Presenting a Model for the Adoption of Open Innovation in the Tile and Ceramic Industry

The tile and ceramic industry, as one of the country’s strategic sectors, operates in a highly competitive environment where leveraging external knowledge through open innovation is considered essential for achieving competitive differentiation. However, the absence of a comprehensive and context-specific model for the systematic implementation of this approach remains a significant gap. This study aims to develop a model for implementing open innovation in the tile and ceramic industry of Yazd Province. A mixed-methods approach was applied in two sequential phases. In the first phase, key factors influencing open innovation adoption were identified through a literature review, and their interrelationships were structured into a six-level hierarchical model using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) based on expert opinions. In the second phase, the proposed model was empirically validated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with data collected from 173 completed questionnaires distributed among managers and employees in the industry. The results indicate that “competitive environment,” as a foundational driver at the lowest level of the model, activates the innovation process through “top management support.” At the intermediate levels, “strategic planning” and “financial resources” function as linking mechanisms that channel resources toward “training,” “organizational culture,” and “organizational structure.” At the highest level, “employee participation,” “employees,” and “customer interaction” represent the observable outcomes of open innovation implementation. Path analysis results, supported by acceptable model fit indices, confirmed all hypothesized relationships. Among the constructs, training had the strongest direct effect on employee participation, while organizational structure exerted the most significant influence on customer interaction. The proposed model provides an empirically validated and systematic framework for open innovation adoption in the tile and ceramic industry.