Search for external knowledge is vital for firms innovative activities. To understand search, we propose two knowledge search dimensions: search space (local or distant) and search heuristics (experiential or cognitive). Combining these two dimensions, we distinguish four search paths - situated paths, analogical paths, sophisticated paths, and scientific paths - which respond to recent calls to move beyond "where to search" and to investigate the connection with "how to search." Also, we highlight how the mechanisms of problem framing and boundary spanning operate within each search path to identify solutions to technology problems. We report on a study of 18 open innovation projects that used an innovation intermediary, and outline the characteristics of each search path. Exploration of these search paths enriches previous studies of search in open innovation by providing a comprehensive, but structured, framework that explains search, its underlying mechanisms, and potential outcomes. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Funding Agencies|ESADE Business School; NineSigma; Handelsbankens Research Foundations; Riksbankens Jubileumsfond
Even in today's turbulent business environment, there are companies in many industries that have enjoyed decades of relatively undisturbed success. However, eventually, after such prolonged periods of calm, existing market positions are challenged. We describe such companies as 'Sleeping Beauties' and discuss how they can reinvent themselves through opening up of their boundaries and moving from compartmentalized exploitation and exploration efforts to a more dynamic ambidexterity model. We analyse Swarovski's open innovation journey in this regard, instigated as a response to recent changes in its business environment. Our analysis of this process offers useful insights for companies struggling with similar problems.
In this paper, we focus on the organization of new product development in large, R&D-intensive firms. In these firms, research is often conducted in dedicated projects at specialized research labs. Once research results are achieved by project teams, they are transferred to business units for further development and commercialization. We investigate the speed whereby research projects transfer their first research results to business units (hereafter: transfer speed). In particular, we analyze the antecedents and performance implications of transfer speed. Based on data of 503 research projects from a European R&D intensive manufacturing firm, our results suggest that a fast transfer speed (as measured by the time it takes for a research project to develop and transfer first research results to business units) is associated with a better research performance (as measured by the total number of transfers the research project generates). Moreover, we find that different types of external R&D partners-science-based and market-based partners-play distinct roles speeding up first research transfers. While market-based partnerships (customers and suppliers) generally contribute to a faster transfer of research results, science-based partnerships (universities and research institutions) only speed up research transfers of technologically very complex projects. Our results also show that early patent filings by research projects accelerate first research transfers.
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