Dissertation Examination of Adhi Bawono
On Thursday, 28 January 2026, the Dissertation Defense for the Doctor of Research in Management (DRM) program of Adhi Bawono [230004274], entitled “Relational Capital, Structure Embeddedness, Absorptive Capacity and Inbound Open Innovation and Its Influence on Innovation Performance of Digital-Startup” was conducted at BINUS Alam Sutera Campus.
The Dissertation Defense was chaired by Prof. Idris Gautama So, SE., S.Kom., MM., Ph.D supervised and examined by Dr. Asnan Furinto, ST., MM., MBA (Promotor I), Dr. Sri Bramantoro Abdinagoro (Co-Promoter II). The Board of Examiners also included Prof. DR. Ir. Mohammad Hamsal, MSE, MOM, MBA. (Examiner I), and Dr. Rini Setiowati, S.E., M.B.A. (Examiner II) and Dr. Ir. Hari Santoso Sungkari, M.H. (Examiner III)
Dissertation Summary
The rapid development of digital innovation has encouraged many startups to pursue innovation. However, many of these startups tend to follow existing trends, particularly due to their limited resources. This study aims to analyze the role of open innovation in improving the innovation performance of startups participating in business incubation and acceleration programs. It also examines the influence of absorptive capacity possessed by startups, as well as the relational capital and structural embeddedness of business incubators and accelerators within the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, on the innovation performance of supported startups.
This study employs a quantitative research approach and utilizes survey data collected from 201 digital-based startups participating in incubation and acceleration programs in Jakarta, West Java, and Banten Provinces. The results indicate that open innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing innovation performance. The findings reveal that the absorptive capacity of startups does not automatically lead to improved innovation performance without the presence of open innovation processes. Furthermore, the relational capital of business incubators and accelerators is shown to have a significant impact on startup innovation performance, both directly and indirectly through the mediation of inbound open innovation within the supported startups.
In contrast, the structural embeddedness of incubators does not demonstrate a significant direct effect, nor an indirect effect mediated by open innovation, on the innovation performance of startups participating in such programs. The implications of this study highlight the critical role of open innovation in bridging the absorptive capacity of startups and strengthening relational capital within the incubation ecosystem, thereby fostering the innovation performance of digital-based startups in Indonesia.
Author Biography
Adhi Bawono has been a faculty member at the Binus Entrepreneurship Center (BEC) since 2014, where he is responsible for teaching several courses, including Entrepreneurship 1, Entrepreneurship 2, Ideation, Prototyping, Market Validation, and Entrepreneurship Online Learning. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Trisakti University and a Master of Management degree, with a concentration in Financial Management, also from Trisakti University. In addition to his academic experience, he possesses extensive professional experience in the telecommunications industry, particularly in Radio Trunking and cellular network projects, which has provided him with practical insights into technology development and communication system implementation.