THE EFFECT OF THE DIVERSITY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS ON PRODUCT INNOVATION

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact on product innovation of different types of interorganizational relationship partners. An empirical contrast with data taken from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (based on Eurostat’s Community Innovation Survey) shows that diversity in the types of partners involved in interorganizational relationships has a positive effect on product innovation. In particular, increased benefits can be achieved in the innovation of goods when there is diversity in the relationships that exist between business partners (customers and suppliers); and in service innovation when there is diversity in the relationships between non-industrial partners (consultants, universities and research entities). Finally, given the results it is not possible to state that a lot of diversity reduces the returns on innovation.