Designing a multi-division model of national innovation capability promotion based on social network analysis

Purpose This study aims to design a national innovation capability appraisal model. This would indicate Iran’s competitiveness situation among regional countries and suggest factors influencing Iran’s performance promotion. Design/methodology/approach The methodology included four sections: bibliometric analysis to discover intellectual evolution of innovation capability and related concepts; construction of a multi-division structure of national innovation capability according to the clusters extracted from bibliometric results, and experts’ opinions; creating dynamic network data envelope analysis (DEA) according to designed structure, and analysis of Iran’s performance among regional countries; identification and prioritization of the factors extracted from experts’ opinions that improve Iran’s performance in created network using Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method. Findings The contemporary bibliometric analysis by its extracted clusters proved the necessity of a multi-division for measuring national innovation capability performance that each division and indicators of each step were designed according to clusters concepts. In designed structure, dynamic network DEA results revealed the weakness of Iran’s performance in the third division in the transformation of patents and high-tech imports to high-tech and creative exports, which led to proposing improving factors by getting experts’ opinions to enhance Iran’s performance in this division by prioritizing them. Research limitations/implications One of the limitations of this research was that the indicators used in three phases of national innovation capability in DEA were extracted only from the World Intellectual Property Organization database. Another limitation was the number of experts in focus group sessions because due to the difficulty of gathering them in one session, the researchers lost the participation of some of these recognized experts. Also, the research concentration was on the improvement of the third phase of national innovation capability, in which Iran’s performance was weak. Originality/value Creating a relationship between the divisions of dynamic network DEA, as a national innovation capability appraisal model, and the concepts of clusters extracted from reviewing the intellectual structure and evolution of innovation capability and related concepts.

Technology orientation and innovation capability in the digital transformation process of SMEs: A review

From various reviews about innovation, this article will discuss technology orientation and innovation capabilities through digital transformation 4.0 in small businesses. There is a need to examine the relationship between the two from a useful perspective about see toward using various studies related to technology orientation and innovation capabilities in the industrial era 4.0. This study aims to increase understanding of technology orientation and innovation capabilities in the context of small businesses through Digital Transformation 4.0 by reviewing the empirical literature. The articles presented can guide further studies related to technology orientation with innovation capabilities so that it can be easily understood by researchers and entrepreneurs among small businesses.

Enhancing competitive advantage through knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity, and innovation capability

This study analyzes the relationship between knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity, and innovation ability to competitive advantage in Cafe and Modern Restaurant in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study is designed as a quantitative study with primary data obtained through the distribution of questionnaires. The population in this study was 1056 modern cafes and restaurants in Yogyakarta. Purposive sampling was conducted, and a sample of 213 respondents was selected from 89 modern cafes and restaurants in Yogyakarta that have adopted digital and have more than 500 Instagram followers. This study limits the sample to three positions: owner, manager, and supervisor. The data collected were analyzed using the structural equation model method using AMOS 24 software. This study indicates that knowledge sharing is an essential factor in increasing innovation ability and has been shown to significantly affect absorptive capacity and competitive advantage. This research also shows that innovation and absorptive capacity positively affect competitive advantage. The study results may help managers or owners of café and modern restaurants in Yogyakarta improve and develop innovation and competitive advantage in café and modern restaurants through knowledge sharing and absorptive capacity.

Innovation ambidexterity effects on product innovation performance: the mediating role of decentralization

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to analyse the impact of innovation ambidexterity represented by explorative and exploitative innovation capabilities and their combined effects on product innovation performance and to prove the mediating effect of decentralization.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses partial least squares for structural equation models and SmartPLS version 3.3.1 on a sample of 174 Romanian medium- and large-sized firms from the IT industry to test six research hypotheses. To measure innovation ambidexterity, the orthogonal approach was used, conceptualizing innovation ambidexterity as a multidimensional, second-order construct composed of explorative and exploitative innovation capabilities. Innovation ambidexterity was conceptualized as a multiplicative term of both explorative and exploitative innovation capabilities.FindingsThe empirical results prove that innovation ambidexterity is positively correlated with product innovation performance, while decentralization is mediating the impact of innovation ambidexterity on product innovation performance in the IT industry.Research limitations/implicationsThe data was based on self-reported assessments of senior executives. While innovation ambidexterity may influence product innovation performance in the long term, such long-term effects are not assessed. Other studies found a moderating effect between centralization or decentralization and ambidexterity, while we found that it has a mediating effect.Practical implicationsIn the context of innovation capability, the combination of explorative or exploitative capabilities may lead to a better synergy. Innovation ambidexterity influences product innovation performance through a synergistic effect, making the simultaneous combination of capabilities useful for firms willing to make efficient use of existing resources and make their capabilities mutually supportive. Moreover, for senior executives, the effects of decentralization as a mediator provide further incentive to include it in their development of firms' innovation capabilities.Originality/valueThis study extends findings of other studies by contributing to a deeper examination of the effects of decentralization, on innovation outcomes by focusing on a specific type of innovation, product innovation. Moreover, since innovation capability is often studied in small firms or in the manufacturing industry, this study contributes to the research on innovation capability and the consequences on innovation capability in the services sector and medium- and large-sized companies. By proving that decentralization mediates the effects of innovation ambidexterity on product innovation performance, it enables reconsideration of the organizational structure role in fostering innovation.

Antecedents of Product Innovation for Vietnamese SMEs: The Roles of Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture

Innovation capability is regarded the fundamental factor for firms to survive and achieve competitive advantage in the context of increasing competitive pressure. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the impacts of transformational leadership (TL) on innovation product via mediating role of a certain form of organizational culture namely collaborative culture. The paper used Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) to examine the relationship among these latent factors using survey data gathered from 215 participants of 61 medium and small-sized firms in Vietnam. The findings of this study highlight the significant impact of TL on product innovation compared to the impact of collaborative culture on product innovation. This study reveals that collaborative culture significantly serves as a crucial mediator in linking the effects of TL on product innovation. Importantly, the findings of this study have advanced the understanding and brought new initiatives on key antecedents by which CEOs and managers should follow and focus their efforts to improve product innovation capability for Vietnamese SMEs. Keywords: Transformational leadership; Organizational culture; Collaborative culture; Product innovation; Innovation capability