International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 12, Issue 11 (November 2025), Pages: 133-142

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 Original Research Paper

The effect of achievement needs on employees’ open innovation: A knowledge inertia perspective

 Author(s): 

 Qinglong Zhang 1, Yaoping Liu 2, *, Junaidi Junaidi 1, 3

 Affiliation(s):

  1Department of Management Science, Institute of Science Innovation and Culture, Rajamangala University of Technology, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
  2Institute of Science Innovation and Culture, Rajamangala University of Technology, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
  3Department of Accounting, Universitas Muhammadiyah Palopo, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia

 Full text

    Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5712-6868

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.11.013

 Abstract

This study investigates how entrepreneurial traits and innovative behavior influence employees’ knowledge inertia, and examines the mediating role of knowledge inertia between employees’ achievement needs and open innovation. Data were collected from 581 middle-level executives in Chinese companies using random sampling, and the research model was tested with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings reveal that employees’ achievement needs have a positive and significant effect on experience- and learning-related knowledge inertia, while knowledge inertia partially mediates the relationship between achievement needs and open innovation. The results also show that employees’ motivation, commitment, and skills play a key role in fostering new ideas, innovation, and organizational advocacy. Furthermore, reciprocal communication and feedback-friendly channels are important for strengthening innovation practices. The study suggests that companies should not only focus on improving performance and profitability but also provide opportunities for employee development and involvement in sustainability initiatives. These insights offer practical guidance for firms seeking to enhance innovation and ensure long-term organizational sustainability.

 © 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Knowledge inertia, Achievement needs, Open innovation, Employee motivation, Organizational sustainability

 Article history

 Received 27 May 2025, Received in revised form 6 October 2025, Accepted 23 October 2025

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This research was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand (Approval Letter No. R 205/2024). Participation in this study was voluntary. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection, and consent to use the anonymized data for publication was also secured. All participants provided their consent through the online survey forms.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Zhang Q, Liu Y, and Junaidi J (2025). The effect of achievement needs on employees’ open innovation: A knowledge inertia perspective. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(11): 133-142

  Permanent Link to this page

 Figures

  Fig. 1  Fig. 2

 Tables

  Table 1  Table 2  Table 3  Table 4 

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