Open Access
How many to be different? The role of number and the partner type on innovation performance
(Taylor & Francis, 2022) Ismail, Muhammad; Bello Pintado, Alejandro; García Marco, María Teresa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Collaboration with external partners for innovation is seen as a major driver of novel ideas. Previous studies have revealed the importance of collaboration with different partners on innovation performance; however, many questions regarding this association remain unresolved. This study aims to analyse the effects of collaboration with different types of partners on the innovation performance and how the cognitive distance affects this relationship. This study also distinguishes between incremental and radical innovations as outcomes of cooperation, and provides differing implications for the two innovations types. Based on empirical analyses performed on a sample of 12,000 Spanish firms, we found supportive evidence that both radical and incremental innovation require a distinct number of collaboration partners to optimise innovation performance. Further, relationship between the number of partners and innovation performance is moderated by the cognitive distance between the focal firm and the respective partner: positively for radical innovation and negatively for incremental innovation performance.
Open Access
Aprovechando la diversidad en los equipos de I+D para incrementar el desempeño innovador
(Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, 2021) García Marco, María Teresa; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
En este estudio se analiza el efecto de la diversidad en los equipos de I+D sobre el desempeño innovador tanto de forma individual como cuando interaccionan varias dimensiones de diversidad. Con una base de datos de empresas españolas nuestros resultados muestran que en general la diversidad de los equipos favorece el desempeño innovador. Sin embargo, cuando dos o más dimensiones de diversidad interaccionan conjuntamente dentro de los equipos de I+D el efecto sobre el desempeño innovador, aunque positivo, es menor que cuando solo existe un tipo de diversidad. Los resultados sugieren que un exceso de diversidad conduce a una fragmentación de los equipos de I+D en subgrupos homogéneos (faultlines) que pueden generar conflicto y desconfianza entre los miembros de los equipos de I+D y por lo tanto aminorar el desempeño innovador.
Open Access
Public funds and internal innovation goals as drivers of formal and informal open innovation practices: a European regional comparison
(Emerald, 2018) Cruz Cázares, Claudio; Bayona Sáez, Cristina; García Marco, María Teresa; Berends, Hans; Smits, Armand; Reymen, Isabelle; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
Objetivo: La innovacion abierta (IA) ha demostrado ser crucial para aumentar la innovacion y el desempeno economico de las empresas. Sin embargo todavia existe una comprension limitada de los factores que impulsan realizar esta IA. El principal objetivo de este articulo es arrojar luz en esta direccion al analizar simultaneamente los determinantes internos y externos que llevan a las empresas a realizar practicas formales e informales de IA. Diseño: Las hipotesis son contratadas con muestras de dos regiones europeas, Navarra (Espana), calificada como region seguidora en innovacion, y Noord Brabant (Paises Bajos), lider innovador. La muestra seleccionada incluye empresas manufactureras y de servicios que completaron la Community Innovation Survey (CIS) 2008. Resultados: Los resultados indican que, para los determinantes internos, los motivos relacionados con la busqueda de innovaciones en producto y la intensidad interna de I + D son fuertes impulsores para todas las practicas de IA, mientras que la importancia de los motivos relacionados con la obtencion de innovaciones en proceso y medioambientales dependen del contexto regional. En cuanto a los factores externos, la politica publica influye en la adopcion de IA tanto formal como informal, pero estos resultados varian entre las regiones dependiendo del origen de los fondos. Originalidad/valor El estudio presenta importantes implicaciones para la literatura en IA. En primer lugar, mientras la mayoria de la literatura analiza un unico tipo de practicas de IA, este estudio distingue practicas formales e informales de IA y estudia sus determinantes internos y externos simultaneamente. Segundo, las hipotesis son contrastadas en dos regiones europeas diferentes. Esto permite observar si los resultados obtenidos son robustos independientemente de la localizacion de las empresas o si varian dependiendo del contexto de ambas regiones.
Open Access
Pay to be green? The effect of corporate social responsibility contracting on green innovation performance
(SAGE, 2023) Hou, Yuting; Bello Pintado, Alejandro; García Marco, María Teresa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
This study examines how the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) criteria in executive compensation can improve green innovation performance in European countries. Using agency theory and stakeholder theory, and a database of 5,603 firm-year observations from European companies in the period 2012–2021, we find that CSR aligns the interests of senior executives with the company’s green innovation goals through green compensation contracts. We also explore the indirect effect in this relationship and reveal that the implementation of green practices mediates the impact of CSR contracting on green innovation performance. These findings indicate that CSR contracting as an effective governance mechanism could be strengthened by green practices, such as reducing resource use, water efficiency, energy reuse, emission reduction and pollution prevention. This study offers valuable insights for senior executives and policymakers who wish to manage CSR initiatives and green practices to improve their green innovation performance.
Open Access
Organizational innovation, internal R&D and externally sourced innovation practices: effects on technological innovation outcomes
(Elservier, 2018-07-10) Anzola Román, Paula; Bayona Sáez, Cristina; García Marco, María Teresa; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
This paper focuses on determining how organizational innovation, together with other innovation activities, such as internal and externally sourced innovation practices, influences the probability of obtaining product and process innovations. The research relies on panel data methodology; random effects bivariate and univariate probit models are estimated, as well as the corresponding average marginal effects (AMEs) in order to examine the causal effects. The results confirm the existence of positive effects of internal R&D and externally sourced innovation practices, as well as a positive influence of organizational innovation on the realization of technological innovations. Regarding the enhancing influence of organizational innovation on the effect of internally or externally sourced innovation practices, findings point to a moderating effect only on the probability of obtaining complex technological innovations (product and process innovations, jointly).
Open Access
The link between R&D team diversity and innovative performance: a mediated moderation model
(Elsevier, 2020) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Marco, María Teresa; García Martínez, Marian; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas
This paper examines how diversity dimensions, namely gender, skills and education, in R&D teams interact to drive innovation. Our research supports the hypothesis that surface-level diversity might negatively affect R&D team performance when interacting with deep-level diversity. Further, the study considers the mediating effect of social capital to extract value from diverse R&D teams. Social capital favours social interaction by developing harmonious interpersonal relationships among diverse team members. Research hypotheses were tested using the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2008-2015. Our mediated-moderation model suggests that high diversity in education or skills in gender diverse teams might adversely affect innovation performance, although the mediating role of R&D social capital diminishes this outcome. This study provides valuable insights for managers aiming to benefit from diversity in R&D teams while minimizing the conflict and mistrust associated with excessive diversity.
Open Access
Enhancing open innovation: managing not invented here syndrome in collaborative projects
(Elsevier, 2023) Ismail, Muhammad; Bello Pintado, Alejandro; García Marco, María Teresa; Lazzarotti, Valentina; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Despite having consensus on the negative relationship between individuals’ biased attitude towards externally generated ideas and the applicability of inbound open innovation (OI) as a strategy, we find a gap in the literature regarding how individual unwillingness – not-invented-here syndrome (NIHS) – actually affects the innovation performance achieved through collaboration and what management tools are available to counter it. This study addresses these two questions by testing the relationship between NIHS and innovation performance and the impact of innovation climate as a way to reduce this negative attitude. Based on quantitative survey data collected from 250 firms across France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, we confirm that innovation climate is a useful management tool for managing NIHS by opening individuals towards external ideas, ultimately helping firms to improve their innovation performance through collaboration. Most interestingly, we also find that the impact of NIHS on inbound open innovation performance achieved through a collaborative project is mediated through external social capital rather than having a direct impact. Since external social capital serves as a link between two collaborating firms, it’s weakening caused by NIHS, subsequently leads to reduced project performance achieved through the inbound OI strategy.
Open Access
Navigating firm financial distress in turbulent times: the impact of the institutional context
(Wiley, 2024-08-08) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Marco, María Teresa; García Martínez, Marian; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA2024-11704
This paper explores the impact of environmental practices on firm financial distressduring the COVID-19 pandemic in both emerging and developed countries. Analysinga sample of 12,181 firm observations from 2016 to 2021, our results indicate thatadopting of environmental practices leads to reduced financial distress and morecrisis-resilient economies. The mitigating effect of environmental practices is morepronounced in developed countries. This study provides crucial implications for gov-ernments and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of encouraging firms toadopt environmental practices to reduce the likelihood of default.
Open Access
Technological proximity and the intensity of collaboration along the innovation funnel: direct and joint effects on innovative performance
(Emerald, 2019) Anzola Román, Paula; Bayona Sáez, Cristina; García Marco, María Teresa; Lazzarotti, Valentina; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
Purpose: this paper aims to advance the understanding regarding the profiting of collaborative innovation practices, focusing particularly on how the intensity of collaboration along the innovation process and the relatedness between the partners’ technological bases affect the outcomes of such process in terms of efficiency and generation of technological innovations. Design/methodology/approach: drawing on the results from causal models and the estimation of average marginal effects, this research analyses the direct and joint effect of technological proximity and intensity of collaboration in the early and late phases of the process. Findings: the findings suggest that there is a positive unconditional relationship between the aforementioned aspects and innovative performance and that the joint effects diverge depending on the stage of the process, i.e. while in the early phase collaborating intensely with close partners seems to be advisable, this circumstance proves to be problematic in the late phase of the innovation process. Originality/value: the analysis developed provides clarity regarding relevant aspects of collaborative innovation practices, particularly, the search for and selection of optimal partners. In general terms, the evidence found here suggests seeking for collaborating intensely along the whole process with partners whose technological bases present a tight matchup with that of the focal firm. Results also call for awareness of the potential drawbacks derived from intense collaborations with close partners in the late phases of the process, thus hinting toward the convenience of developing protection mechanisms. In addition, this work provides interesting insights that challenge the notion of 'proximity paradox' and set out further questions that might be worth considering for future research.
Open Access
The influence of CSR orientation on innovative performance: is the effect conditioned to the implementation of organizational practices?
(Springer, 2023) Anzola Román, Paula; García Marco, María Teresa; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Previous research has examined the relationship between CSR and innovation and has suggested that the former might positively affect the latter; however, the impact of CSR on innovation success needs further attention. This study aims to develop a deeper understanding of how environmental and social CSR are related to innovation performance and whether the implementation of organizational practices might moderate this relationship. The results are based on an unbalanced panel of 14,313 observations of 3713 firms covering 2011–2015. Using random-effects probit models and the estimation of average marginal effects (AMEs), this paper contributes to the literature on CSR by explaining how CSR dimensions affect innovation success differently and by addressing how this effect is influenced by organizational innovation. The results show that while environmental CSR orientation proves beneficial for the generation of process innovation, social CSR orientation contributes to the generation of both kinds of technological innovations only when internal organizational practices are implemented. This study provides valuable insights for managers aiming to implement a CSR perspective in their strategies to support the pursuit of innovation.