“Exploring the outcomes of external revealing of knowledge: a case study in the craft beer industry”

Purpose: This paper explores the outcomes of the external revealing of knowledge. More specifically, we aim to understand how external revealing of knowledge can be seen as value creation in the craft beer industry. Design/methodology/approach: A single case study methodology is used to answer the research question “What are the outcomes of the external revealing of knowledge?” Findings: The research highlights several dynamics and outcomes regarding the external revealing of knowledge, mainly connected to creating value for the industry, strengthening a firm’s network, enhancing the culture of the territory, gaining access to knowledge, and guaranteeing market competitiveness. Originality/value: A few studies have addressed a specific aspect of outbound open innovation, which involves freely revealing knowledge to external stakeholders. Previous works are mostly conceptual, thus there is a lack of empirical studies about revealing strategies. This research empirically analyses the outcomes of the external revealing of knowledge, and, more generally, of an open innovation approach.