| 1. |
- Abadzhiev, Andrey, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Managing the complexity of green innovation
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1460-1060 .- 1758-7115. ; 25:6, s. 850-866
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose Green innovation can promote both environmental sustainability and economic growth. However, its development and implementation can be complex due to the need to align innovation activities within and across companies. In this study, the authors examined how this complexity can be managed by analyzing how individual companies combine different innovation activities to develop green innovation, and how companies along the value chain align to implement these innovations. Design/methodology/approach The dataset comprises both interviews and a survey of senior executives from the Swedish wood construction industry. These data were first analyzed by using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify innovation activity configurations at the level of the individual company. The interviews were then analyzed to identify alignment mechanisms enabling the implementation of green innovation along the value chain. Findings At the company level, the authors found three innovation activity configurations with varying levels of complexity: (1) systemic innovation by proactive companies, (2) process innovation by reactive companies and (3) inaction by technology-independent companies. On the value chain level, the authors found three alignment mechanisms that facilitate the implementation of green innovation along the value chain. These mechanisms promote cooperation by increasing efficiency, opening up new market opportunities and increasing the level of servitization. Originality/value This paper analyzes the complexity of green innovation and provides novel insights into how complexity is managed at the level of both the individual company and the value chain.
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| 2. |
- Agostini, Lara, et al.
(författare)
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Patent management: The prominent role of strategy and organization
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - 1460-1060. ; 26:4, s. 1054-1070
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this article is twofold; to verify the existence of different profiles of firms based on the level of sophistication of their patent management core processes, and to test the impact of the interplay between two patent management supporting dimensions, namely patent strategy and organization for patenting, on the level of sophistication of patent management core processes. The method consists of a survey study, collecting data from a set of European patent management professionals. This data is analyzed with factor analysis, cluster analysis, and regression analysis to test a number of hypotheses. The results show that patent strategy positively and significantly impacts patent management sophistication, and that the patent organization positively moderates this relationship. In other words, a patent strategy, supported by a well-developed patent organization and culture, will positively influence the processes of managing a firm’s patent portfolio. This study is, to our knowledge, the first one to provide quantitative evidence that supports the notion that it is important to take a strategic and organizational perspective of patent management.
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| 3. |
- Appolloni, A., et al.
(författare)
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An innovative approach to online consumer behaviour segmentation : the self-determination theory in an uncertain scenario
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1460-1060 .- 1758-7115. ; 26:7, s. 308-327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: In the most recent years, social, innovative, economic and political changes in the European context have characterized consumers' behaviours. The paper aims to understand if the use of electronic commerce differs in a situation characterized by uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach: An innovative approach to categorising online consumer behaviour considers the self-determination theory and basic psychological needs in an uncertain scenario. The research is based on a quantitative analysis obtained by clustering algorithms on a sample of 1,000 digital users in European countries. A structured questionnaire was administered online and distributed through the leading online social platforms and direct mailing. Findings: The results show online activities during changes in consumer behaviour patterns and retailers' strategies. This research will allow online retail managers and practitioners to obtain important information to help them define appropriate customer-oriented strategic actions to enhance value in the electronic context for both customers and firms. Originality/value: The innovation of this research approaches the categorization of online consumer behaviour by exploiting the self-determination theory in an uncertain scenario. Precisely, the novelty of this research is to highlight three detailed categories of electronic commerce consumers, namely, unwilling, halfback and digital, to collect, store and disseminate information about these categories of Online Consumers Behaviours.
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| 4. |
- Buffington, John, et al.
(författare)
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A conceptual framework of generative customization as an approach to product innovation and fulfillment
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald. - 1460-1060 .- 1758-7115. ; 14:3, s. 388-403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the problem in research of a lack of a holistic conceptual framework related to incremental and discontinuous innovation. Too often, the term "innovation" is used without an understanding of how it can be applied in a product design and supply chain fulfillment system. In this study, the goal is to develop a holistic "innovation continuum" to treat innovation as a complex adaptive system (CAS). Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and from it, four propositions and a conceptual framework were developed. Findings: The authors determined that an "innovation continuum" can be established through the use of a complex adaptive system. Two, incremental innovation is determined to possess adaptive qualities, and can be enhanced through the use of collaboration and evolutionary algorithms. Three, discontinuous innovation is established as a creative process enabled through expert designers, and improved through the use of generative design. Next, a supply chain system for incremental innovation can be assisted by the use of adaptive systems, but it is not proven that a generative customization system (for discontinuous innovation) can be improved through the use of a CAS. Originality/value: The paper has established an "innovation continuum" linking incremental and discontinuous innovation within one holistic system. It establishes the use of evolutionary algorithms to improve the viability of incremental innovation, and generative design for discontinuous innovation. Finally, the concept of generative customization as an end to end product design and supply chain fulfillment solution for discontinuous innovation is established
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| 5. |
- Bäckström, Izabelle, et al.
(författare)
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A mapping study of employee innovation : proposing a research agenda
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - 1460-1060. ; 22:3, s. 468-492
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to systematically explore the current understanding of the role of non-R&D and non-managerial employees in different phases and types of innovation, and to propose avenues for future research. Design/methodology/approach: By conducting a mapping study and applying a critical discourse analysis, the phenomenon of “ordinary” employee innovation is explored across various fields, such as human resource management, psychology, economics, strategy, marketing and technology management. Proposals for future research are suggested based on the theoretical framework of dynamic capability, with the aim of further integrating employee innovation in the innovation management domain. Findings: The findings illuminate five main themes that form the employee innovation discourse across various academic disciplines, namely, employee innovative work behavior, firm innovation performance, employee innovation processes, frontline service employees and management tools for employee innovation. Originality/value: Unlike prior studies in the field of innovation management, this study specifically focuses on the employees without innovation-specific functions in organizations, or “ordinary” employees. Concerning the methodological lens of critical discourse analysis, the authors suggest forming the employee innovation discourse in an inclusive manner. Based on the theoretical lens of dynamic capability, a research agenda is proposed in which employee innovation research makes additional use of innovation processes and types, and takes into account the interactive processes and strong empirical evidence for relevant management tools.
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| 6. |
- Bäckström, Izabelle, et al.
(författare)
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Varying involvement in digitally enhanced employee-driven innovation
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1460-1060 .- 1758-7115. ; 22:3, s. 524-540
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to advance knowledge about the mechanisms behind, and the implications of, varying involvement in digitally enhanced employee-driven innovation (EDI) by studying how a firm integrates a web-based tool in the organization of its EDI process. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a qualitative in-depth interview study with managers and employees at one high-performing and one low-performing office of a global IT firm, a critical discourse analysis was performed. It explored how the EDI discourse was produced, distributed and consumed in relation to the web-based tool for collecting and selecting employee ideas. Findings: The results demonstrate that the production of the innovation discourse by the top-level management, which emphasizes client satisfaction rather than employee engagement, restricts the employees’ utilization of the digital platform that distributes the discourse. However, at the high-performing office, employee participation is ensured because the local managers act as co-distributors of the digital tool. Research limitations/implications: The single case study design limits the generalizability of the results, but is nevertheless relevant for understanding the mechanisms and implications in similar contexts where web-based tools are used to enhance EDI processes. Practical implications: The study provides practical insights into the importance of local management’s active promotion of digital tools in order to ensure employee involvement. Originality/value: The study contributes to the EDI literature by identifying some mechanisms behind and the implications of varying employee involvement in digitally enhanced EDI processes.
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| 7. |
- Carlsson, Sven, et al.
(författare)
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Guest Editorial: Open Innovation
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - 1460-1060. ; 14:4, s. 408-411
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 8. |
- Chiesa, Vittorio, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the microfoundations of External Technology Commercialization: a dynamic capabilities perspective
- 2009
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald. - 1460-1060. ; 12:4, s. 444-469
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose External technology commercialization (ETC) refers to the firm's transfer of technological assets, disembodied from products, to another organization involving a contractual obligation for compensation. The purpose of this paper is to identify the managerial and organizational antecedents that are capable of explaining superior capabilities in ETC. Design/methodology/approach Starting from an in‐depth analysis of the literature about technology commercialization and adopting the dynamic capabilities strategic perspective, the study develops a theoretical framework that shows how a number of concepts (resources, capabilities and microfoundations) may affect performance in ETC. A case study analysis is conducted with illustrative purposes.Findings The paper shows that adequate management and organization of ETC activities are needed to successfully undertake ETC. Combining evidence from a case study and findings from prior studies, research propositions are developed regarding key process, organizational and human resource mechanisms that lie at the heart of superior capabilities in ETC. Practical implications The paper provides technology and innovation managers with a number of suggestions for organizing and managing ETC that are likely to improve performance.Originality/value Owing to the complexity of ETC related activities and the high transaction costs characterizing the markets for technologies, only few companies are reaping the gains from the commercialization of their technologies while the majority fail to realize their potential. This paper is the first attempt, to the best knowledge of the authors, which adopts the dynamic capabilities perspective to unearth the managerial levers driving superior performance in ETC.
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| 9. |
- Dell’Era, Claudio, et al.
(författare)
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Figures of Speech as Semantic Operators in the Innovation Process
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald. - 1460-1060 .- 1758-7115. ; 4:2, s. 155-171
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Product functionalities aim to satisfy the operative needs of the customer, while product meanings (i.e. the emotion and the symbolic values represented by the product) aim to satisfy the emotional and socio‐cultural needs of the customer. What consumers are increasingly looking for in consumer products are new forms of psychological satisfaction that go beyond normal and simple consumption; today, more than ever, products define their own presence not only through their attributes, but also through the meanings that they assume, through the dialogue that they establish with the user, and also through the symbolic nature that they emanate. Figures of speech can be exploited to emphasise a message or a meaning. The purpose of this paper is to propose an application of rhetorical figures to product design that will make them more communicative.Design/methodology/approachSpecifically, the authors propose the “Rhetorical Innovation Process” as a methodology that foresees the application of figures of speech as semantic operators. First, the authors discuss several product innovations that can be interpreted according to the “Rhetorical Innovation Process”. Then, a brief workshop assignment in the strategic design course at the Faculty of Industrial Design of Politecnico di Milano explored the potentialities of the method in relation to different product typologies: 40 Italian master students were divided into eight groups (five industrial design students each) in order to develop five products per group.FindingsThe results obtained by design students demonstrated as figures of speech can stimulate associations with other contexts and modifications to existing architecture. The exploration of the “rhetorical innovation process” in collaboration with eight design student teams has shown that this method can support and enrich the concept generation phase. Moreover, four configurations proposed by the “rhetorical innovation process” allow one to generate different alternatives supporting the creative process and allowing the identification of strengths and weaknesses associated to each solution.Originality/valueThe method described in the paper elucidates the structure and process adopted by several designers and also illustrates an effective framework for communicating choices to their clients. In particular, the cross‐context associations proposed in the “rhetorical innovation process” provide additional insights and incentives during the concept generation.
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| 10. |
- Di Benedetto, A., et al.
(författare)
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Selecting early adopters to foster the diffusion of innovations in industrial markets: Evidence from a multiple case study
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Journal of Innovation Management. - : Emerald. - 1460-1060. ; 20:4, s. 620-644
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to bring new empirical evidence to the controversial role of early adopters in the diffusion of innovations in industrial markets. Design/methodology/approach: The authors apply an actor market configuration perspective to the analysis of four longitudinal case studies regarding the commercialization of new products in the textile, plastic and energy industries. Findings: The diffusion of innovation is an interactive and iterative process where the commercializing firm engages in repeated interactions with different categories of companies that are targeted as potential early adopters. This process ends when the commercializing firm identifies a category of early adopters that can stimulate subsequent acceptance in the later market, by playing one of the following two roles, i.e. word-of-mouth trigger and industry benchmark. During this process, through which the role of the early adopters is constructed proactively by the commercializing firm, the product innovation is also subject to changes to provide a better fit with the selected category of early adopters. Research limitations/implications: The paper calls for a re-conceptualization of the diffusion process, from a passive identification of early adopters to an interactive process that entails a trial-and-error approach in the targeting and involvement of different categories of early adopters, which ends when the innovation reaches the desired levels of diffusion. Practical implications: The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for selecting the most proper category of early adopters for their innovations, depending on the role they are more likely to play and the influence they will exert on subsequent acceptance in the later market. Social implications: The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for targeting, through a trial-and-error process, early adopters and working with them to champion the dissemination of new technologies. Originality/value: This paper significantly adds to existing literature on the diffusion of innovation, which has up to now conceived early adopters as static and given entities, which cannot be proactively selected by the commercializing firm, and innovation as an immutable object. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.
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