Open innovation starts from home: the potentials of enterprise social media (ESM) in nurturing employee innovation

Abstract

PurposeEnterprise social media (ESM) applications offer new opportunities for organizations to mobilize employees for open innovation, by promoting innovation beyond traditional R&D functions. Despite the popularity and success of these applications, current research has yet to fully explore the potential of ESM applications as a driver of employee-driven innovation, specifically through advancements in innovation culture. To fill this gap, this study proposes a theoretical framework that explains the role of ESM applications in facilitating employee innovation.Design/methodology/approach The authors administered a cross-sectional survey to collect data from professionals who use ESM applications regularly at work. Following a pilot study and instrument refinement, the authors conducted a field study to test measurement and the structural model by using the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method.FindingsThe findings of this study support the validity of the proposed theoretical model. First, the results confirmed the three antecedents of ESM use for innovation: perceived innovation possibilities enabled by ESM technology, the expected value of ESM use for innovation and organizational support for using ESM applications for innovation. Next, the results confirmed the importance of ESM use in encouraging individual innovation productivity in terms of product/service innovation, process innovation and social innovation. Finally, the results corroborated the mediating role of risk-taking and knowledge-sharing culture in the use of ESM to increase innovation productivity.Originality/valueThe findings presented here have implications for theory and practices that would concern fostering a supportive environment and building an organizational culture that promotes employees' innovation behavior (internal open innovation) by using social technologies.

Analysis of Domain Intersection and Knowledge Evolution—The Development of the Fields of Social Innovation and Design Education

“…Thus, it breaks through the tra-Engineering design 8 1999 2014 combination with open thinking have been gradually developed in the public sector, within and outside companies, and in social enterprises. These innovations include: (1) public sector-led living laboratories created to promote the ability of stakeholders inside and outside the organization to create value collaboratively [146]; (2) responding to the shortage of ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring open resource interoperability through the integration of corporate strengths, setting common goals, and collaborating to quickly achieve slow ventilator manufacturing cycles [147]; (3) using corporate social media to increase employees' knowledge, promote knowledge sharing, and drive innovation productivity [148]; and (4) companies using social product development to promote market fit in product development in order to mobilize individuals to participate in new product ideas through social technologies and social mechanisms, thereby achieving creative collaboration and open thinking [149] [150]. This is informed by the case study, which found that the approach to sharing social innovation information across organizational boundaries is complicated due to social impacts and financial sustainability [151].…”

Analyzing the Impact of Enterprise Social Media on Employees’ Competency through the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

“…A study proposed a maturity model for ESM in the context of digital transformation and SMEs, providing parameters for evaluating and developing ESM initiatives [30]. Abhari et al investigated ESM's potential to foster employee innovation, underlining the role of a risk-taking and knowledge-sharing culture [31]. Another study explored how ESM supports collaboration and knowledge sharing, emphasizing that successful ESM implementation depends on clearly defined rules, managerial support, and alignment with business needs [32].…”

Does the Business Environment Improve the Sustainable Development of Enterprises?

“…Enterprises are able to obtain more policy support in terms of talent introduction, tax preferences, and financial subsidies, thus reducing the cost and risk of innovation [59], increasing the motivation and confidence of enterprises to invest in R&D, and promoting the high quality of enterprise innovation and enterprise development. Third, the optimization of a business environment is conducive to reducing relationship-based financing between local governments, listed companies, and the banking sector, thus guiding governments and financial institutions to invest more capital and resources in listed companies, reducing the financing constraints of listed companies [60,61], injecting more capital support into R&D and the innovation of enterprises, and, ultimately, achieving the sustainable development of enterprises. Based on this, the following hypothesis is proposed: Hypothesis 2.…”