Dual boundary-spanning search and open innovation in China: The mediating role of organizational resilience and the moderating role of big data analytics capability

Open innovation is crucial for achieving high-quality and sustainable business growth. However, it remains unclear how prospective boundary-spanning search and responsive boundary-spanning search impact organizational resilience and open innovation in the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) new normal. Based on the resource-based theory and dynamic capabilities theory, this paper classifies boundary-spanning search into prospective boundary-spanning search and responsive boundary-spanning search to investigates the impact on open innovation and organizational resilience, and analyze the moderating role of big data analytics capability. The empirical study of 293 Chinese smart manufacturing firms indicates that both prospective and responsive boundary-spanning search have an inverted U-shaped impact on open innovation and organizational resilience. Organizational resilience partially mediates the relationships between prospective boundary-spanning search, responsive boundary-spanning search, and open innovation. Moreover, big data analytics capability moderates and flattens the inverted U-shaped relationships between prospective and responsive boundary-spanning search, and organizational resilience. This study explores the intrinsic mechanism of prospective and responsive boundary-spanning search on open innovation through organizational resilience. The findings enrich and expand the research on the antecedents of open innovation.