Does size matter? The effects of enterprise size on the perception of benefits and risks of open innovation projects

Abstract

This article presents an exploratory study investigating the influence of an enterprise’s size on its perception and assessment of the benefits and risks expected from participating in open innovation projects. For this purpose an online survey was conducted in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The result of this paper is empirical evidence showing how the size of an enterprise affects its perception of potential benefits and risks expected within the context of open innovation project participation. Furthermore, the identified effects are discussed against the theory. Existing theory regarding the benefits and risks of open innovation is expanded by 1) finding that they are perceived mostly independently of enterprise size, 2) confirming their practical relevance, and 3) enabling a finer distinction between their degrees of relevance for small, medium, and large enterprises.