The combination of different knowledge sources has been considered conducive for innovation performance. While the literature has advanced regarding the combination of knowledge inputs as in internal and external research and development (R&D), the evolvement of knowledge blend from customers and competitors has also received substantial attention. The purpose of this paper is to delineate the sources of information from the customers into private and public and examine their direct effect on firm-level innovation. While the extant literature is mixed regarding this, no clear-cut results have emerged yet on the effect of knowledge combination from the private and public customers with internal R&D and human capital on innovation activities. This study, however, shed more lights on the inconclusiveness of the effect of knowledge diversity on firm-level innovation.,Using the microdata from the German Community Innovation Survey 2013, the authors employ a binary instrumental variable treatment model with Heckman selection, a suitable strategy to estimate binary variables to cope with a possible endogeneity issue.,The paper demonstrates that knowledge from customers in the private and public sector, and competitors are positively and significantly associated with innovation. The authors find evidence of a positive and significant effect of the combination of firm internal knowledge competencies with information from the public sector. In contrary, the blend of knowledge competencies with information from customers in the private sector and information from the competitors results in decline to innovation. The results also show that the blend of internal R&D with knowledge source from the customers in the public sector appears to have a stronger influence in the manufacturing sector than services. The results offer strong evidence of the positive link between knowledge diversity and firm-level innovation performance.,The results have significant managerial implications on the role of the blend of different sources of information in supporting a compelling internal knowledge development to optimise innovation performance.,This study is foremost to focus on knowledge sources from the customers in the public and private sector and its relationship with R&D and human capital in supporting a successful introduction of innovation.

中文翻译：

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知识来源的多样性及其对企业级创新的影响

不同知识来源的组合被认为有利于创新绩效。尽管有关内部和外部研究与开发（R＆D）中知识输入组合的文献已经取得了进步，但来自客户和竞争对手的知识融合的发展也受到了广泛关注。本文的目的是将客户的信息源划分为私人和公共客户，并研究它们对企业级创新的直接影响。尽管有关这方面的现有文献参差不齐，但对于来自私人和公共客户的知识组合以及内部研发和人力资本对创新活动的影响，尚未出现明确的结果。但是，这项研究 通过2013年德国社区创新调查的微观数据，作者采用了带有Heckman选择的二元工具变量处理模型，这是一种估算二元变量的合适策略，这为我们揭示了知识多样性对公司层面创新的影响尚无定论。为解决可能的内生性问题。本文证明，来自私营和公共部门的客户以及竞争对手的知识与创新有着积极而显着的联系。作者发现，企业内部知识能力与公共部门信息相结合产生了积极而显着的影响。相反，知识能力与私营部门客户提供的信息和竞争对手提供的信息相结合，导致创新能力下降。结果还表明，内部研发与公共部门客户的知识来源的融合似乎比服务业对制造业的影响更大。研究结果提供了强有力的证据，证明知识多样性与公司层面的创新绩效之间存在着积极的联系。研究结果对不同信息来源的融合在支持强有力的内部知识发展以优化创新绩效方面的作用具有重大的管理意义。这项研究的重点是从公共和私营部门的客户那里获取知识资源，以及与支持成功引入创新的研发与人力资本之间的关系。从公共部门的客户那里获得知识的D部门似乎比服务部门对制造业的影响更大。研究结果提供了强有力的证据，证明知识多样性与公司层面的创新绩效之间存在着积极的联系。研究结果对不同信息来源的融合在支持强有力的内部知识发展以优化创新绩效方面的作用具有重大的管理意义。这项研究的重点是从公共和私营部门的客户那里获取知识资源，以及与支持成功引入创新的研发与人力资本之间的关系。从公共部门的客户那里获得知识的D部门似乎比服务部门对制造业的影响更大。研究结果提供了强有力的证据，证明知识多样性与公司层面的创新绩效之间存在着积极的联系。研究结果对不同信息来源的融合在支持强有力的内部知识发展以优化创新绩效方面的作用具有重大的管理意义。这项研究的重点是从公共和私营部门的客户那里获取知识资源，以及与支持成功引入创新的研发与人力资本之间的关系。