The role of external technology scouting in inbound open innovation generation: Evidence from high-technology industries

Publication Date

12-1-2021

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

Volume

68

Issue

6

DOI

10.1109/TEM.2019.2956069

First Page

1558

Last Page

1569

Abstract

An external technology scouting is a commonly used open search method used by the firms to facilitate innovation. Drawing on a knowledge-based perspective and evolutionary theory on open innovation, this article proposes that the firms generate more innovations and capture better external technology if they possess well-developed absorptive capacity, that provides access to the innovative developments in an uncertain technological environment. We introduce our external technology scouting model of innovation outputs to explain how technology scouting and absorptive capacity predict firms' inbound open innovation generation in a turbulent environment. Using a sample of 236 high-technology firms, we examine main, two-way, and three-way interaction effects for measures of inbound open innovation generation. The results indicate both main and moderating effects for both measures of performance, which are critical for innovation generations. A significant three-way interaction shows the joint effect of the technology turbulence, absorptive capacity, and external technology scouting on inbound open innovation generation. Our findings have notable managerial and research implications.

Funding Number

MOST 103-2410-H-415-051-Y3

Funding Sponsor

Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan

Keywords

Absorptive capacity, inbound open innovation generation, open innovation, technology scouting, technology uncertainty

Department

Global Innovation and Leadership

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