Profiting from the digital integration of the value chain and digital competencies: does open innovation matter for manufacturing SMEs?

ABSTRACT

Drawing from a resource-based view of the firm, this study investigates the effect of the level of digital integration in value chain (DIVC) activities and digital competencies (DCs) on the financial performance of SMEs, differentiating between firms that embrace open innovation (OI) and those that do not. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 348 manufacturing SMEs based in Tuscany (Italy). The results show that the level of DIVC positively influences firm performance, while the impact of DCs is not significant. Furthermore, SMEs that pursue OI perform better than those who do not pursue it, but only when the level of DIVC is low. The managerial and academic implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Industry 4.0
• open innovation
• digital competencies
• value chain integration

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The research has used the database from a research project co-financed by POR FESR 2014–2020 of Tuscany Region, University of Siena, University of Florence and University of Pisa and a research project co-financed by POR FESR 2014–2020 of Tuscany Region, Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Pelli e delle Materie Concianti, University of Siena, University of Florence and University of Pisa.

Notes on contributors

Tommaso Pucci

Tommaso Pucci graduated in Economics (cum laude) at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Florence (Italy). He got a PhD in Economics and Management of Enterprises and Local Systems. Since 2009, he has been carrying out research and teaching activities at the Department of Business and Law (University of Siena) as adjunct professor and research fellow. Since 2019 he has been associate professor of management in the Department of Business and Law (University of Siena). He is an expert in quantitative methodologies. He has published in international as well as national journals.

Elena Casprini

Elena Casprini is Associate professor at Department of Business and Law, University of Siena. During her Ph.D. in Management at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, she was a Visiting Ph.D. Student at Bayes (formerly Cass) Business School (London, UK). Her research interests focus on business models innovation, open innovation and family firms. She is an expert in qualitative research methodologies, in particular case studies. She has published in international as well as national journals and she is involved in national and international research projects.

Lorenzo Zanni

Lorenzo Zanni graduated with honors from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Florence. He has taught at the University of Molise and the University of Florence; since 2001 he has been Full Professor at the Department of Business and Legal Studies (DISAG) of the University of Siena where he teaches Marketing, International Marketing and International Management. He is currently ‘Technology Transfer’ delegate by the rector of the University of Siena. He is the author of over 200 publications in Italian and English (volumes, curators, book chapters, articles in Italian and international journals).

Andrea Bonaccorsi

Andrea Bonaccorsi is Full professor of Engineering Management at the University of Pisa. His main research interests are in economics and management of innovation. He has published extensively in top journals in the field.