Different Stages Of Innovation Research Articles

Customisation and co-creation revisited: Do user types and engagement strategies matter for product innovation success?

User engagement is widely recognised as beneficial for the innovation efforts of firms scarce with internal resources but our knowledge about the relevance of user types and engagement strategies is scarce and mostly limited to the front-end phases of the innovation process. To fill this gap, we use data from over 10,000 companies operating in four emerging innovation ecosystems in Central Europe and examine the contribution of users to product development, distribution, market positioning and the commercialisation of innovations. The results show that user engagement through customisation and co-creation promotes the success of the innovation process, with the impact of co-creation being much stronger. Consumers, intermediary users (businesses) and public sector users play different roles at different stages of innovation. These findings provide important insights for firms seeking to optimise their user engagement strategies in product innovation management.

A Double-Layer Coupled Network Model of Network Density Effects on Multi-Stage Innovation Efficiency Dynamics: Agent-Based Modeling Methods

This paper proposes a double-layer coupled network model to analyze the multi-stage innovation activities of online, and the model consists of two layers: the online layer, which represents the virtual interactions among innovators, and the offline layer, which represents the physical interactions among innovators. The model assumes that the innovation activities are influenced by both the online and offline network structures, as well as the coupling effect between them. And it simulates the entire innovation process including knowledge diffusion and knowledge recombination. The model also incorporates the concept of network density, which measures the degree of network connectivity and cohesion (network structure). Observing the network density influence on innovation efficiency during the innovation process is realized through setting the selection mechanism and the knowledge recombination mechanism. The coupling relationship between the two layers of network density on the three stages of innovation is further discussed under the theoretical framework of the innovation value chain. Simulation and experimental results suggest that when the offline network density is constant, a higher online network density is not always better. When the online network density is low, the sparse structure of the online network reduces innovation efficiency. When the online network density is high, the structural redundancy caused by the tight network structure prevents innovation efficiency from improving. The results of the study help enterprises to adjust and optimize the internal cooperation network structure at different stages of innovation in order to maximize its effectiveness and improve the innovation efficiency of enterprises.

Critical support for different stages of innovation in agriculture: What, when, how?

CONTEXTThe agricultural sector is undergoing several transitions through “smart-farming” technologies. To make this innovation responsible, it is critical to support technological innovation at different stages of innovation with customized strategies for the individual technology. OBJECTIVEWhat are the critical support functions at different stages of technological innovation in agriculture? METHODSFour technologies are analysed: Automated Milking Systems (AMS), a digital fencing system for the virtual herding of goats, a technology for drone-based observation and management in agriculture and forestry, and round baler silage systems. These are analysed as sociotechnical constructions of multiple stakeholders, with heterogeneous pathways to societal acceptance and practical usage on the farm. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSTo provide information about how such technology can be created in a responsible manner, the paper suggests a Balanced Readiness Level assessment (BRLa) to highlight five dimensions for technological maturity: technological, market, regulatory, social acceptance, and organizational maturity. Through this approach, the findings show that each phase of the technological development benefits from specifically targeted support and that support functions should not be underestimated in order to get technology to a higher level of acceptance. SIGNIFICANCEAgriculture is facing challenges that demand transition of the sector. Supporting invention to stimulate innovation is important; supporting implementation is also important, but identifying the supporting functions that can have an impact at the societal level is crucial to stimulating transition of the system. This paper clarifies the variations of the supporting functions.

Socio-economic environment and motivation to innovate: exploring grassroots innovations process in India

ABSTRACT Innovations in the formal sector are by and large motivated by extrinsic rewards. However, such motives are not explored much in the informal sector innovations. Using effectance motivation theories, some previous research on grassroot innovators in India has found that much of these innovations are initially driven by ‘intrinsic motivations’, while the motivations shift to extrinsic factors during the innovation process. Thus, the primary objective of the paper is to understand the nature and determinants of grassroot innovators’ motivations and their shifts, using econometric modelling. This research is exploratory in nature and based on primary data. It first identifies a set of socio-economic, demographic and psychological factors, which drive grassroot innovations in India. Furthermore, it explores how these factors explain the shifts in motivations from ‘intrinsic’ to ‘extrinsic’ in the course of the innovation process. The empirical results show that the socio-economic factors of innovators affect the grassroots innovation process significantly. Their effect on motivation varies at different stages of innovation. To the extent, roughly speaking, ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ motivations draw parallel with ‘pro-social’ and ‘pro-market’ motivations, respectively. These results may contribute to the growing body of policy research on the informal sector innovations.

Political and Socioeconomic Factors That Determine the Financial Outcome of Successful Green Innovation

Green innovation and technology diffusion must be financially and commercially attractive to convince corporate decision makers. This paper focuses on the factors that determine the financial outcome of successful green innovation activities conducted by large, listed companies. We employ a cross-industry dataset including more than 97,954 reports on corporate environmentalism from 286 international listed companies. Our results indicate that economic, political, cultural, firm-specific, investor-related, and governance factors significantly determine the financial performance of green innovation, measured by abnormal returns. Moreover, we can show that factors that reduce the competition in green innovation markets benefit the financial success of firms operating via them. Finally, we find an opposing influence for several factors that benefit earlier stages of innovation (e.g., research output) while harming the later stages (e.g., market introduction and financial performance). These findings imply that a spatial separation strategy for different stages of innovation supports corporate environmentalism activities. Moreover, physical property rights, the governments’ willingness to support green technologies, and economic framework conditions such as oil price, GDP, or public R&D budget need to be balanced by policymakers to address and stimulate green innovation.

Managing Organizational Constraints in Innovation Teams: A Qualitative Study Across Four Health Systems.

Though increasingly useful for developing complex healthcare innovations, interdisciplinary teams are prone to resistance and other organizational challenges. However, how teams are affected by and manage external constraints over the lifecycle of their innovation project is not well understood. We used a multimethod qualitative approach consisting of over 3 years of participant observation data to analyze how four interdisciplinary teams across different health systems experienced and managed constraints as they pursued process innovations. Specifically, we derived the constraint management process, which demonstrates how teams address constraints at different stages of innovation by applying various tactics. Our findings point to several practical implications concerning innovation processes in healthcare: (a) how conditions in the organizational context, or constraints, can impede team progress at different stages of innovation; and (2) the collective efforts, or tactics, teams use to manage or work around these constraints to further progress on their innovations.

The Impact of Multimarket Competition on Innovation Strategy: Evidence from the Korean Mobile Game Industry

Multimarket contact (MMC) refers to the situation in which more than two firms simultaneously compete with each other in multiple products and/or geographical markets. Most studies on MMC have explored how the market overlap creates “mutual forbearance”, which lessens the intensity of rivalry. While prior studies have mainly focused on how reduced rivalry from MMC influences market-related decisions, only a few have paid attention to its impact on innovation activities. The purpose of this research is to explore how multimarket competition influences different stages of innovation. Specifically, we focus on three stages of innovation: Content development, commercialization, and protection of IPs (Intellectual Property). This study is conducted as an exploratory case research based on the in-depth analysis of two leading Korean Mobile game companies. Based on our findings, we explain how mutual forbearance and observability of the rival’s competitive action influence the choice of strategic decisions across different stages of innovation.

A serial mediation model of effects of team innovation on new product development success: Revising the role of team strategic orientations

Although team innovation is considered as a critical pillar for the success of new product development (NPD) projects, previous studies have not clearly differentiated the stages of team innovation from team creativity to team innovation implementation, but only paying more attention to the generation of new ideas. Therefore, this study examines the mechanism through which three forms of team strategic orientation (technology orientation, market orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation) simultaneously influence on NPD success. Using the resource‐based view, this study proposes a theoretical framework in which team creativity and team innovation implementation mediate team strategic orientations on NPD success. The findings of this study can provide a guide for project managers to exercise different strategies in different stages of innovation to promote the development of new products that permit to explore and to exploit knowledge and to promote organizational learning.

The “father” of microanalysis: Raymond Castaing, creator of a generation of scientific instruments, still in worldwide operation

This manuscript emphasizes the leading role of Raymond Castaing in the conception, realization, and use of three major families of scientific instruments for local analysis of matter. Starting from his early studies with his research director, André Guinier, on the visualization of the GP zones in metal alloys, Raymond Castaing has introduced different stages of innovation for the identification of the elements present in the smallest volume of material. These were successively the X-ray electron probe, the secondary ion mass spectrometry with his student Georges Slodzian, the electron energy-loss filtering with his student Lucien Henry. Besides his Ph.D. dissertation, a reference text on any aspect of electron beam induced X-ray microanalysis, Raymond Castaing has continuously published, over a period of three decades, his research in the successive issues of the Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences Ce manuscrit décrit le rôle pionnier et déterminant de Raymond Castaing dans la conception, la réalisation et l'utilisation de trois familles majeures d'instruments scientifiques destinés à l'analyse locale des matériaux. À partir de ses premières recherches avec son directeur de thèse André Guinier sur la visualisation directe des zones GP dans des alliages métalliques, Raymond Castaing a introduit plusieurs générations d'innovations dédiées à l'identification des éléments présents dans le plus petit volume de matière. Ce furent successivement la microsonde X, l‘analyse par spectrométrie de masse des ions secondaires avec son élève Georges Slodzian et l'analyse par filtrage d’énergie des électrons transmis en microscopie électronique avec son élève Lucien Henry. Outre son manuscrit de thèse, véritable « bible » couvrant tous les aspects de l'analyse des rayons X émis sous incidence d'un faisceau d'électrons primaires, Raymond Castaing a publié de façon permanente, pendant trois décennies, ses recherches dans les volumes successifs des Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences.

Early assessment of innovation in a healthcare setting.

Early assessment can assist in allocating resources for innovation effectively and produce the most beneficial technology for an institution. The aim of the present study was to identify methods and discuss the analytical approaches applied for the early assessment of innovation in a healthcare setting. Knowledge synthesis based on a structured search (using the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases) and thematic analysis was conducted. An analytical framework based on the stage of innovation (developmental, introduction, or early diffusion) was applied to assess whether methods vary according to stage. Themes (type of innovation, study, analysis, study design, method, and main target audience) were then decided among the authors. Identified methods and analysis were discussed according to the innovation stage. A total of 1,064 articles matched the search strategy. Overall, thirty-nine articles matched the inclusion criteria. The use of methods has a tendency to change according to the stage of innovation. Stakeholder analysis was a prominent method in the innovation stages and particularly in the developmental stage, as the introduction and early diffusion stage has more availability of data and may apply more complex methods. Barriers to the identified methods were also discussed as all of the innovation stages suffered from lack of data and substantial uncertainty. Although this review has identified applicable approaches for early assessment in different innovation stages, research is required regarding the value of the available data and methods and tools to enhance interactions between different parties at different stages of innovation.

Reaping what you sow: The family firm innovation trajectory

This study sheds more light on the ‘ability-willingness paradox’, which argues that family firms may be more able but less willing to engage in innovation. Using a longitudinal case study, we investigate the influence of family governance attributes during different stages of innovation and suggest that family entrepreneurship facilitates the conversion of innovation inputs to outputs. Family governance attributes (control, monitoring and networking) support innovation activity during some phases, but impede it during others. We also found the reverse: accumulated innovation capabilities influence family firm governance practices such as monitoring behaviour and control, especially when later-generation family members join the firm. These outcomes partially resolve the conflicting outcomes of prior studies and lead to useful propositions that can redirect future research.

A Quad Model for Assessing Innovation Potential: Toward a Theory of Innovation Orchestration Quality

The study draws on the prevalent theories for orchestrating cross-organizational innovation and new knowledge development processes, and proposes a new, epistemic perspective for contextualizing innovation with two management dimensions, namely, innovation complexity and innovation orchestration preconditions. Innovation complexity concerns the indeterminacy or contingency of new knowledge, or new competence, to be pursued during the course of organizational innovation. Innovation orchestration preconditions refer to the contextual innovation prerequisites that should be well meshed with one another to provide a sufficiency for innovation success. The preconditions include innovation units’ structures and connectivity, behavior, and convenorship. The two dimensions describe a context map-an antithetic quad model-to imply four innovation orchestration qualities, namely, coherence, cohesiveness, congruence, and concordance. Based on the quad model, the study sets forth a measurement of the four qualities, which can assess innovation potential. To corroborate the quad model and the corresponding quality measurements, the study discursively observes a cross-sectoral innovation project. The observation results evidence the multi-finality of the four qualities for innovation success. The results reveal that it is necessary for these four qualities to be managed temporally and dynamically at different stages of innovation, and reject a fallacy that any one of these qualities is more necessary than the others. The study posits that if innovation units can be convened in accordance with the four qualities, the likelihood of innovation success will be sufficiently increased. The study finally discusses theoretical and practical implications of orchestration and convenorship.

Dynamic networks of grassroots innovators in India

‘Grassroots innovations’ in India are receiving increasing attention from innovation scholars and policymakers alike. These innovations are individual or community efforts to solve the problems faced in one's daily life. Moreover, rather than responding to any ‘potential market’ demand, these efforts are often geared towards satisfying one's own innate psychological needs and fulfilment of the so-called ‘social duty’. The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) is working towards popularisation and diffusion of these innovations. Such policies have taken the form of various kinds of formal and informal networks involving innovation. Using primary and secondary data, we intend to study the relationships between various kinds of networks that innovators form at different stages of innovation. Results show that networks keep changing and have vital effects on the innovation in the informal sector.

Sustainability as an imperative and an opportunity: the case of Infosys Limited

Subject area This case provides useful material for discussion on topics such as sustainability, business continuity, corporate social responsibility and green IT. Study level/applicability The case could be used in different areas of business management such as general management, information systems and business strategy. Case overview The case presents the progressive evolution of Infosys Limited from its beginnings through different stages of innovation and consolidation in the IT services industry. Senior executives at Infosys believe that the sustainability initiative at Infosys is not a new movement, but a logical extension of the company's long standing commitment to society and environment. Sustainability was a key agenda at Infosys and it was deeply ingrained in the company's ethos and the way in which it operated. The case also articulates the company's commitment to sustainability as evidenced by the involvement of the top management in providing leadership. From an academic standpoint the case provides pointers to look at how the IT services industry has responded to sustainability practices and how sustainability practices are different or similar across various firms. Expected learning outcomes The case can help students to answer the following questions: How is sustainability different from corporate social responsibility? What is the context in which Infosys' attention turned towards sustainability? How is top management involved in Infosys' sustainability initiative? What are the elements of Infosys' sustainability strategy? How does it build on its core strengths? What are the structural mechanisms the company has provided to implement its sustainability strategy? What internal challenges to change while implementing green solutions were foreseen and overcome by Infosys? How competitive is Infosys' sustainability practices with respect to its competitors? How does it help the company in competing in the market? Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

How can organizations use wikis for innovation?

Wikis were first developed over 15 years ago. Research has shown that organizational or corporate wikis are sustainable and can be beneficial to organizations particularly in improving work processes, collaboration and knowledge management. However, there has been little research done to show how organizations can use wikis to support innovation processes. To bridge this gap, this paper explores how wikis can be used in different stages of innovation. We review existing literature as well as analyze case studies of wikis deployed in four organizations in order to highlight how wikis can be used to address challenges of knowledge management and collaboration in different stages of innovation from idea generation to commercialization. In particular, we propose a model that explains how wikis require a clear purpose for their use, a culture of collaboration, and integration within a formal innovation process.

Entrepreneurial Roles Along a Cycle of Discovery

The literature on entrepreneurship recognizes a variety of entrepreneurial roles, and the question arises what roles are played when and by whom.In this article, roles are attributed to different stages of innovation and organizational development.A central theme is the relation between discontinuity, in radical innovation (exploration), and continuity, in application, diffusion and adaptation (exploitation).Use is made of a concept of a 'cycle of discovery', which seeks to explain how exploration leads on to exploitation, and how exploitation may yield exploration, in a step-by-step development towards radical innovation.Parallel to this there are processes of organisational development.

Managing Knowledge Network Processes in the Commercialization of Science: Two Probiotica Discovery Processes in Finland and Swed

To learn more about the formation, transformation and interaction of knowledge networking, we studied two processes of commercialisation of scientific knowledge. Both involved a Lactobacillus strain – Lp299v, in Sweden, and LGG, in Finland – and two different companies. The first, a small science company, was established expressly to commercialise Lp299v, while the other, a large dairy company, sought to develop new functional food products from LGG. Both were successful, but differed in knowledge networking in the research, commercialization and stabilization phases. For Lp299v, pioneer knowledge networking dominated and commercialization unfolded more smoothly than for LGG, where modular networking prevailed. This indicates that, in science-based innovation, the balance between pioneer and modular modes of knowledge networking must be considered, and that there is a relation between modes, and the structure of the problems. New questions are raised about the challenges that various kinds and sizes of companies experience in different stages of innovation.