Identifying actions driving and legitimizing radical innovations in a large firm A longitudinal study of the acceptance of a radical innovation in a Swedish incumbent forest firm

• The core of this paper is to increase the understanding of firm selection processes of new innovation ideas that divert from the firm’s main activity: when exploring the process of developing a radical innovation within a firm. In a longitudinal study over 6 years, we follow an incumbent Swedish forest firm ́s effort in developing and commercializing a radical innovation. We find that when a radical idea lacks top management support, is not selected and the process of innovation is interrupted, lower level employees ́ action can have a defining impact on the selection and development of the idea towards commercialization. Emerging from our qualitative analysis we formalize these actions undertaken in a radical innovation process as actions of legitimacy. Applying institutional theory and the concept of legitimacy, we attempt to shed light on the firm process of selecting, developing and implementing radical ideas by proposing a grounded model. We open up the black box of actions of legitimacy, trace the effect of these actions on the selection, development and legitimacy of the radical innovation.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Firm selection

Legitimacy

Radical Innovation

Individual actions

Innovation Process

Mature organization

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)