Strengthening digital collaboration to enhance social innovation capital: an analysis of Italian small innovative enterprises

TLDR

The study investigates how digital collaboration, joint efforts with partners, and digital tool adoption influence social innovation capital in small innovative enterprises. Using multiple regression on data from an online survey of Italian SIEs, the authors test hypotheses on resource sharing, sharing intensity, and digital patterns derived from literature. Results show that resource sharing propensity and sharing intensity positively affect collective innovation capacity, with the effect of resource sharing amplified by more digital patterns and a weaker link for sharing intensity. The research is limited to Italian SIEs and calls for future studies on larger international samples.

Abstract

Purpose The study aims to investigate whether and how digital transformation, in terms of digital collaboration, joint efforts with internal/external partners to achieve common goals and the adoption of digital tools supporting this practice, affect social innovation capital in the context of small innovative enterprises (SIEs). Design/methodology/approach The research hypotheses derived from the analysis of the literature, evaluating how sharing resources, sharing intensity and digital patterns affect the collective capacity of SIEs to innovate, were investigated by applying multiple regression analysis. Data were retrieved from a sample of Italian SIEs through an online survey. Findings The main findings suggest that the propensity to spread resources and the sharing intensity positively affect the collective capacity of SIEs to innovate. Also, the effect of resources sharing on collective innovation increases as more digital patterns are used as tools. The connection is weaker for the intensity of resources sharing. Research limitations/implications The study is conducted on Italian SIEs, a particular cluster of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It would be interesting to compare and contrast the results of an analysis of a large sample of international companies, of different sizes and belonging to digital and non-digital sectors. Originality/value The results enrich the existing literature on social innovation capital, by clarifying its competitive benefits on the characteristic context of the SIEs and underlining the mediating role of the digital patterns.