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1. Introduction
This paper aims to provide the empirical evidence of interaction mechanism in open innovation system specific to aesthetic innovation in the creative sector. Strategic alliance and social capital are key theoretical underpinning of this research. This is a response to previous research stating that the link between open innovation and social capital is underdeveloped despite the line of inquiry regarding strategic alliance from a network perspective drawn substantial research attention (West et al., 2014), as well as a follow-up theoretical inquiry regarding developing linkage between open innovation and innovation ecosystems (Adner, 2006).
Previous research has examined open innovation and its related interactive mechanism then contributed to the understanding of how the network structure affects an organisation’s innovation outcomes (West and Bogers, 2014). Despite those existing research effort taking from a structural perspective in particular, knowledge in the area of ecosystem dynamics and configuration appears insufficient and thus attention is needed (Spender et al., 2017). For example, evidence regarding the role of actors remains fragmented. Prior research has discussed the actor role of incubators, venture capital firms, and higher education systems in the existing literature (e.g. Simôes et al., 2012; Strӧmsten and Waluszewski, 2012; Rubin et al., 2015), however, the role of other actors and intermediaries is still limited particularly in the creative sector. In contrast, the biopharmaceutical and technological sectors have been dominant as one of the key research contexts. For instance, the relationship between innovation creators and innovation seekers is understood in a bilateral setting where the benefits of coupled processes are often found in the context of R&D collaborations and technology alliances (Faems et al., 2010). Thus, research attention to different industries as well as various regions should be considered so that a wider picture can be drawn (Spender et al., 2017).
To complement the existing literature drawn its attention to technological innovation, this study focusses on aesthetic innovation as its main research context. Previous research has suggested that aesthetic innovation is often created in a highly interactive context known as creative clusters which involve a wide range of actors, processes and settings (Chapain et al., 2010). These creative clusters, consisting of a highly diverse group of organisations engaging in innovation, create a complex...