Study on the Relationship between Manager’s Entrepreneurial Orientation and Open Innovation in SMEs

Abstract

Open Innovation (OI) is becoming increasingly important for SMEs. Studies that have examined its determinants have neglected its human and individual dimension, and few researches have examined the influence of the SME manager on the adoption of OI. Based on the resource-based view and the upper echelon theory, this research investigates the influence of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of SMEs’ managers on OI adoption in the Moroccan context. The study involved a questionnaire survey of 43 SME managers from various sectors, and the structural equation method by partial least squares was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate a significant and positive relationship between EO and OI adoption.

These results provide new insights into the factors that contribute to successful OI implementation and highlight the importance of the leader’s EO in SMEs. On the one hand, this encourages SME managers to strengthen the dimensions of EO in their management practices and within their firms in order to promote OI activities for higher performance. On the other hand, governments are called upon to promote entrepreneurship among SME managers and to develop appropriate policies that support OI ecosystems.

Keywords : Open innovation; Entrepreneurial orientation; Upper Echelon Theory; SME.

Classification JEL: O36

Paper type: Empirical Research