How Do Innovation Intermediaries Influence Outbound Open Innovation in China? A Moderated Mediation Mechanism

Although firms devote much attention to outbound open innovation for economic or strategic benefits, how outbound open innovation is conducted effectively is still under-studied in the literature. Our paper introduces innovation intermediaries as an antecedent, and based on capability-based framework for open innovation and institutional theory constructs a moderated mediation mechanism through which innovation intermediaries influence outbound open innovation in China. The results of empirical test show that innovation intermediaries influence outbound open innovation via desorptive capacity, particularly in the form of two parallel routes, namely via identification capacity and transfer capacity. The relationship between innovation intermediaries, desorptive capacity and outbound open innovation is stronger in underdeveloped regions than in developed regions.