The "human side" of open innovation: The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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The "human side" of open innovation : The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness. / Bogers, Marcel; Foss, Nicolai J.; Lyngsie, Jacob.

In: Research Policy, Vol. 47, No. 1, 2018, p. 218-231.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Bogers, M, Foss, NJ & Lyngsie, J 2018, 'The "human side" of open innovation: The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness', Research Policy, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 218-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012

APA

Bogers, M., Foss, N. J., & Lyngsie, J. (2018). The "human side" of open innovation: The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness. Research Policy, 47(1), 218-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012

Vancouver

Bogers M, Foss NJ, Lyngsie J. The "human side" of open innovation: The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness. Research Policy. 2018;47(1):218-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012

Author

Bogers, Marcel ; Foss, Nicolai J. ; Lyngsie, Jacob. / The "human side" of open innovation : The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness. In: Research Policy. 2018 ; Vol. 47, No. 1. pp. 218-231.

Bibtex

@article{8f0972fabdf1472b98c35f8e6f86438a,
title = "The {"}human side{"} of open innovation: The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness",
abstract = "The use of external knowledge for innovation (i.e., inbound or outside-in open innovation) has received substantial attention in the innovation literature. However, the “human side” of open innovation is still poorly understood. We consider the role of employee characteristics with respect to predicting firm-level openness. Drawing on the human capital, learning and creativity literatures, we theorize that knowledge diversity of the firm{\textquoteright}s employees is positively associated with employees{\textquoteright} ability to identify and absorb external knowledge, which aggregates to increased firm-level openness—that is, firms{\textquoteright} use of external knowledge in their pursuit of innovation. Based on a combination of three data sources, namely, two survey data sources and register data, we find support for our hypothesis that employees{\textquoteright} educational diversity is positively associated with firm-level openness. However, we find no direct association between employees{\textquoteright} work history diversity and firm-level openness but rather—as also hypothesized—a conditional relationship based on educational background, which implies that diverse work history only has a positive impact at higher levels of educational diversity. To reduce endogeneity concerns, we undertake a series of robustness checks.",
keywords = "Diversity, Education, Employees, Human capital, Microfoundations, Open innovation",
author = "Marcel Bogers and Foss, {Nicolai J.} and Jacob Lyngsie",
year = "2018",
doi = "10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012",
language = "English",
volume = "47",
pages = "218--231",
journal = "Research Policy",
issn = "0048-7333",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The "human side" of open innovation

T2 - The role of employee diversity in firm-level openness

AU - Bogers, Marcel

AU - Foss, Nicolai J.

AU - Lyngsie, Jacob

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - The use of external knowledge for innovation (i.e., inbound or outside-in open innovation) has received substantial attention in the innovation literature. However, the “human side” of open innovation is still poorly understood. We consider the role of employee characteristics with respect to predicting firm-level openness. Drawing on the human capital, learning and creativity literatures, we theorize that knowledge diversity of the firm’s employees is positively associated with employees’ ability to identify and absorb external knowledge, which aggregates to increased firm-level openness—that is, firms’ use of external knowledge in their pursuit of innovation. Based on a combination of three data sources, namely, two survey data sources and register data, we find support for our hypothesis that employees’ educational diversity is positively associated with firm-level openness. However, we find no direct association between employees’ work history diversity and firm-level openness but rather—as also hypothesized—a conditional relationship based on educational background, which implies that diverse work history only has a positive impact at higher levels of educational diversity. To reduce endogeneity concerns, we undertake a series of robustness checks.

AB - The use of external knowledge for innovation (i.e., inbound or outside-in open innovation) has received substantial attention in the innovation literature. However, the “human side” of open innovation is still poorly understood. We consider the role of employee characteristics with respect to predicting firm-level openness. Drawing on the human capital, learning and creativity literatures, we theorize that knowledge diversity of the firm’s employees is positively associated with employees’ ability to identify and absorb external knowledge, which aggregates to increased firm-level openness—that is, firms’ use of external knowledge in their pursuit of innovation. Based on a combination of three data sources, namely, two survey data sources and register data, we find support for our hypothesis that employees’ educational diversity is positively associated with firm-level openness. However, we find no direct association between employees’ work history diversity and firm-level openness but rather—as also hypothesized—a conditional relationship based on educational background, which implies that diverse work history only has a positive impact at higher levels of educational diversity. To reduce endogeneity concerns, we undertake a series of robustness checks.

KW - Diversity

KW - Education

KW - Employees

KW - Human capital

KW - Microfoundations

KW - Open innovation

U2 - 10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012

DO - 10.1016/j.respol.2017.10.012

M3 - Journal article

VL - 47

SP - 218

EP - 231

JO - Research Policy

JF - Research Policy

SN - 0048-7333

IS - 1

ER -

ID: 185842376