Responsible innovation in emerging markets’ SMEs: The role of alliance learning and absorptive capacity

Abstract

This paper presents an examination of the role played by alliance learning in enabling emerging market small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop responsible innovation. SMEs based in emerging markets face significant challenges due to their weak resource base and the limited support they receive from formal institutions. In such a context, we argued that alliance learning takes a more prominent role in enabling these firms to develop responsible innovation via their absorptive capacity and sense-making competency. Drawn from 176 survey responses from SMEs originating from Pakistan, our findings shed light on the vital role played by alliance learning in enhancing SMEs’ responsible innovation. Specifically, the findings indicate that absorptive capacity acts as an important mechanism between alliance learning and responsible innovation. In addition, sense-making competency emerges as an important boundary condition and as a vital dynamic capability under which the effects of alliance learning on responsible innovation are stronger through the mediating mechanisms of absorptive capacity. These moderating-mediating findings contribute to the literature on dynamic capabilities and responsible innovation and provide important insights into the mechanisms and boundary conditions of responsible innovation in the context of emerging Asian markets.

Green creativity, responsible innovation, and product innovation performance: A study of entrepreneurial firms in an emerging economy

“…Given the importance of responsible innovation, several studies have investigated the antecedents of responsible innovation to provide managerial implications to firms striving to boost their responsible innovation practices (e.g., Adomako & Tran, 2022a; Christofi et al, 2022; Hadj, 2020; Zahoor et al, 2022). For example, responsible innovation can be affected by corporate social responsibility, as it can be viewed from the standpoint of sustainability, encompassing social, environmental, and economic consequences (Christofi et al, 2022).…”

“…A further study conducted in Ghana by Adomako and Tran (2022a) revealed that firms with strong environmental collaboration with suppliers in planning and executing a joint strategic approach to environmental management could obtain knowledge about environmental management and responsibility from their suppliers, which, in turn, influences responsible innovation. Furthermore, in the context of SMEs, responsible innovation can be facilitated by alliance learning (i.e., the extent to which knowledge is learned and acquired from alliance partners) through their absorptive capacity and sense‐making competency (Zahoor et al, 2022).…”

“…In addition, responsible innovation can help inform business model innovation outcomes (Long & van Waes, 2021). Responsible innovation is considered a part of sustainable innovation (Genus & Iskandarova, 2018; Zahoor et al, 2022) that incorporates social, environmental, and economic rationale. It involves incorporating ethical and social considerations into product development cycles and business models (van Beers et al, 2020).…”

Gi̇ri̇şi̇msel Yöneli̇m, Özümseme Kapasi̇tesi̇ Ve Fi̇rma Performansi Arasindaki̇ İli̇şki̇

“…Bunun etkin bir şekilde mümkün olmasını sağlayan önemli bir firma yeteneği ise özümseme kapasitesidir (Miroshnychenko, Strobl, Matzler ve De Massis, 2021: 671). Çünkü özümseme kapasitesi, sürekli değişen pazar ortamı, artan bilgi ve teknolojik gelişmeler karşısında firmanın faydalı bilgiyi hemen fark ederek ondan kendisi için fırsat yaratmasını sağlamaktadır (Zahoor, Khan, Khan ve Akhtar, 2022). Nitekim firmaların çevredeki bilgiye kolay ulaşımı, onun faydalı bilgiyi elde edip ondan fayda sağlaması için yeterli değildir.…”

Linking extra-industry network and organization–stakeholder relationships to SMEs performance through absorptive capacity: interaction effect of outsourcing big data analytics

“…According to G€ olgeci and Kujvalainen (2020), absorptive capacity is the process by which SMEs acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit any information. We measure absorptive capacity by modifying measures developed by Zahoor et al (2022) and (Sheng and Chien, 2016) by 9 items to asses a firm's ability to acquire and assimilate new external knowledge and firm's ability to transform and apply any newly acquired knowledge and information. All items were measured on a seven-point Likert scale (1 5 strongly disagree, 7 5 strongly agree).…”