Amy Huang

Integrating the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity model in human resource management with the eclectic paradigm in international business research, we examine the role of country-level human capital development in the high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance (OP) association. We posit that there is a substitution relationship between country-level human capital development and organization-level HPWS in shaping OP. HPWS generates a stronger effect on OP in countries with a lower level of human capital development and thus a greater need for HPWS to boost performance. Training & development plays a key role in turning human capital available in a country into talent resources useful in an organization, thereby strengthening the HPWS-OP association. This role is stronger in countries with a lower level of human capital development. We conduct meta-analyses of 56,868 business entities from 20 countries/regions in 232 samples from 1994 to April 2024, and find evidence to support our arguments.

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.

In previous research, open innovation (OI) has been considered to be driven by the need for new or advanced technologies unavailable within a firm, and to be a process with the risk of leaking intellectual property to competitors. Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper contends that OI increases causal ambiguity and social complexity of the innovation processes, creates imitation barriers to competitors and provides “informal” protection of intellectual property. This informal approach is particularly attractive to firms in developing economies where the formal institutional protection for intellectual property is weak. Thus, contrary to conventional wisdom, the need for intellectual property protection (IPP) pushes firms to undertake OI. We test this argument against firm-level data from Vietnam and find supporting evidence: the need for IPP is a robust driver for OI regardless of whether the firm is located in a more competitive or less competitive context. Furthermore, the need for IPP is a stronger driver for small firms than for larger firms.

Existing research has produced mixed, inconclusive, and even conflicting findings on the impact of open innovation (OI) on innovation output. This article takes a meta-analysis approach, systematically reviews the existent literature to identify the main contextual factors, and statistically tests the significance of these factors in influencing the effect of OI on innovation output. Based on the data of 139 studies published by 2020, this article demonstrates that 1) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in coupled OI (a combination of inbound and outbound OI) than the inbound or outbound OI alone; 2) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in developing than developed countries; 3) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output at subfirm than firm level; and 4) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in service than manufacturing industries. The findings have important implications for managers, researchers, and policy-makers.

Using the meta-analysis technique, this research comprehensively reviews the existing open innovation (OI) literature, systematically aggregates empirical findings on the impact of OI on performance to identify key moderators and statistically tests the significance of these moderators in influencing the OI–performance relationship. Based on a comprehensive dataset of 2,377,123 firms and sub-firm units in 171 studies published from 2003 to 2018, this research demonstrates that the OI–performance relationship is significantly moderated by three key factors: performance measure, OI approach, and level of analysis. This research helps explain the conflicting findings regarding the OI–performance relationship in the existing literature, and contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of OI practice.

Nonaka's SECI model provides a clear demonstration of the continual cycle of knowledge creation and conversion within an organisation. However, the knowledge flows and exchanges across the organisational boundary have not been systematically taken into account. In order to address this limitation, this paper develops a revised knowledge creation model that includes such extensions as the acquisition of explicit knowledge through purchasing or collaborative arrangements (knowledge inflows); acquisition of tacit knowledge through interaction between the organisation and its stakeholders and learning-by-hiring (knowledge inflows); deliberate knowledge leakages through selling, licensing-out or spinning-off unused technologies and by-products (knowledge outflows); and unintended knowledge spillovers due to the mobility of skilled workers (knowledge outflows). This extended knowledge creation and conversion model aims to provide today's managers with a clearer picture of opportunities for knowledge creation and sharing within and across organisations based on inter-organisational knowledge flows and open innovation principles.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose alternative ways to develop and leverage organisational knowledge by considering the nexus of data managed by information and communications technologies and the expertise of human capacity. In doing so this paper challenges current understanding of tacit–explicit knowledge boundaries and presents a third dimension of knowledge which can be developed as a strategic organisational resource. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper seeks to extend current understanding of knowledge and presents the organisational knowledge nexus as a confluence of information, knowledge resources and human potential. Knowledge management is explored through the theoretical frameworks of the knowledge nexus and a model of triadic knowledge. Their conceptualisation and development are discussed and illustrated. Findings This research suggests the potential for organisational knowledge resources to be advanced is greater, if organisations can strategically use the knowledge nexus with a triadic perspective of knowledge. A framework for knowledge development with increasing levels of insight is proposed. Research limitations/implications As a novel conceptual work this research has limitations of newness. It presents a challenge to conventional thinking because of the subliminal nature of latent knowledge and the causal ambiguity of its development process in the knowledge nexus. The potential of latent knowledge and its transition process in the organisational knowledge nexus has significant implications for organisational knowledge development. Originality/value The concepts of latent knowledge, the knowledge nexus and their potential ability to develop and leverage organisational knowledge resources presents a paradigm shift to currently accepted understanding of knowledge systems and organisational knowledge management. The originality and value of this work comes through its contribution to broadening our understanding of the scope and potential of organisational knowledge resources and their processes of transition and development.

Purpose: This paper aims to address the limitations of current knowledge management (KM) models by presenting a strategic knowledge management (SKM) framework based on a unique configuration of literature concerned with optimising learning and knowledge creation at the interface between human (soft) and information and communication technology (hard) networks. Design/methodology/approach: This paper revisits the key tenets and most frequently cited models in the existing literature, summarises their common elements, clarifies the interrelationships between the hard and soft KM processes and practices and systemically incorporates these previously separate and independent elements into a new integrated conceptual framework. Then, it identifies key organisational factors which could facilitate this integration and leverage the value generated from different systems embedded in this model. Findings: The paper highlights the key elements and applications of a new SKM conceptual model for actively and purposefully integrating explicit and tacit knowledge embedded within organisation systems and broader social and business intelligence networks. Practical implications: The application of the thinking, organising principles and management practices derived from the SKM framework with its unique characteristics that are hard to substitute or imitate may support improvement and/or innovation of processes, products, services and brands contributing to sustainable competitive advantage of the firm. Originality/value: While both hard and soft KM systems have been individually identified by previous studies as integral to KM, the research is amongst the first attempts to explore how to integrate both systems within a strategic KM framework with supporting organisational design principles for creating firm competitive advantage.

While ‘open innovation’ is often considered to be an organisational strategy with universal application, its generalisability and applicability to organisations operating within emerging economies has yet to be fully explored. This study provides empirical evidence of its importance within a substantial sample of Chinese large firms and small and medium enterprises. Using Tobit regression analysis, our findings indicate that external knowledge sources from inter-firm networking are more important in creating the benefits of open innovation for Chinese small and medium enterprises than their larger peers. Linkages to university and research institutes generally have few direct effects on the innovation performance of both large and small firms in China. However, the role of universities and research institutes is shown to be important among our large firm sample when combined with evident internal absorptive capacity. This interaction is generally limited to our large firm sample, and is not as evident among small firms. Our study indicates that the barriers to the adoption of open innovation by Chinese firms might be largely related to the comparatively weak domestic research expertise and limited organisational absorptive capabilities, with this most particularly evident for small and medium enterprises. These findings suggest that, based on this evidence, there is no need for emerging economies like China to mimic the emergence path from closed to open innovation followed by developed countries. Chinese firms will be more likely to garner the benefits available from openness when they develop the capabilities required to identify, assimilate and commercialise knowledge and technologies obtained from external sources.

The adoption of open innovation creates a dilemma for firms. On one hand, a commitment to openness facilitates the flow of knowledge between firms, with this flow (generally) unconstrained by royalties and other appropriation mechanisms. However, openness has also led to unintended knowledge spillovers, limiting firms’ abilities to protect their core knowledge. This dilemma has created a need to consider the relationship between openness and firms’ appropriability regimes. In order to explore this “paradox of openness,” an investigation of the appropriability regimes adopted by Australian firms through an empirical analysis of innovation-related data from 4 322 businesses was undertaken. It was found that the relationship between two indicators of openness (the breadth of external knowledge sources and the scope of interorganizational collaborations) and the scope of appropriability regimes employed by a firm exhibits a nonlinear inverse-U (∩) form. The results also indicated that open innovators actually increase controls on their intellectual property through informal appropriability regimes rather than loosening appropriability mechanisms to promote knowledge spillovers as open innovation theories suggest.