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
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
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