Organizations Coupled with Communities: The Strategic Effects on Firms Engaged in Community-Coupled Open Innovation

Sims, J. and Seidel, V.P. (2016) Organizations coupled with communities: The strategic effects on firms engaged in community-coupled open innovation. Industrial and Corporate Change doi:10.1093/icc/dtw043

44 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2016

See all articles by Jonathan Sims

Jonathan Sims

Babson College - Management Division

Victor P. Seidel

Babson College; Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; University of Oxford

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

The study of open innovation has primarily focused on the benefits and consequences of inbound or outbound innovation exchange between firms; however, increasingly firms may be engaged in simultaneous inbound and outbound exchange forming a “coupled” approach. Furthermore, firms increasingly collaborate with communities as sources of innovation, but how does such “community-coupled open innovation” affect a firm? Through an in-depth study of 250 firms collaborating with a leading open source software community, we show how this approach incorporates not only the exchange of intellectual property but also the provision of help. We find that while community-coupled open innovation does not affect productivity, it can expand a firm’s social ties, lead to a more conservative strategic posture, and shift its innovation focus. Implications for our theories of open innovation in the context of communities are discussed.

Keywords: community, open innovation

JEL Classification: O31, O35, C2, L33

Suggested Citation

Sims, Jonathan and Seidel, Victor P., Organizations Coupled with Communities: The Strategic Effects on Firms Engaged in Community-Coupled Open Innovation (2016). Sims, J. and Seidel, V.P. (2016) Organizations coupled with communities: The strategic effects on firms engaged in community-coupled open innovation. Industrial and Corporate Change doi:10.1093/icc/dtw043 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2847322

Jonathan Sims (Contact Author)

Babson College - Management Division ( email )

Babson Park, MA 02157
United States

Victor P. Seidel

Babson College ( email )

Wellesley, MA 02457-0310
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.babson.edu/academics/faculty/profiles/pages/seidel-victor.aspx

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences ( email )

Cambridge, MA
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.seas.harvard.edu/directory/vseidel

University of Oxford ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

HOME PAGE: http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/community/people/victor-seidel

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