An Examination of the Effect of Knowledge Utilization on Service Innovation: The Moderating Roles of Performance-Orientation Culture and Competitiveness Culture

Anotace: With rapid technological developments toward a knowledge-based economy, service innovation has become indispensable for companies to gain a competitive advantage. This study delineates the relationships between knowledge utilization, entrepreneurial creativity, service innovation, performance-orientation culture, and competitiveness culture. We collected 207 usable questionnaires from Taiwan’s cultural and creative industry. Entrepreneurs were asked to complete a survey on their experience with knowledge management and service innovation. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results show that entrepreneurial creativity mediates the relationship between knowledge utilization and service innovation. Competitiveness culture is the sole positive moderator of the relationship between knowledge utilization and service innovation. The perspective that knowledge utilization embodies competitiveness culture complements the gap of previous service innovation, suggesting that cultural and creative firms can achieve service innovation through competitiveness culture based on knowledge utilization. To strengthen the competitiveness culture in firms, entrepreneurs must compare their skills with competitors, improve their position in the market, and make themselves more adventurous and adaptable. In addition, a culture of competitiveness landscape should be considered to establish and strengthen the service innovation program in the cultural and creative ecosystems for the benefit of all stakeholders. This study contributes to the knowledge management, organizational culture, competitiveness, and service innovation literature and reinforces existing findings. It also enriches creativity-oriented service innovation and competitiveness research.