Title: Applications of open innovation to the supply chain system in the SMEs

Authors: Taeho Park; Tianqin Shi; Ming Zhou; Shu Zhou

Addresses: Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192, USA ' Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192, USA ' Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192, USA ' Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192, USA

Abstract: The close-knitted structure of a supply chain seems to leave no room for the word 'open'. Closeness builds trust, enables information sharing, benefits transportation and more. Somehow, openness started to benefit supply chain management recently, through a trend called 'open innovation'. Based on gathered anecdotes and our interviews of industry professionals, we attempted to present a more complete picture of open innovation in supply chain management, including its potential benefits, major concerns, adoption hurdles, and future solutions. Our findings identified current perceptions of supply chain practitioners on open innovation and major hurdles and difficulties of implementing open innovation in supply chain functions other than just product development. Our research contributed to the current literature of open innovation by updating its implementation status, identifying adoption and implementation issues, and proposing strategic considerations within the context of supply chain management.

Keywords: open innovation; supply chain management; small and medium-sized enterprises.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2020.108230

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2020 Vol.8 No.2, pp.91 - 109

Received: 12 Sep 2019
Accepted: 28 Mar 2020
Published online: 06 Jul 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article