Antecedents and innovation outcomes of not-invented-here syndrome – Examination at individual, managerial, and organizational levels

A negatively shaped attitude-based bias towards external knowledge—the not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome—may constitute a significant obstacle for effective adoption of external knowledge and impair organizational innovativeness. The goal of this study is to shed light to the question how organizational and managerial features drive individual NIH, and how NIH connects further to individual innovativeness. Analysis of survey data collected from 93 employees reveals a joint effect of person-organization fit and leader-member exchange on NIH, and a negative association between NIH and innovative work behavior. Contrary to expectations, person-organization fit and perceived innovativeness of organizational culture do not have joint effects on NIH. The findings contribute to the development of a theoretical model of the interplay between individual-, managerial- and organizational-level antecedents and consequences of the NIH syndrome.