Linking human, technological, and relational assets to technological innovation: exploring a new approach

Abstract

In a knowledge-based economy, firms' technological innovations represent one of the best ways in order to survive and to achieve firm success. Nonaka and Takeuchi stated that technological innovation is close to firms' intellectual or knowledge asset management, and additional efforts are needed to understand these complex causal relationships. If we can assume that technological innovation causation rarely has a single cause, and that these causes rarely operate in isolation from each other, empirical research needs a new configurational perspective, where the integrity of firms' technological innovations as complex configurations of causal factors are preserved. This way, using a configurational approach, and primary data of 251 technology-based firms based in Spain, this paper explores firms' human, technological, and relational assets configurations and product innovations.

Intellectual capital, knowledge management practices and firm performance

“…Leitner, 2011;González-Loureiro and Dorrego, 2012), while some other firms leverage the combination of human and relational capital to improve firm performance (e.g. Huang and Hsueh, 2007;Hsu and Fang, 2009;Castro et al, 2013). These types of findings are in line with the RBV/KBV discussion on value creation through knowledge resource combination (e.g.…”

“…Depending on the pointof-view, technology relates to the KBV as a valuable resource (Edvinsson and Malone, 1997; see also Heisig, 2009) or as a capability and practice to utilise the technology support to leverage the firm's knowledge resources (e.g. Alavi and Leidner, 2001;Andreeva and Kianto, 2012;Castro et al, 2013;Davenport and Prusak, 1998;. In this study, the latter approach is adopted, while technology-as-a-resource is embedded within the structural capital dimension.…”

Intellectual Capital, Technological Innovation and Firm Performance: Evidence from China’s Manufacturing Sector

“…Internal RC can strengthen the connections between internal members, contribute to knowledge sharing and transformation, and optimize the SC. Technological innovation activities need the effective cooperation of various departments, and good RC can reduce the resistance in the process of technological innovation [44,59,60]. In addition, external RC can provide a new way for companies to search for new knowledge and enrich the company's internal resources [61].…”

Impact knowledge management on innovation. Field study on tourist agencies in Irbid city, Jordan

“…social capital) mediate the relationship between HRM practices and incremental innovative capability, whereas social capital acts as a mediator between HRM practices and radical innovative capability. Moreover, [20] I discovered that creative and skilled staff and experts (ie, human capital) complemented by well-organized networks for corporate clients (ie, client capital) are the key ingredients in achieving a high degree of creative performance [21]. The same trend of reflection continues with reference to staff skill levels, relative organizational learning capabilities (ie, human capital), structured knowledge embedded in processes and information systems (ie, structural capital), and degree.…”