Title: Investigating the relationship between open business models and intangible assets

Authors: Emilia Lamberti; Mauro Caputo; Antonello Cammarano; Francesca Michelino

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano 84084, SA, Italy ' Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano 84084, SA, Italy ' Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano 84084, SA, Italy ' Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano 84084, SA, Italy

Abstract: The purposes of this paper are to (1) define the open business models of companies and (2) relate them to the intangibles portfolio composition in terms of R&D, goodwill, and other intangibles. A sample of 234 worldwide top R&D spending firms is examined, drawing on secondary data from audited consolidated annual reports for the period 2010-2012. The work provides a contribution to both innovation management theory and practice. On one side, it investigates inbound and outbound aspects of open innovation after a pecuniary perspective. Five models are defined - collaboration, outsourcing, licensing, trading, and incorporation - which, if combined, denote the openness of companies' innovation strategy. On the other side, the devised framework constitutes a starting point to develop guidelines for managers to leverage the intangible assets of their organisations in order to innovate and generate value in an open innovation context.

Keywords: biopharmaceuticals; inbound open innovation; innovation strategy; intangible assets; intangibles portfolio; open business models; open innovation; outbound open innovation; technology hardware; innovation management; collaboration; outsourcing; licensing; trading; incorporation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2016.078208

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2016 Vol.15 No.2/3, pp.147 - 173

Received: 31 Oct 2015
Accepted: 01 Apr 2016
Published online: 08 Aug 2016 *

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