The role of employee autonomy for open innovation performance

Ana Burcharth; Mette Præst Knudsen; Helle Alsted Søndergaard

doi:10.1108/bpmj-10-2016-0209

journal article Nov 06, 2017

The role of employee autonomy for open innovation performance

Ana Burcharth Mette Præst Knudsen

Helle Alsted Søndergaard

Business Process Management Journal Vol. 23 No. 6 pp. 1245-1269 · Emerald

View at Publisher Save 10.1108/bpmj-10-2016-0209

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how organisational activities that formally provide employees with work autonomy explain the performance of open innovation (OI).Design/methodology/approachThe study reports the results of mediation analyses conducted on the basis of survey data from 307 firms.FindingsThe economic benefits of both inbound and outbound OI are fully captured only if firms provide employees with time, freedom and independence. The results show that employee autonomy fully mediates the relationship between openness and innovation sales, while the adoption of inbound OI is positively associated with the introduction of new products.Practical implicationsThe opening of innovation induces managers to provide employees with discretion, as OI requires high levels of flexibility and experimentation.Originality/valueThe paper addresses theoretically and empirically the role of job design in the implementation of OI, while also distinguishing between the effects of inbound and outbound practices on innovation performance.

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Details

Published: Nov 06, 2017
Vol/Issue: 23(6)
Pages: 1245-1269
License: View

Authors

Helle Alsted Søndergaard

Cite This Article

Ana Burcharth, Mette Præst Knudsen, Helle Alsted Søndergaard (2017). The role of employee autonomy for open innovation performance. Business Process Management Journal, 23(6), 1245-1269. https://doi.org/10.1108/bpmj-10-2016-0209

The role of employee autonomy for open innovation performance

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