How knowledge flow affects Korean ICT manufacturing firm performance: a focus on open innovation strategy

ABSTRACT

The paper presents an integrated viewpoint of technological innovation strategy by considering both the firm and industry levels. Further, we provide a new open innovation framework by adopting a knowledge flow perspective using patent citation information. Finally, we consider a firm’s outbound open innovation performance using cites per patent information together with financial performance to look at both the practical and the potential effects of technological innovation strategy. Through these analyses, this study examines determinants of open technology innovation activity in the information and communication technology manufacturing industry in Korea and draws managerial and policy implications for effective industry promotion and improvement of technology innovation capability.

KEYWORDS:

• Open innovation strategy
• knowledge flow
• exploration and exploitation strategy
• patent citation
• firm performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Seoungmin Kim is a researcher at New Growth Industry Research Division, Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, Sejong, Republic of Korea. He received his M.S. in Management of Technology from Seoul National University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from Kyunghee University, Seoul, Korea. His research interests are Patent Management, IT convergence, and IT Industry R&D policy.

Hongbum Kim is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, USA. He received his Ph.D. in Management of Technology from Seoul National University and Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration from Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. His research interests are Science and Technology Policy such as Information Technology, Telecommunication, Technology Innovation, and R&D management.

Eungdo Kim is a PSM professor at the Graduate School of Health Science Business Convergence, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Management of Technology from Seoul National University and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from York University, Toronto, Canada. His research interests are Technology Innovation, Intellectual Property Right Management, and R&D Management & Policy in Health-ICT industry.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the International Science and Business Belt Program through the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning [2015K000272].