Surveying the mediating role of knowledge management processes in open innovation and knowledge management implementation: Food industry of Shahrekord industrial town (A case study)

This study aims to examine the mediatory role of knowledge management processes in open innovation and knowledge management implementation.

In terms of purpose, the research method was applied and is descriptive correlational regarding the method of data collection. The population of this study consisted of 408 managers and staff of the Food industry of Shahrekord industrial town. Using the Cochran sampling formula and stratified random sampling, the researchers selected 198 participants. We administered the following questionnaires: the standard open innovation (Chesbro and Apple, 2007), knowledge management processes (Idris et al., 2015), and the implementation of knowledge management (Garciano and Rossenberg, 2015). The validity of questionnaires were evaluated by logical (content and content validity) and construct validity (exploratory, confirmatory, divergent, and convergent) methods and confirmed after necessary modifications. Reliability was also estimated using classical methods (i.e., Cronbach's alpha, 0.91 and composite reliability, 0.93) and modern methods (Dystera, 0.90). Data analysis was performed at two levels of descriptive and inferential (Structural Equation Modeling) implemented by SPSS, Warppls, and Lisrel software packages.

The findings of the study revealed that internal processes (with the variance of 0.73) mediates the relationship between open innovation and knowledge management implementation (Z=2.47), and external methods (including variance 0.59) mediates the relationship between open innovation Mediator input and implementation of knowledge management (Z=2.30). Implications and recommendations based on the findings are discussed.

Internal processes reinforce the relationship between outbound open innovation and knowledge management implementation, and external processes also mediate the relationship between inbound innovation and knowledge management implementation. Accordingly, it is suggested that the desired knowledge be identified first, and companies should look for mechanisms to transfer and adapt this knowledge to the company's conditions.