The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations

This study aims to analyze the effects of explorative and exploitative skills, along with the moderating role of knowledge vacuum, on innovation process and performance during the merger of public research organizations (PROs) to better comprehend these organizational factors. During the merger of P...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kirana Rukmayuninda Ririh, Machfud, Elisa Anggraeni, Nurul Rochman, Nosica Rizkalla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LLC "CPC "Business Perspectives" 2025-06-01
Series:Problems and Perspectives in Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/22325/PPM_2025_02_Ririh.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849335438035124224
author Kirana Rukmayuninda Ririh
Machfud
Elisa Anggraeni
Nurul Rochman
Nosica Rizkalla
author_facet Kirana Rukmayuninda Ririh
Machfud
Elisa Anggraeni
Nurul Rochman
Nosica Rizkalla
author_sort Kirana Rukmayuninda Ririh
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to analyze the effects of explorative and exploitative skills, along with the moderating role of knowledge vacuum, on innovation process and performance during the merger of public research organizations (PROs) to better comprehend these organizational factors. During the merger of PROs, explorative and exploitative skills can prevent a slow innovation process and knowledge loss. Meanwhile, innovation also serves as PRO’s core activity. However, the effect of explorative and exploitative skills (and also the knowledge vacuum) on the innovation process in PROs is still debatable, as they often disregard the knowledge loss effect. This study used 314 questionnaires, which were responded to by scientists of basic and technological research in Indonesia’s merged PRO, namely the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Data were collected from 2023 to 2024 and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS 4.0. The results reveal that the knowledge vacuum has a positive and significant influence on both exploratory-exploitative skills and absorptive-adaptive capabilities of scientists, which will eventually shape their distinctive competencies differently. However, despite the positive influence of the knowledge vacuum, the organization needs to strengthen scientists’ explorative and exploitative skills by reinforcing strategic human resource management through periodic training, performing joint activities or active innovation hubs, and guiding scientists to cope with the dynamic transition periods due to mergers. All of them aim to reinforce knowledge exchange and research networks. AcknowledgmentThis study had no funding and did not employ artificial intelligence. This article is original and was not published in any other language or concurrently submitted to other journals. This study is also clear from reuse of any material. Acknowledgments are expressed to all scientists in National Research and Innovation Agency that voluntarily participated in this study.
format Article
id doaj-art-b04dc0c5bdc74872acdd8e718e85778a
institution Kabale University
issn 1727-7051
1810-5467
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher LLC "CPC "Business Perspectives"
record_format Article
series Problems and Perspectives in Management
spelling doaj-art-b04dc0c5bdc74872acdd8e718e85778a2025-08-20T03:45:15ZengLLC "CPC "Business Perspectives"Problems and Perspectives in Management1727-70511810-54672025-06-0123272273510.21511/ppm.23(2).2025.5222325The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizationsKirana Rukmayuninda Ririh0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1976-8100Machfud1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2370-9058Elisa Anggraeni2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3018-4627Nurul Rochman3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1929-8188Nosica Rizkalla4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1402-0331M.Sc., Ph.D. Student, Department of Agroindustrial Engineering, Faculty of Agroindustrial Technology, IPB University, Indonesia; National Research and Innovation Agency, IndonesiaProfessor, Department of Agroindustrial Engineering, Faculty of Agroindustrial Technology, IPB University, IndonesiaDr., Department of Agroindustrial Engineering, Faculty of Agroindustrial Technology, IPB University, IndonesiaProfessor, Research Center for Advanced Material, Research Organization for Nanotechnology and Materials, National Research and Innovation Agency, IndonesiaLecturer, Faculty of Business, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara [Multimedia Nusantara University], IndonesiaThis study aims to analyze the effects of explorative and exploitative skills, along with the moderating role of knowledge vacuum, on innovation process and performance during the merger of public research organizations (PROs) to better comprehend these organizational factors. During the merger of PROs, explorative and exploitative skills can prevent a slow innovation process and knowledge loss. Meanwhile, innovation also serves as PRO’s core activity. However, the effect of explorative and exploitative skills (and also the knowledge vacuum) on the innovation process in PROs is still debatable, as they often disregard the knowledge loss effect. This study used 314 questionnaires, which were responded to by scientists of basic and technological research in Indonesia’s merged PRO, namely the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Data were collected from 2023 to 2024 and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS 4.0. The results reveal that the knowledge vacuum has a positive and significant influence on both exploratory-exploitative skills and absorptive-adaptive capabilities of scientists, which will eventually shape their distinctive competencies differently. However, despite the positive influence of the knowledge vacuum, the organization needs to strengthen scientists’ explorative and exploitative skills by reinforcing strategic human resource management through periodic training, performing joint activities or active innovation hubs, and guiding scientists to cope with the dynamic transition periods due to mergers. All of them aim to reinforce knowledge exchange and research networks. AcknowledgmentThis study had no funding and did not employ artificial intelligence. This article is original and was not published in any other language or concurrently submitted to other journals. This study is also clear from reuse of any material. Acknowledgments are expressed to all scientists in National Research and Innovation Agency that voluntarily participated in this study.https://www.businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/22325/PPM_2025_02_Ririh.pdfexplorative-exploitative skillsinnovation processknowledge vacuummergerorganizational behaviorpublic research organization
spellingShingle Kirana Rukmayuninda Ririh
Machfud
Elisa Anggraeni
Nurul Rochman
Nosica Rizkalla
The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
Problems and Perspectives in Management
explorative-exploitative skills
innovation process
knowledge vacuum
merger
organizational behavior
public research organization
title The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
title_full The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
title_fullStr The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
title_full_unstemmed The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
title_short The effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
title_sort effect of explorative and exploitative skills on innovation process during the merger of public research organizations
topic explorative-exploitative skills
innovation process
knowledge vacuum
merger
organizational behavior
public research organization
url https://www.businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/22325/PPM_2025_02_Ririh.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT kiranarukmayunindaririh theeffectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT machfud theeffectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT elisaanggraeni theeffectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT nurulrochman theeffectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT nosicarizkalla theeffectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT kiranarukmayunindaririh effectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT machfud effectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT elisaanggraeni effectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT nurulrochman effectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations
AT nosicarizkalla effectofexplorativeandexploitativeskillsoninnovationprocessduringthemergerofpublicresearchorganizations