Abstract
This research examines how national culture influences the success of organizations in open innovation (OI). Despite the growing attention to the importance of national culture in shaping organizations' innovation activities, there is limited research that has linked national culture with OI to explain the variances in innovation performance. In order to address this gap, a meta-analysis is undertaken based on data from 1,460,700 firms and sub-firm units in 111 studies published from 2003 to 2019. This research finds strong evidence that national culture influences the relationship between OI and innovation performance not only in a linear manner as conventionally thought, but also in a curvilinear pattern. Specifically, out of the six Hofstede's national culture dimensions, four influence the OI-performance relationship in a curvilinear manner (individualism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence), and the remaining two have either a liner (power distance) or insignificant (masculinity) impact on the OI-performance relationship. This research challenges the traditional linearity assumption of national culture's impact, enriches current understanding of the complexity and nuances of the OI-performance relationship, and provides practical implications for the effective management of OI projects across national borders.
