دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی رهبری دانش شناختی و نوآوری باز: نقش قابلیت مدیریت دانش در شرکت های چند ملیتی - الزویر 2018

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the links between knowledge-oriented leadership, open innovation and knowledge management in the international business context. Open innovation has become crucial for an increasing number of multinational enterprises (MNEs) to gain and maintain competitive advantage and become a market leader. Despite the recent proliferation of papers dealing with open innovation practices of MNEs, there is limited work investigating the role of knowledge management (KM) capability on the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation. Given MNEs’ growing interest in open innovation, the lack of research on knowledge-oriented leadership and KM capability in the open innovation context is a significant research gap in our knowledge. In response, we conducted a study on the mediating role of KM capability in the linkage between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation (inbound and outbound), using data collected from 172 subsidiaries of MNEs based in France. A structural equation modelling approach is employed to study the impact of the latent variables associated with knowledge-oriented leadership and KM capability on open innovation. The results indicate that higher levels of knowledge-oriented leadership can lead to enhanced KM capability and improved open innovation outcomes. That is, knowledge-oriented leadership has a direct, positive impact on KM capability and open innovation. Also, KM capability is found to mediate the linkage between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation. This study provides useful insights for managers who wish to enhance open innovation activities in MNEs, and offers useful guidance to international business scholars, encouraging further research in this area.

7. Conclusion

This paper focuses on the current links between leadership, open innovation and knowledge management in the international business context. Open innovation (OI) has become a valuable means of gaining competitive advantage and enhancing organizational performance. To the best of our knowledge there is limited study that has explored how knowledge-oriented leadership influences innovation in the OI paradigm. Due to rapid changes in technology and market conditions, it has become necessary for MNEs to abandon their traditional innovation models and adopt the OI model. In order to be innovative in today’s world, MNEs are keen to let go off their traditional innovation models and adopt models that are inward as well as outward-looking. As a result, this paper identifies how specific leadership style (knowledge oriented leadership) influence OI and how KM capability of a MNE can affect the associations between leadership styles and OI. In doing so, firms are required to be competent in managing their knowledge resources which can serve as crucial strategic resources for MNEs.

The data collected from the MNEs based in France fully support four hypotheses, which implies that knowledge-oriented leadership and KM capability matter for open innovation in the MNE environment. The study discusses and analyzes the knowledge-oriented leadership that has an impact on open innovation. Previous research focused on identifying the open innovation that promote innovation in general without adding the role that KM capabilities plays in that process. It was essential to understand the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on open innovation using KM capabilities as mediators. Our model tested the often assumed direct and positive relationship between knowledgeoriented leadership and open innovation while also attempted to understand the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on open innovation, using KM capabilities as mediators. By testing four hypotheses, this study finds that knowledge-oriented leadership has a statistically significant effect on KM capabilities, inbound and outbound open innovation. It also shows that KM capability is the mediating factor between knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation.