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This study, at the intersection of gender, entrepreneurship and innovation, investigates the impact of women leadership (vis-a-vis men) on innovation by SMEs in an emerging economy context. Drawing from the institution-based view, we examine the moderating role of regional formal institutions and informal gender norms on the innovativeness of women-led SMEs in India. Using data obtained from the World Bank Enterprise Survey and World Value Survey, and deploying the Poisson regression method, we find that, overall, women-led SMEs perform better than men-led SMEs in innovation breadth. Interestingly, the regional formal institutional quality negatively moderates the relationship between having a female entrepreneur and firm innovation breadth. In addition, regional gender role expectations act as a positive moderator between having a female entrepreneur and firm innovation breadth. Further, the increase in innovation breadth under unfavourable formal institutional quality and informal gender norms is larger for non-technological innovation than for technological innovation.

Managing knowledge has become a critical aspect of the contemporary business landscape. In addition, business no longer has profit as the sole purpose of their existence. Therefore, there has been growing impetus for socially and environmentally conscious business actions. The present article takes a dimensional view of the process of knowledge management. The authors disaggregate the process along three dimensions- knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination and responsiveness to knowledge and investigate their impact on sustainable business performance. In addition, this article assesses the moderating role of empowering leadership in the relationship between knowledge management components. Among various leadership behaviors, empowering leadership has assumed critical significance owing to growing chorus on providing autonomy and empowerment to employees. This article tests the hypotheses on data collected from manufacturing firms in India. The results demonstrate a positive relationship between dimensions of knowledge management, as well as positive moderation by empowering leadership. Further, the authors discuss implications.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the external knowledge search behaviors in terms of search breadth and search depth in family firms and the resultant product innovation in Indian context. The authors theorize the mediating role of absorptive capacity (potential and realized absorptive capacity) between knowledge sourcing from external sources and product innovation. Further, the authors examine the moderating role of crucial internal social capital of the family firm in enhancing the use of external knowledge for firm innovation activities. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a quantitative research design taking single informant for collection of data from 151 family small and medium enterprises in automotive sector in India. The authors use structural equation modeling to test hypothesized relationships. Findings The findings indicate that both search breadth and search depth of family firms are positively associated with product innovation in family firms. The authors also find evidence for partial mediating role of potential and realized absorptive capacity in the relationship between search breadth and innovation and search depth and innovation. The results show how family firms learning taking place while scanning external knowledge sources in terms of external absorptive capacity routines. Finally, the authors find that family firm internal social capital positively moderate the relationship between search breadth and depth, and product innovation. Practical implications Family firms need to innovate to remain relevant in the long-run and as such development of superior capabilities is of great significance to them. Family firm managers must be open to external knowledge as such knowledge help them improve the firm level of innovation through absorptive capacity. Further, family firms must realize and act upon the importance of their social capital for the integration and utilization of acquired knowledge. Originality/value This paper is amongst a few papers that take dynamic capability views of innovation in family firms wherein the authors theorize how external search breadth and depth lead to the development of potential and realized absorptive capacity in family firms. The importance of family firm internal social capital as a strong integrating and knowledge sharing mechanism that helps family firms transform external knowledge into innovation is also highlighted.

PurposeIn this paper, the authors have used a systematic literature review methodology of 147 journal articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The analysis includes studies based on country of origin, the periodic proliferation of studies and the methodological design of the studies. As an outcome of the review, the studies are classified on the innovation in family firms under four broad categories – innovation input, family governance mechanisms, innovation output and the external environment. Some fruitful avenues of research are outlined in this domain.Design/methodology/approachThe literature on innovation in family firms – the most dominant and ubiquitous form of organization across the world – is gaining pace. The influence of family by way controlling ownership, management and governance on, and in interaction with business acts as a complex proposition that shapes the strategic decision-making in the family firm including innovation. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to advance the understanding of innovation in family firms and provide a list of future research questions of theoretical and practical value.FindingsBased on this review, the authors provide future research directions pertaining to innovation in emerging economy family firms, effect of the institutional environment of family firm innovation as well family firms' innovativeness in the wake of pro-market reforms, different classes of ownership in family firms and innovation, family firm goal heterogeneity and innovation, and family firm dynamic capabilities and innovation.Originality/valueThe review provides a comprehensive understanding, trends and future research directions in the domain of innovation in family firms.