INTERORGANISATIONAL COLLABORATION FOR INNOVATION IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING FIRMS'S: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL PERFORMANCE

The impact of collaboration on innovation performance has been investigated in many studies. This study provides a unique view on innovation performance by exploring the mediating role of social performance between collaboration and innovation performance. For this, a structural model was tested through an empirical investigation with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using a sample made up of 239 export manufacturing firms. The results of the empirical study show that social performance appears to be a necessary condition for innovation performance. Our findings confirm the great potential of addressing social concern increasingly drive innovation performance. The next decade is likely to be a period of rapidly expanding social performance practices in the manufacturing firms. The managers could foster sustainable innovation by collaborating customers and enhance their firm social performance.