Abstract

Videoconferencing (VC), as a mode of networking, overcomes barriers of physical distance and the need for travel. Transferring audio and visual cues, VC has been increasingly used by organizations. Although a growing interest in VC research in business contexts, there remains a gap in our understanding of how entrepreneurs in SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise) are engaged in virtual interaction via VC with collaborators in innovation practices. By adopting an interpretative approach through participant observation and in-depth interviews with owner/managers of biotech firms in Scotland, this paper explores the user experiences of VC in networking between bioscience entrepreneurs and customers in collaboration of open innovation. Thematic analysis shows an emergence of two classic stereotypes of behaviour, representing behavioural tendencies at two ends of a spectrum, with one ‘open-minded’ and another ‘sophisticated’ to the technology. For the users, VC plays an irreplaceable role in networking in the process of open innovation when geographic proximity is not available. VC is not employed in the early stage of networking rather being a communication platform for exchanging cognitive aspects of innovation once the actors have established primary trust. VC has not been a tool for social networking in the innovation process. Collaborative relationships still require face-face meetings/visits for relational consolidation, followed by virtual interaction via VC.