The effect of information and communication technology capabilities on the innovation performance: The mediating role of knowledge management capabilities, innovation capability and product innovation flexibility

Today, information and communication technology is a key solution for all-round development and empowerment of companies and enables the exploitation of new opportunities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of information and communication technology capabilities (ICT) on the innovation performance (IP) of companies by explaining the mediating role of knowledge management capabilities (KMC), product innovation flexibility (PIF), and innovation capability (IC).

This research has a quantitative approach and is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method. The statistical population of the research included employees and managers of Iranian insurance companies, and the sample size was estimated to be 244 people using G-Power3 software. 231 questionnaires were collected during an online survey, using the available non-random sampling method, and were analyzed with SPS 26 and SmartPLS 3 software. The validity of the research instrument was confirmed through content and construct validity and its reliability through Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability.

Based on the research data analysis, the effect of ICT on IC was rejected, but this variable has a positive and significant effect on the IP of insurance companies directly and indirectly through KMC and PIF.

Information and communication technology capabilities play an important role in improving the innovation capability and performance of these companies in the insurance industry by strengthening the capabilities of insurance companies in managing knowledge and product innovation flexibility and creating the possibility of creativity and innovation.