Title: Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers! Learning orientation as the decisive factor for translating social capital into organisational innovativeness and performance in Turkey

Authors: Maximilian Holtgrave; Dilek Zamantili Nayir; Ann-Marie Nienaber; Gerhard Schewe

Addresses: Research Centre "Trust and Communication in a Digitized World", University of Muenster, Geiststraße 24-26, 48151 Münster, Germany ' Faculty of Business Administration, Marmara University, Ressam Namik Ismail Sok. No:1, 34180 Istanbul, Turkey ' Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK ' Center for Management, University of Muenster, Universitaetsstrasse 14-16, 48143 Muenster, Germany

Abstract: The Turkish economy has been growing fast and Turkish organisations increasingly rival their Western competitors in terms of innovativeness. While strategy scholars primarily focus on internal capabilities such as learning orientation, network scholars typically consider external network ties as determinants of organisational success. Building on both research streams, our study develops and empirically tests an integrative framework that incorporates the specific cultural context of Turkey. Based on empirical data from 178 organisations, we demonstrate that in Turkey organisational innovativeness results from learning orientation mediating the effect of network ties on innovativeness. Thus, our study links external and internal explanations of what drives innovativeness and suggests that organisations in Turkey need to develop a network-enabled orientation towards learning. We make important recommendations for managers of Turkish organisations and those wishing to enter the Turkish market.

Keywords: learning orientation; network ties; innovativeness; performance; emerging economies; Turkey.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2019.098142

European Journal of International Management, 2019 Vol.13 No.2, pp.127 - 158

Received: 30 Jun 2016
Accepted: 18 May 2017
Published online: 05 Mar 2019 *

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