Open Innovation Strategies and Appropriability in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services: Evidences and Implications in the Brazilian Context

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes open innovation strategies and their implications on appropriability and performance in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) firms which operate in the Brazilian market. This is cross-sectional research relying on the survey method. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied to 345 firms that provide Information Technology (IT) and Business Management Consulting services. Cluster analysis was the main technique employed for data analysis. The results showed that KIBS firms, whose inbound and outbound flows difference is small, eventually use appropriation mechanisms to a greater extent and adopt the selective revealing strategy more intensely. It is concluded that Brazilian KIBS firms adopt inbound knowledge flows more intensely, and that firms herein labelled as “neutral” presented greater appropriation and innovation performance than “externalizing”, “internalizing” or “very internalizing” firms.

摘要 本文针对巴西市场运营的知识密集型商业服务（Knowledge-Intensive Business Services, KIBS）企业，分析其开放式创新战略及其对知识独占性与经营绩效的影响。本研究为采用调查法的横断面研究，通过向345家提供信息技术（Information Technology, IT）与企业管理咨询服务的企业发放问卷收集数据，数据分析的核心方法为聚类分析（Cluster analysis）。研究结果显示：知识流入与流出规模差异较小的KIBS企业，会更广泛地运用知识独占机制，并更积极地采用选择性披露战略。研究结论表明，巴西KIBS企业更侧重知识流入环节；本文中被归类为“中性型”的企业，其知识独占性与创新绩效均优于“外向型”“内向型”及“强内向型”企业。