Exploration for the relationship between innovation, IT and performance
In: Journal of Intellectual Capital, Band 6, Heft 2, S. 237-252
PurposeThis study aims to ask two important research questions: "Do the investments of innovation capital and information technology (IT) capital have a non‐linear relationship with firm performance?" and "Does the interaction between innovation capital and IT capital have synergy effects on firm performance?"Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ multiple regression models and add the squared terms of research and development (R&D) intensity and IT intensity to examine the non‐linear relationship between innovation capital, IT capital and performance. The research sample includes the top 1,000 companies in Taiwan.FindingsThe main findings of the study are that: innovation capital has a non‐linear relationship (inverted U‐shape) with firm performance; and IT capital has no significant impact on firm performance. However, after considering the interaction between innovation capital and IT capital, there is a positive effect on firms' performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study can be extended in the following ways: researchers can adopt panel data and use more representative measures to examine the dynamic relationship between intellectual capital and performance; and future research should seek to examine the interaction effects of other perspectives of intellectual capital to understand further the comprehensive influence on performance.Practical implicationsThe research results suggest that more investment in intellectual capital is not always better. Companies should coordinate different perspectives of intellectual capital to improve firm performance.Originality/valueThis paper extends prior research's viewpoint and suggests the non‐linear relationship between innovation capital and performance with empirical evidence. The results can provide the reference for further research about the relationship between intellectual capital and performance.