Linking technology innovation strategy, intellectual capital and technology innovation performance in manufacturing SMEs

ABSTRACT

The research interest on Intellectual Capital (IC) has been increasing, adopting different definitions and developing diverse measurement tools. Nonetheless, little research focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the relation between IC and innovation management. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of technology innovation strategy on the IC development and then on innovation performance in manufacturing SMEs. After conducting a survey, measures of IC for SMEs have been performed and an integrated structural equation model has been created. Results demonstrate that technology innovation strategy affects all IC components, the internal structural capital supports the relational and human capital, and the latter two influence firm technology innovation performance. This study contributes to developing an IC measurement system in SMEs and to emphasise the importance of single IC components in improving technology innovation performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual capital
• technology innovation performance
• technology innovation strategy
• SEM
• SMEs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge support for this research from ‘Fondazione Studi Universitari di Vicenza' and from Research project CPDA129273.

Notes on contributors

Chiara Verbano is an Associate Professor of Business and Engineering Economics at the Department of Management and Engineering at the University of Padova. Her major research interests are the fields of risk management and innovation management.

Maria Crema is a Postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Management and Engineering at the University of Padova. Her main research interests regard innovation management and healthcare management.

ORCID

Chiara Verbano http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2300-7235

Maria Crema http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4660-3910