Determinants of open innovation in low-tech SMEs: the influence of the top management team and employees’ human capital

Jaider Manuel Vega Jurado; Karla Yohana Sánchez-Mojica; Carlos D. Paternina-Arboleda; Liney Manjarrés-Henriquez

doi:10.4067/S0718-27242022000100003

Authors

Jaider Manuel Vega Jurado Universidad del Norte - Business School Barranquilla-Colombia
Karla Yohana Sánchez-Mojica Fundación de Estudios Superiores Comfanorte FESC
Carlos D. Paternina-Arboleda San Diego State University, Department of Management Information Systems, Fowler College of Business
Liney Manjarrés-Henriquez Universidad de la Costa, Departamento de Ciencias Empresariales

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242022000100003

Keywords:

Open innovation; SMEs; Determinants; TMT diversity; TMT coordination; Employee education and training; Employee experience.

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the influence of top management team (TMT) characteristics and employees’ human capital on the adoption of open innovation practices in low-tech SMEs. The empirical study is based on the use of structural equations from the data derived from a questionnaire applied to 95 companies in the agro-industrial sector located in the northeastern region of Colombia. The results indicate that both the TMT’s diversity and coordination have a significant and positive influence on the adoption of open innovation practices. On the other hand, regarding human capital, the results indicate that the experience of the employees is a more decisive feature when implementing open innovation strategies than their level of education and training. This paper contributes to the literature by providing part of the missing microfoundations of open innovation and more strongly connecting open innovation, human capital, and TMT configuration.

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Author Biography

Jaider Manuel Vega Jurado, Universidad del Norte - Business School Barranquilla-Colombia

Researcher at the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Management (INGENIO), a joint Institute of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research and the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Jaider obtained a degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad del Atlántico (Colombia) in 2001, and a PhD in Engineering and Innovation Projects from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (2008). His areas of expertise are: business Innovation Strategies, absorptive capacity, University-Industry relationships, National and Regional Innovation Systems.