Identifying and Classifying Mental Models of Industry and Academic Experts Regarding Factors and Approaches Effective in Transforming the Structure of Knowledge-Based Firms into Innovation Powerhouses

Fathalian, Hassan; Shahrabi, Behzad; Azma, Fereydoon; Masoumi, Elahe

doi:10.22034/oajre.2025.556328.1159

Identifying and Classifying Mental Models of Industry and Academic Experts Regarding Factors and Approaches Effective in Transforming the Structure of Knowledge-Based Firms into Innovation Powerhouses

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hassan Fathalian ¹

Behzad Shahrabi ²

Fereydoon Azma ³

Elahe Masoumi ³

¹ Department of Entrepreneurship, AK.C., Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran

² Department of Management, Ali.C., Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran.

³ Department of Management, AK.C., Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran

10.22034/oajre.2025.556328.1159

Abstract

In today’s competitive landscape, the survival of knowledge-based firms hinges upon fostering an innovation-oriented culture. However, following their independence from supportive incubation services, many such firms fail due to the lack of institutionalized innovation, primarily stemming from insufficient attention to internal enablers and external synergies. Accordingly, this study aims not only to identify the constituent factors of an “innovation powerhouse”—a structure designed to cultivate an innovation culture—but also to classify these factors according to the mental models of domain experts. To this end, Q methodology was employed. Initially, components of the innovation powerhouse were delineated through expert interviews, leading to the identification of 40 Q-statements. Twelve experts were then asked to rank these statements along a continuum from “most agree” to “most disagree.” Factor analysis conducted via SPSS software revealed four distinct mental models. To assess reliability, a test–retest procedure was administered to four experts, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.78, which is deemed acceptable. The identified mental models, aligned with the design-oriented approach to building an innovation powerhouse, prioritize the following four patterns in order of significance: (1) employee motivation, personal development, and human capital training; (2) sustained teamwork across research, production, capital acquisition, and novel marketing functions; (3) innovation processes grounded in business environment analysis; and (4) a dynamic compensation system for both internal employees and external collaborators, calibrated according to their effectiveness in driving innovation.

Keywords

Innovation powerhouse

innovation culture

knowledge-based firms

mental models