The set up process of Innovation Units: Resource development and interaction

Abstract

This study observes the set-up and development process of Innovation Units in firms, exploring implications at the intra- and inter-organisational level. Methodology relies on an in-depth, qualitative single case study of an engineering firm operating in the Oil & Gas sector. The analysis identifies three phases constituting the process of developing Innovation Units (IUs); every phase requires combining interdependent intra- and inter-organisational resources, adding complexity to the whole process. An Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) perspective based on the resource interaction approach (RIA) helps in disentangling IUs’ implementation, from which theoretical and managerial implications emerge.