The impact of companies’ focus on cooperation on the development of inter-organizational innovations

The growing demand for innovations and regular business updates caused by the rapid development of technology and digitalization of all spheres of human activity requires companies to develop the ability to adapt to changes and to develop innovations. However, the limited resources of the company, the lack of knowledge and the complexity of modern technologies for independent development and implementation also require the ability to develop inter-organizational innovations, manage inter-organizational projects and minimize the risks associated with attracting external partners. One of the key stages in the life cycle of interorganizational relations that can influence their outcome is the choice of partners who could ensure the achievement of the necessary result. Earlier, research attempts were made to identify criteria for selecting partners for the development of inter-organizational innovations, however, the proposed criteria were focused primarily on the compliance of potential partners with the goals of the focal company, while the internal interest of potential partners in such relationships was not taken into account. In this study, the authors strive to overcome this omission and identify indicators characterizing the interest of potential partners in participating in inter-organizational relations. In this study, a model is developed for the dependence of a company’s interest in the development of interorganizational innovations on the company’s focus on cooperation and is tested on data from a survey of 165 specialists and top managers of Russian companies. As a result of the study, the relationship between the focus of companies on cooperation and interest in the development of interorganizational innovations is confirmed, and a partial mediation of this relationship is revealed by the attitude towards interorganizational innovations.

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