Serial Multiple Mediation of the Impact of Customer Knowledge Management on Sustainable Product Innovation by Innovative Work Behavior

Constantin Bratianu, Dan Florin Stanescu, Rares Mocanu and Ruxandra Bejinaru
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Constantin Bratianu: UNESCO Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Piata Romana 6, Sector 1, 010731 Bucharest, Romania
Dan Florin Stanescu: Department of Communication, Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Blvd. Expozitiei 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania
Rares Mocanu: Department of Management, Faculty of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Blvd. Expozitiei 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-25

Abstract: Customer knowledge management (CKM) is a relatively new research domain, aiming at exploring the potential of customer knowledge for the open innovation process of companies. The present paper aims at performing a complex analysis of the serial mediation phenomenon of the impact of CKM on sustainable product innovation (SPI) by innovative work behavior (IWB). The dimensions considered for IWB in the present research are the following: idea exploration, idea generation, idea championing, and idea implementation. In the first phase of our research, we performed a semantic analysis of the main concepts, ideas, and theories, based on a critical literature review. Thus, we reached a deeper understanding of the complexity of the concept of knowledge by learning the theory of knowledge fields and knowledge dynamics. As a result of this conceptual phase, we designed the research model and a questionnaire to be addressed to managers from the business environment. In the quantitative phase of the present research, we used the statistical software packages, SPSS version 26.0, and the PROCESS macro for SPSS, version 3.5. We used well-known criteria for reliability, validation, and interpretation of the numerical results. The final results demonstrate a significant serial mediation phenomenon regarding the impact of CKM on SPI by the IWB. These results are important in developing the co-creation process of new products by using customer knowledge. The present research reveals some original ideas concerning the impact of CKM on SPI by using a serial mediation process performed by basic innovative work dimensions. The implications of the present research are significant for both academics and practitioners in designing open innovation in knowledge ecosystems.

Keywords: customer knowledge management; open innovation; sustainable product innovation; innovative work behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12927-:d:685169

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