The adoption of electric vehicles into the so-called mass market across European countries reveals significant disparities, with Germany lagging behind peers such as Sweden and the Netherlands. This research investigates the challenges of transitioning new technology, exemplified by electric vehicles, to be adopted by the early and late majority through the lens of Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory. Following the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study reveals that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and risk mitigation significantly influence the behavioral intention to adopt electric vehicles among the early and late majority. This study incorporates novel risk mitigation strategies combined in the non-ownership business model carsharing for electric vehicles, to address perceived financial and functional risks associated with the adoption of electric vehicles, relevant for the targeted adoption group. The data was collected from 519 representatives of the early and late majority sample in Germany. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of perceived risks and suitable risk mitigation strategies in technology adoption and offers insights into new distinct characteristics of the early and late majority adoption group, relevant to improve the accuracy of forecasting models aimed at predicting technology diffusion.

Institutional openness is becoming increasingly popular in practice and academia: open innovation, open R&D and open business models. Our special issue builds on the concepts, underlying assumptions and implications discussed in two previous R&D Management special issues (2006, 2009). This overview indicates nine perspectives needed to develop an open innovation theory more fully. It also assesses some of the recent evidence that has come to light about open innovation, in theory and in practice.

Recent advancements in information technology are profoundly impacting a variety of business functions across different industries. R&D and strategic renewal, as critical drivers of organisational innovation, are particularly influenced by these tectonic shifts in the technological landscape. In response, there has been a growing interest among business academics and practitioners in understanding how these technologies can be leveraged to maximise benefits and foster the creation of new value in organisations. This editorial paper proposes a moderated mediation model that provides a comprehensive view of the connections between IT-related antecedents and outcomes in R&D, strategic renewal, and innovation performance. Through this model, we elucidate the pathways through which IT impacts organisational processes and identify key areas for future research. Additionally, we introduce six papers published in this special issue that explore these themes across various contexts, contributing to the discourse on the strategic implications of IT in digital transformation and business sustainability.

R&D ManagementVolume 50, Issue 1 p. 161-168 Editorial Exploring open innovation in the digital age: A maturity model and future research directions Ellen Enkel, Corresponding Author Ellen Enkel ellen.enkel@uni-due.de University of Duisburg-Essen, Bismarckstr. 90, 47057 Duisburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorMarcel Bogers, Marcel Bogers marcel@ifro.ku.dk University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of California, Berkeley, California, USASearch for more papers by this authorHenry Chesbrough, Henry Chesbrough chesbrou@berkeley.edu University of California, Berkeley, California, USA Luiss University, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this author Ellen Enkel, Corresponding Author Ellen Enkel ellen.enkel@uni-due.de University of Duisburg-Essen, Bismarckstr. 90, 47057 Duisburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorMarcel Bogers, Marcel Bogers marcel@ifro.ku.dk University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark University of California, Berkeley, California, USASearch for more papers by this authorHenry Chesbrough, Henry Chesbrough chesbrou@berkeley.edu University of California, Berkeley, California, USA Luiss University, Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: 23 January 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12397Citations: 53Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume50, Issue1Special Issue: Open Innovation in the Digital AgeJanuary 2020Pages 161-168 RelatedInformation

Today, firms encounter scarce resources and rapid technology change which render formerly successful business models obsolete. Research shows that some firms perform better than others in continuously discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities in volatile environments and that this is dependent on firm’s dynamic capabilities. Besides obtaining dynamic capabilities through internal R&D activities, firms have open up their innovation process to pursue dynamic capabilities outside their organizational boundaries through external corporate venturing by accessing startup's technological capabilities necessary to innovate. External corporate venturing is a means to develop new distinctive capabilities and businesses by exploring and exploiting business opportunities outside a firm’s existing boundaries. Drawing on the dynamic capability literature, we use a multiple case study approach to examine the contribution of external corporate venturing to firms’ dynamic capabilities. Our results reveal that firms indeed use corporate venturing to identify and exploit startup’s technological knowledge and competencies to increase firm’s dynamic capabilities. But our empirical data also shows that not every firm is fully profiting from all dynamic capability phases as their corporate venturing modes are not linked with each other and cumulative effects are not realized.

Corporate venturing has become a vehicle to access distributed knowledge and transform it into new business opportunities. Drawing on absorptive capacity, ambidexterity, and corporate venturing literature, we use a multiple case-study approach to examine the relationship between firms’ absorptive capacity and learning outcomes regarding exploration and exploitation. Our case study of 15 startup programs and their various setups to acquire knowledge shows that we can categorize firms’ engagement with startups regarding the firm’s overall objective, mediating organization's absorptive capacity, and the learning outcomes with regards to exploration and exploitation. We contribute by identifying new ways of explorative and exploitative learning by integrating startups´ knowledge and significantly expand our knowledge about absorptive capacity and ambidexterity in the light of startup collaboration.

Digitalization has led to a knowledge explosion which has fundamentally changed knowledge management. Moreover, the increasing convergence of technologies as well as decreasing innovation cycles are forcing companies to access and exploit knowledge more quickly to remain competitive. Consequently, organizations face the permanent challenge of absorbing external knowledge to create innovation and thus competitive advantage. Nearly 15 years ago, Jansen, Van Den Bosch, and Volberda (2005) developed a concept supporting companies’ knowledge management by linking social integration mechanisms such as socialization and connectedness with the concept of absorptive capacity to explain how the transformation and exploitation of external knowledge (realized absorptive capacity) can be supported. However, Jansen et al. (2005) were unable to prove the relationship of social integration mechanisms and the acquisition and assimilation of external knowledge (potential absorptive capacity), which is required to fully benefit from external knowledge. Using Jansen et al. (2005) concept as our foundation and incorporating recent findings on social integration mechanisms, such as internal and external connectedness and systematic communication, as well as applying the second-generation technique of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we, for the first time, identify supporting antecedents for all components of absorptive capacity. Based on survey data from 124 industrial firms, our work is the first to propose and empirically demonstrate that social integration mechanisms affect the development of an organization’s potential and realized absorptive capacity.

While high technological distance to project partners outside of the established value chain can positively influence innovation performance, project goals can only be achieved if the social integration of project members is improved in terms of coordination and communication. This paper draws on embeddedness and absorptive capacity literature to explore how social integration mechanisms translate into different learning outcomes in distant collaborations within and across organizational boundaries. Drawing upon expert interviews with project members as our primary source of data, we conducted an in-depth multiple case study analysis of a number of inter-organizational projects. Our findings indicate that the effect of different types of social integration mechanisms on learning outcomes also affect the ability to bridge distances in process and product technology. Moreover, they suggest that it is not just the extent, but also the interplay of social integration mechanisms surrounding internal and external absorptive capacity routines that enable project members to engage in the exploration, transformation and exploitation of distant knowledge. In examining how social integration mechanisms foster learning outcome in distant collaborations, our study contributes to the literature on absorptive capacity.

Individuals are considered the frontline that allows firms to learn from external sources. However, a firm can only benefit from individual efforts if it understands to what extent the dimensions of individual-level absorptive capacity are related to its innovation strategy. A firm's innovation strategy is characterized by the notions of exploration and exploitation, which result in either radical or incremental innovation. This study examines the driving factors of individual-level absorptive capacity regarding a firm's exploration versus exploitation strategy. Using quantitative data from 104 individuals, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted, verifying individuals' competencies in identifying external knowledge as a trigger for both exploratory and exploitative innovation. Consequently, these specific abilities also contribute to organizational ambidexterity. Furthermore, the results show the dichotomous contribution of individual competencies in assimilating external knowledge. While exploratory innovation thrives with individual assimilation efforts, realization of exploitative innovation is not significantly related to these efforts. Ultimately, individuals' competencies in utilizing external knowledge are significantly related to neither exploratory nor exploitative innovation. Moreover, this study provides means for managers to systematically position individuals in the external search process.

In Zeiten, in denen Unternehmen immer mehr auf externe Impulsgeber und Innovationspartner angewiesen sind, verändert sich auch die Bedeutung von Kunden und Konsumenten. Der Open-Innovation-Ansatz beschreibt die strategische Einbindung externer Ressourcen in den Innovationsprozess mit dem Ziel, das Unternehmen effizienter und die Innovationsleistung wirksamer zu gestalten. Kunden und Konsumenten werden in diesem Ansatz nicht nur als Ideengeber durch Websites adressiert, sondern sind kompetente Entwicklungspartner (Lead User) oder entwickeln die Produkte oder Dienstleistungen gleich alleine ohne Mithilfe eines Unternehmens (z. B. Open Source). Hierbei werden nicht nur Einzelpersonen, sondern auch Gruppen wie Web-Communities oder zukünftige Kunden in Crowdsourcing-Aktivitäten in den Innovationsprozess eingebunden. In Zukunft ist damit zu rechnen, dass die Unternehmensgrenzen sich weiter auflösen und externe Ressourcen und Partnerschaften weiterhin an Bedeutung für die dynamische Anpassung an sich verändernde Markt- und Umfeldbedingungen zunehmen. Ein Maturitätsmodell für Open Innovation zeigt auf, welche Stadien ein Unternehmen durchlaufen kann und welche internen und externen Einflussfaktoren die Entwicklung bedingen.

Perceived brand innovativeness, the consumers' subjective assessment of a brand as innovative, often does not correspond to the level of innovation or the investment in research and development. Therefore, it is important for companies to know how objective product-level innovation and attributes can be transformed into perceived brand innovativeness. One pilot study and three main studies show that the perceived flagship product innovativeness is an important determinant of perceived brand innovativeness and that product-brand typicality moderates the spillover of the perceived flagship product innovativeness to the brand. The reported studies contribute to a better understanding of the role of flagship products for perceived brand innovativeness and indicate that marketing managers can use the presentation of a flagship product as a key element for increasing perceived brand innovativeness.

Unter dem Titel „Was steht im Fokus der Verbraucherforschung angesichts der Entgrenzungen des Konsums?“ diskutierten die Vortragenden Frau Prof. Dr. Birgit Blättel-Mink, Herr Prof. Dr. Dr. Walter Blocher, Frau Prof. Dr. Ellen Enkel sowie Frau Prof. DDr. Bernadette Kamleitner über die Bedeutung und Entwicklungstendenzen von Entgrenzungsphänomenen. Unter der Moderation von Herrn Prof. Dr. Peter Kenning wurde anhand der drei Ebenen „Deskription“, „Explikation“ und „Normation“ diskutiert, wie ggf. neue Phänomene und Theorien im Rahmen der Verbraucherforschung verortet werden können. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt den Verlauf der Diskussion in wesentlichen Punkten wieder.

To survive and thrive in the long-term, firms are constantly challenged to create new business. In this context, firms are increasingly attracted to the concept of innovation ecosystem. The essence of an innovation ecosystem is the collaborative formation of various partners to combine their individual offerings into a coherent, customer-facing solution. An innovation ecosystem is an evolving phenomenon and comprises both cooperative and competitive structures. Drawing on the dynamic capability literature, we examine the distinctive dynamic capabilities necessary for orchestrating an innovation ecosystem. We develop a framework with four categorical dynamic capabilities: “sensing”, “seizing”, “scaling by partnering” and “managing threats and reconfiguring”. Given the broad connectivity of the underlying topic, our paper provides rich insights for both theory and practice.

II Table of Content III

Industry convergence as a phenomenon forcing organizations to foster more open forms of innovation, such as collaborating with partners from different industries holds high potential for really new innovation. At the same time knowledge originating from a different industry is more difficult to transfer. Accordingly, organizations that are able to develop socialization between collaborating partners, increasing the understanding for one another's values and background, are able to benefit from enhanced knowledge processing. This paper draws on the concept of social integration and open innovation literature to investigate how socialization facilitates knowledge transfer in collaborative innovation. Based on expert interviews, we conduct in-depth case study analyses in six organizations performing innovation across industry boundaries. Our findings illustrate that organizations can develop socialization to facilitate knowledge transfer across industries by implementing innovation practices and routines. Moreover, the results reveal how distinct socialization effects facilitate the internalization of knowledge of a different industry, the externalization of knowledge to a different industry and the combination of knowledge with a partner from a different industry.

Automation with inherent artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly emerging in diverse applications, for instance, autonomous vehicles and medical assistance devices. However, despite their growing use, there is still noticeable skepticism in society regarding these applications. Drawing an analogy from human social interaction, the concept of trust provides a valid foundation for describing the relationship between humans and automation. Accordingly, this paper explores how firms systematically foster trust regarding applied AI. Based on empirical analysis using nine case studies in the transportation and medical technology industries, our study illustrates the dichotomous constitution of trust in applied AI. Concretely, we emphasize the symbiosis of trust in the technology as well as in the innovating firm and its communication about the technology. In doing so, we provide tangible approaches to increase trust in the technology and illustrate the necessity of a democratic development process for applied AI.

This empirical study combines distinct research streams related to personal motivation and open innovation theory to derive motivational factors for individual participation in cross‐industry innovation. We revisited the theory of planned behavior and, based on this, hypothesized that three predictors of behavioral intention, namely attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, affect experts' participation in and contribution to cross‐industry innovation. We applied an integrated qualitative‐quantitative research design and collected qualitative data through a series of face‐to‐face cross‐industry innovation workshops arranged by a company in the chemical industry. This research design enabled us to build a structural model and statistically and hermeneutically test our research construct. The results exhibited that both attitude and perceived behavioral control have a positive influence on external experts' behavioral intention to participate in cross‐industry innovation. In addition, the results revealed the mediating role of behavioral intention between predictors and actual contribution in cross‐industry innovation. Managers who want to initiate cross‐industry innovation within their firms can gain valuable insights regarding which aspects of external experts to investigate when acquiring them for such activities.