Purpose
Startup companies represent a powerful engine of open innovation (OI) processes. The purpose of this paper is to represent a first step in building a map of the state-of-the-art knowledge of the “startups in an OI context” phenomenon. Through the selection and analysis of relevant literature, this study aims at deepening our understanding of the theme and at providing directions for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
By using an explicit method for the review (Pittaway et al., 2004) the authors selected a set of papers, which cover the knowledge domain object of this study. In total, 41 articles about “startups and OI” have been selected and the full papers have been analysed.
Findings
The analysed literature has been synthesized in seven sub-topics, which have been evaluated as the most relevant in explaining the phenomenon of startups in relation to OI. Implications for research, for managers and for policy makers conclude the paper.
Practical implications
The review produced valuable knowledge for both managers and policy decision-makers. The paper allows a better understanding of the role of startups in OI processes. This improved understanding can help managers of large firms as well as policy makers involved in OI in making their decisions. Besides, implications of OI strategies for startup managers have been singled-out.
Originality/value
Startup companies are intrinsically open organizations, necessarily engaged in innovation processes. Research at the intersection between the themes of OI and startups is gaining momentum. This review of the literature represents the first attempt to organize the scientific knowledge related to the intersection between the startups and OI phenomena systematically.
This paper aims at exploring the critical dynamic capabilities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the innovation process and at identifying the dynamic capabilities that enable the implementation of open innovation practices. Building on qualitative data from the manufacturing industry deriving from an in-depth investigation of the capabilities of four innovative case firms, the patterns between the firm's portfolio of dynamic capabilities and the different types of open innovation processes are mapped. This study makes three primary contributions to the body of knowledge. This is the first attempt to link dynamic capabilities to an open innovation approach undertaken by SMEs. Second, the study extends existing work on innovation in SMEs by identifying key dynamic capabilities in this context. Finally, the case-based research provides empirical evidence of dynamic capabilities in practices, where analysis reveals that companies with strong sensing, seizing and reconfiguring capabilities are more inclined to develop open innovation approaches.
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