., 2009. "Absorptive capacity and the search for innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 255-267, March.
    8. Martine R. Haas & Morten T. Hansen, 2005. "When using knowledge can hurt performance: the value of organizational capabilities in a management consulting company," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 1-24, January.
    9. De Marchi, Valentina, 2012. "Environmental innovation and R&D cooperation: Empirical evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 614-623.
    10. Daria Podmetina & Daria Volchek & Justyna Dąbrowska & Irina Fiegenbaum, 2013. "Human Resource Practices And Open Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(06), pages 1-22.
    11. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    12. Jaider Vega-Jurado & Antonio Gutiérrez-Gracia & Ignacio Fernández-de-Lucio, 2009. "Does external knowledge sourcing matter for innovation? Evidence from the Spanish manufacturing industry," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 18(4), pages 637-670, August.
    13. Teixeira, Aurora A.C. & Tavares-Lehmann, Ana Teresa, 2014. "Human capital intensity in technology-based firms located in Portugal: Does foreign ownership matter?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 737-748.
    14. Kianto, Aino & Sáenz, Josune & Aramburu, Nekane, 2017. "Knowledge-based human resource management practices, intellectual capital and innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 11-20.
    15. Ari Jantunen, 2005. "Knowledge‐processing capabilities and innovative performance: an empirical study," European Journal of Innovation Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(3), pages 336-349, September.
    16. Rogo, Francesco & Cricelli, Livio & Grimaldi, Michele, 2014. "Assessing the performance of open innovation practices: A case study of a community of innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 60-80.
    17. Greco, Marco & Grimaldi, Michele & Cricelli, Livio, 2016. "An analysis of the open innovation effect on firm performance," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 501-516.
    18. Garcia Martinez, Marian & Zouaghi, Ferdaous & Sanchez Garcia, Mercedes, 2017. "Capturing value from alliance portfolio diversity: The mediating role of R&D human capital in high and low tech industries," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 55-67.
    19. Aija Leiponen, 2012. "The benefits of R&D and breadth in innovation strategies: a comparison of Finnish service and manufacturing firms," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(5), pages 1255-1281, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Barrena-Martínez, Jesús & Cricelli, Livio & Ferrándiz, Esther & Greco, Marco & Grimaldi, Michele, 2020. "Joint forces: Towards an integration of intellectual capital theory and the open innovation paradigm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 261-270.
    2. Cricelli, Livio & Greco, Marco & Grimaldi, Michele, 2021. "An investigation on the effect of inter-organizational collaboration on reverse logistics," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    3. Zouaghi, Ferdaous & Sánchez, Mercedes & Martínez, Marian García, 2018. "Did the global financial crisis impact firms' innovation performance? The role of internal and external knowledge capabilities in high and low tech industries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 92-104.
    4. Livio Cricelli & Marco Greco & Michele Grimaldi, 2016. "Assessing The Open Innovation Trends By Means Of The Eurostat Community Innovation Survey," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(03), pages 1-30, April.
    5. Qinwei Cao & Peng Xie & Meng Jiao & Wanchun Duan, 2021. "The larger scientific and technological human scale, the better innovation effect? Evidence from key universities in China," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 5623-5649, July.
    6. Shuman Zhang & Changhong Yuan & Chen Han, 2020. "Industry–university–research alliance portfolio size and firm performance: the contingent role of political connections," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1505-1534, October.
    7. Greco, Marco & Locatelli, Giorgio & Lisi, Stefano, 2017. "Open innovation in the power & energy sector: Bringing together government policies, companies’ interests, and academic essence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 316-324.
    8. Lu, Qinli & Chesbrough, Henry, 2022. "Measuring open innovation practices through topic modelling: Revisiting their impact on firm financial performance," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    9. Greco, Marco & Grimaldi, Michele & Cricelli, Livio, 2016. "An analysis of the open innovation effect on firm performance," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 501-516.
    10. Enrique Acebo & José-Ángel Miguel-Dávila & Mariano Nieto, 2021. "The Impact of University–Industry Relationships on Firms’ Performance: A Meta-Regression Analysis," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 276-293.
    11. Rong Li & Yi-Fei Du & Hong-Juan Tang & Francis Boadu & Min Xue, 2019. "MNEs’ Subsidiary HRM Practices and Firm Innovative Performance: A Tacit Knowledge Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, March.
    12. Siying Long & Zhongju Liao, 2021. "Are fiscal policy incentives effective in stimulating firms' eco‐product innovation? The moderating role of dynamic capabilities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3095-3104, November.
    13. Sun, Xiuli & Li, Haizheng & Ghosal, Vivek, 2020. "Firm-level human capital and innovation: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    14. Effelsberg, Martin, 2011. "Wissenstransfer in Innovationskooperationen: Ergebnisse einer Literaturstudie zur "Absorptive Capacity"," Arbeitspapiere 107, University of Münster, Institute for Cooperatives.
    15. Feng Zhang & Guohua Jiang, 2019. "Combination of Complementary Technological Knowledge to Generate “Hard to Imitate” Technologies," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(02), pages 1-24, June.
    16. Shuting Chen & Dengke Yu, 2024. "What Drives Business Model Innovation? Exploring the Role of Knowledge Management Capability in Chinese Top-Ranking Innovative Enterprises," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 6390-6424, June.
    17. Caloghirou, Yannis & Giotopoulos, Ioannis & Kontolaimou, Alexandra & Korra, Efthymia & Tsakanikas, Aggelos, 2021. "Industry-university knowledge flows and product innovation: How do knowledge stocks and crisis matter?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(3).
    18. De Marchi, Valentina, 2012. "Environmental innovation and R&D cooperation: Empirical evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 614-623.
    19. Fernando Muñoz-Bullón & Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno & Alfredo De Massis, 2020. "Combining Internal and External R&D: The Effects on Innovation Performance in Family and Nonfamily Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(5), pages 996-1031, September.
    20. Muhammad Nouman & Mohammad Sohail Yunis & Muhammad Atiq & Owais Mufti & Abdul Qadus, 2022. "‘The Forgotten Sector’: An Integrative Framework for Future Research on Low- and Medium-Technology Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intellectual capital; Open innovation; Innovation performance; Human capital; Relational capital; Structural capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:pra:mprapa:123400. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    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.