China's New Energy Vehicle (NEV) industry has typical characteristics in the development of global manufacturing and has achieved remarkable results. This study employs the Quadruple Helix model to analyze and explain the complex dynamics of China's NEV industry, revealing the roles and interactions of multiple innovation entities, including the government, industry, the market, and universities, in the industry's development. The study finds that the Chinese government plays a key driving role in the early stage, accurately designing and adjusting the development direction of the industry by determining the technology roadmap, building R&D platforms, formulating marketing strategies, and technology policies. As the market matures, the government's role has gradually shifted from direct financial incentives to establishing a sustainable long-term mechanism to ensure the stable growth of the industry. This sustained but flexible involvement of the government ensures the continuity of industrial policy and the dynamic adaptability of the market. Through empirical analysis and case study, this study points out that government-led collaborative innovation and the continuous enhancement of local R&D capabilities are crucial driving forces for the industry's evolution. This study aims to provide theoretical and practical insights for the development of the global automotive industry and offer valuable experiences and references for other countries in the development of the NEV sector.
How do video game developers balance the pursuit of creative freedom with the demands of market responsiveness? Based on 62 in-depth qualitative interviews with Swedish game developers, this article advances a theory of individual ambidexterity in the creative digital industries. We identify two core dimensions: creative autonomy, characterized by experimental playfulness, personal vision and independence, and resistance to market conformity, and market alignment, marked by responsive iteration, stakeholder engagement, and commercial mobilization. Rather than operating as simple trade-offs, these dimensions constitute generative tensions that developers actively navigate and leverage. The study contributes to research on ambidexterity and paradox theory in innovation management by showing that contradictory demands in creative work are managed not only through structural and temporal separation but also through emergent, situated practices that allow creative intent and market logic to dynamically interpenetrate. By conceptualizing ambidexterity as a contextually enacted individual capability shaped by cognitive reframing, the study offers a practice-based perspective on innovation in R&D-intensive, culturally embedded sectors. These insights have important implications for how organizations structure autonomy, engage users, and sustain creative innovation under commercial constraints.
This study examines the role of domain knowledge diversity within corporate R&D teams and its impact on the development of significant innovations in the Climate Change Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) sector. The research emphasizes the moderating effects of team size, embeddedness, and interconnectivity on the relationship between domain knowledge diversity and high-impact innovations. Analyzing 10,293 CCMT patents filed with the USPTO by 28 Japanese automotive companies between 1994 and 2016, findings reveal that knowledge diversity is crucial for impactful climate technology innovations, and its benefits are amplified in larger teams with a broader expertise range. Moreover, deeply embedded teams with shared values and trust, combined with higher interconnectivity, effectively leverage domain knowledge diversity to drive premier climate technology innovations. This study contributes to theory in green R&D management by highlighting the importance of domain knowledge diversity in corporate R&D teams for groundbreaking climate technology innovations, demonstrating the advantages of this diversity in larger teams, and elucidating the synergistic dynamics of team embeddedness and inter-team connectivity. Practically, the research suggests that businesses addressing climate change should emphasize domain knowledge diversity and nurture intra-organizational networks to enhance R&D initiatives and foster sustainable advancements.
This research fills the gap identified in the extant literature regarding the relationship between eco-innovation and innovation performance, employing the Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) approach within the configuration theory framework. We analyze data from 2123 innovative manufacturing firms across eight European countries. The results highlight how the combination of product and process eco-innovations, and the firm's internal and external knowledge sources, leads to high innovation performance. Configurations vary significantly with firm size. Small firms benefit from simultaneous engagement in product and process eco-innovation when supported by innovation collaborations. Medium-sized firms benefit from comprehensive investments in their internal knowledge base combined with eco-innovations. Large firms benefit from product eco-innovation combined with R&D investments. This research offers valuable insights into the application of eco-innovation to achieve high innovation performance, providing eco-innovation strategies for managers to focus on sustainable business practices.
Although 5G is considered an enabling technology (ET), subject to ongoing technical improvements and permitting several complementary innovations, its transformative potential and pervasiveness are still limited. The unrealized potential of 5G is particularly burdensome for mobile network operators (MNOs), who have traditionally played a central role in the telecommunications sector. For MNOs, 5G represents a significant opportunity to renew their strategy, especially in light of the substantial investments in spectrum licenses and infrastructure made in recent years. Through an exploratory multiple case study of incumbent MNOs and 5G pioneering end-user companies in Italy, this study puts forward the 5G strategic ambiguity spectrum of MNOs in terms of value proposition, creation, and capture, framed along two main dimensions: (i) the choice between a strategy of technological innovation or servitization; and (ii) the scope of 5G commercialization (narrow vs. broad) across industrial verticals. By merging these two perspectives, which belong to two distinct streams of literature-business models (BMs) and enabling technology-this study offers an original view of the 'strategy in the making' challenges MNOs are currently facing during this shift in technology. We contribute to the open debate concerning technology and business model innovation, highlighting ambiguities in the value architecture that can arise when commercializing an ET, which are not so evident in the existing literature. Finally, three BM archetypes are proposed, based on key determinants of value proposition, creation, and capture, to provide managerial guidance on developing appropriate 5G business models and identifying the main aspects to consider.
Considerable research has established the performance implications of knowledge mobilization through individuals' informal ties. Scholars have also explored how the formal organization and the informal patterns of ties in organizations intermingle. Less is known, however, about how formal organizational elements influence what flows through these informal ties. We develop and test a theory about how granting autonomy in R&D activities impact the type of knowledge individuals choose to acquire from one another through informal ties. In particular, we study knowledge ties among researchers working in an R&D laboratory in a global pharmaceutical company. Results from our analysis show that there is a U-shaped relationship between granted autonomy to researchers in their R&D projects and cross-project knowledge ties. Our findings reveal the nuanced relationship between formal and informal organization, suggesting new implications for the organization of innovative activities within firms.
Recent research seems to have converged on the dark side of gambling preferences, leaving their potential bright side underexplored. Drawing upon gambling research and cumulative prospect theory, this study examines whether and how local gambling preferences contribute to risky green innovation-a quintessential example of corporate rightdoing. Using a sample of publicly listed firms and lottery sales data from China-the world's largest carbon emitter and home to a deeply entrenched gambling culture-we find that firms in regions with higher social acceptance of gambling demonstrate significantly higher levels of green innovation, both in terms of output quantity and technological diversity. Consistent with the predictions of mental accounting theory and threat-rigidity theory, this promotion effect is more evident among firms experiencing performance windfalls and less noticeable among those facing performance shortfalls. These results are robust to numerous tests addressing endogeneity issues, revealing the eco-friendly side of gambling preferences.
Today's innovative management techniques literature emphasizes the process of problem-solving and management. However, whether the utilization of these techniques (IMTU) effectively enhances employee creativity remains an open question. To address this gap, this study develops a measure of IMTU based on existing IMT research. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, we investigate the mechanisms through which IMTU fosters employee creativity, focusing on the mediating roles of knowledge integration capability and creative self-efficacy, with openness to experience as a moderating factor. Using a multisource dataset and a two-wave research design, our findings reveal a positive relationship between IMTU and employee creativity. Both knowledge integration capability and creative self-efficacy act as parallel mediators in this relationship, with their effects being more pronounced among individuals with high openness to experience. The findings of the current study may be of particular interest to enterprise managers and team leaders in organizations.
Trust among partners is increasingly recognized as a key condition for the success of Open Innovation (OI); nevertheless, the research on the topic is still fragmented and partial. On the basis of a systematic literature review, this paper explores trust in OI settings, building an integrated model that connects trust antecedents and consequences in OI contexts and explains the key relationships among identified themes and dimensions. As a complementary goal, this paper aims at generating a new framing for the trust in OI debate, providing several propositions and pointing out future research avenues to push forward the understanding of the topic. To conclude, practical guidelines for interested OI professionals are described to foster trust and enhance its impact in OI contexts.
As innovation increasingly requires the integration of technological functionality with aesthetic design and user experience, firms benefit from inventors who can operate across both domains. This study investigates dual-domain inventors-those who contribute to both utility and design patents-as a distinct category of innovation talent. While prior research has emphasized technological specialization, less is known about how inventors who bridge design and technology contribute to innovation outcomes. Using a dataset of patents from 3,110 US public firms, we compare the inventive performance of dual-domain inventors to those engaged solely in technology development. The results show that dual-domain inventors produce higher-value patents, particularly when their technological knowledge occupies central positions within the firm's internal knowledge network. These findings underscore the strategic value of integrating design and technology expertise in product development, highlighting how cross-domain capabilities and organizational knowledge positioning jointly enhance innovation outcomes.
The advent of Industry 4.0, marking the fourth industrial revolution, has profoundly transformed business operations and employment landscapes over the last ten years. While extensive research has focused on this shift's technological, organisational, and economic implications, recent sociological and educational studies have begun to explore the crucial role of skills in facilitating the implementation of Industry 4.0, along with the resulting new skill requirements. This paper examines a sample of Italian manufacturing firms that have adopted Industry 4.0 technologies. We draw on Skill-Biased Technological Change theory to reflect on the relationship between technological change and the emerging skill needs within the firm. Additionally, we investigate the role of state incentives in guiding technological adoption and the subsequent development of skills. Moving beyond the dichotomous understanding of skills, our qualitative research enables us to propose an analytical framework presenting three main skills categories and their intersections and integrations, which appear to support I4.0 in our case study firms. Finally, while state incentives promote technological upgrades, adoption, and upskilling, they rarely lead to firms developing entirely new skill sets.
Companies are increasingly aware of the benefits that can come from using big data. Of the various ways firms can make use of big data, in our research we have focused specifically on its use for innovation. As there are still many aspects that need to be clarified in this respect, our study addresses the following research question: how can big data be leveraged for innovation? Through a systematic literature review, we have inductively shown that three aspects emerge as critical in dealing with big data and innovation: (i) big data conceptualization; (ii) big data outcomes; and (iii) contingency factors. Around these aspects, we have mapped the current state of the art on big data and innovation, as well as highlighting interesting future research directions. On the whole, we have sought to advance scientific knowledge and provide useful insights for managers and research centers regarding the best way to leverage big data and innovation.
Open science literature scrutinizes how organizations provide access to knowledge. Yet, much less is known about how organizations pursuing open science for societal impact anticipate knowledge applicability-that shared knowledge is reusable for other organizations and individuals, and enables open social innovation. Mobilizing a practice perspective on open science, we investigate how organizations create knowledge that is applicable for participation and further use. Focusing on vaccine research and development during the COVID-19 pandemic, we zoom in on five organizations that pursue open science with the goal of making vaccines available worldwide. We identify three practices of creating knowledge that the organizations employ when doing open science. They recycle accessible knowledge, mimic vaccine designs, and shortcut parts of the approval processes. Beyond facilitating accessibility, these practices create knowledge to support knowledge applicability: they constitute a relation between knowledge creation and sharing that anticipates multiple contexts for the reuse of knowledge. The paper argues that the resulting 'anticipatory applicability' leverages open science for societal impact.
Strategic managers of SMEs face a number of barriers to successful R&D, and the high cost of funding R&D projects due to their technological uncertainty is a critical one. To alleviate this problem, the UK government introduced R&D tax credits for firms with innovation projects that are scientifically or technologically uncertain in 2000, and this scheme has remained in place ever since. In this paper, we use a large longitudinal SME data set for the UK to test whether R&D tax credits have been successful in stimulating more innovation, whether they have impacted more on process or product innovation, and if they have promoted radical as opposed to incremental innovation. Our findings show that R&D tax credits are associated with product and process innovation, and also radical innovation of both types. It was also the case that the R&D tax credit effect took time to manifest itself in superior innovation outcomes. In general, the positive impact of R&D tax credits in the UK on firm-level innovation is most apparent when firms also leverage external advice specifically related to innovation and strategy.
This article explores the role of digital technologies in innovation ecosystems. Using the systematic literature review (SLR) technique, we have reviewed and analyzed 71 articles published in major innovation journals. Our review was conducted using a comprehensive search strategy, to identify, select, evaluate, and synthesize pertinent literature on this topic. The findings of this review are categorized into three main sections: (i) quantitative descriptive analysis—highlighting existing research profile, (ii) thematic content analysis—delineating extant literature into key streams and presenting a comprehensive synthesis, and (iii) critical analysis—highlighting knowledge gaps in the current literature and to set a future research agenda by developing specific research questions. We contribute to the innovation literature by developing a synthesized framework that provides a bird's eye view at the intersection of digital technologies and the innovation ecosystem. The findings of this review provide novel insights into how digital technologies can be effectively used to support innovation ecosystems as well as the challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize their potential.
There is a major promise in the fusion of the circular economy (CE) principles with digital technologies—such as internet-of-things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain—in transforming innovation, sustainability, and industrial practices. This editorial article discusses this intersection and introduces a special issue dedicated to exploring how digital technologies enable the business transition towards the CE in a variety of ways. We initially provide an overview of the context, scope, and perspectives of this special issue. The discussions in the papers illustrate a breadth of theoretical perspectives and practical approaches considered by the academic community in addressing real-world phenomena related to CE and digital technology-enabled innovation. Furthermore, we propose a single integrative conceptual framework of the CE and digital technologies, encompassing both the multi-level insights from the special issue and future research opportunities. This unified framework is structured along macro (ecosystem/supply chain), meso (organisational), and micro (individual/product) levels, highlighting key findings as well as open research avenues.
Project failures are common in innovative organizations, and mitigating the negative consequences on R&D employees' job attitudes and outcomes is a critical managerial task. While prior research has emphasized the motivational costs and coping mechanisms associated with experiencing personal project failure, the demotivational impact of working in environments where others' projects frequently fail, and how such effects can be mitigated, remains underexplored. Drawing on job demands-resources theory, we conceptualize a perceived failure context as a hindrance demand that impairs R&D employees' work engagement and, in turn, job satisfaction. We further examine managerial responsibility and individual failure experience as key job and personal resources that buffer these negative effects. Using data from 437 R&D employees across 49 innovative organizations, we find that perceived failure contexts lower work engagement and indirectly reduce job satisfaction but that R&D employees with managerial responsibility or individual failure experience are less affected. Our findings contribute to the literature on failure, work engagement, and critical resources in innovation contexts.
Companies constantly seek new ways to innovate and integrate external knowledge into their innovation processes. In the era of makerspaces, a new source for collaborative innovation has evolved. As research shows, the users of makerspaces, so-called makers, tend to be highly creative and innovative. That makes this tech-savvy community very promising for companies to collaborate with during innovation processes. Prior research revealed that makers and companies are open to collaboration. However, we still know little about how makers can be engaged in corporate innovation processes and in which phases they are interested in collaborating. Our quantitative study of N = 428 makers addresses this research gap and explicitly examines the collaboration motives of makers concerning new product development processes with companies. We find four distinct maker types that differ in their collaboration motives: Co-Creation Appreciators, Knowledge Hunters, Opportunity Maximizers, and Reward Seekers.
The ongoing megatrend of digitalization has transformed how organizations innovate with their stakeholders, building on the prevalence of Big Data (BD), Open Data (OD), and Open Innovation (OI). Since the involvement of external actors is a common feature across these three phenomena, this special issue gathered contributions to understand their interplay and dynamics. Indeed, data are a valuable source for organizational innovation capacity, value creation, and value capture, representing possible inputs for OI. At the same time, OI practices, which emphasize knowledge exchange beyond organizational boundaries, also serve as mechanisms through which data can be acquired, generated, shared, and refined. In this sense, BD and OD can also originate from OI, as outputs of collaborative innovation processes in data-rich ecosystems. This bidirectional relationship between data and open and collaborative innovation demonstrates a new digital frontier for innovation activities. Yet, the current literature has only recently started to make sense of the distinctiveness of the new data-driven and data-enabled OI landscape. The individual studies published in the special issue adopt diverse methodologies and settings towards filling this gap. In this editorial, in addition to summarizing the special issue contributions, we develop a conceptual framework of “Open Innovation and the Convergence of Big and Open Data”, highlighting how the joint and contingent implementation of BD/OD and OI can lead to new and expended innovation outcomes and opportunities. The editorial concludes by outlining future research directions, calling for more empirical work across varied organizational contexts to deepen understanding of this intersection and guide managerial practice in leveraging BD/OD and OI in a mutually reinforcing manner.
