Historical accounts of human achievement suggest that accidents can play an important role in innovation. In this paper, we seek to contribute to an understanding of how digital systems might support valuable unpredictability in innovation processes by examining how innovators who obtain value from accidents integrate unpredictability into their work. We describe an inductive, grounded theory project, based on 20 case studies, that looks into the conditions under which people who make things keep their work open to accident, the degree to which they rely on accidents in their work, and how they incorporate accidents into their deliberate processes and arranged surroundings. By comparing makers working in varied conditions, we identify specific factors (e.g., technologies, characteristics of technologies) that appear to support accidental innovation. We show that makers in certain specified conditions not only remain open to accident but also intentionally design their processes and surroundings to invite and exploit valuable accidents. Based on these findings, we offer advice for the design of digital systems to support innovation processes that can access valuable unpredictability.
In recent years, flexibility has emerged as a divisive issue in discussions about the appropriate design of processes for making software. Partisans in both research and practice argue for and against plan-based (allegedly inflexible) and agile (allegedly too flexible) approaches. The stakes in this debate are high; questions raised about plan-based approaches undermine longstanding claims that those approaches, when realized, represent maturity of practice. In this commentary, we call for research programs that will move beyond partisan disagreement to a more nuanced discussion, one that takes into account both benefits and costs of flexibility. Key to such programs will be the development of a robust contingency framework for deciding when (in what conditions) plan-based and agile methods should be used. We develop a basic contingency framework in this paper, one that models the benefit/cost economics described in narratives about the transition from craft to industrial production of physical products. We use this framework to demonstrate the power of even a simple model to help us accomplish three objectives: (1) to refocus discussions about the appropriate design of software development processes, concentrating on when to use particular approaches and how they might be usefully combined; (2) to suggest and guide a trajectory of research that can support and enrich this discussion; and (3) to suggest a technology-based explanation for the emergence of agile development at this point in history. Although we are not the first to argue in favor of a contingency perspective, we show that there remain many opportunities for information systems (IS) research to have a major impact on practice in this area.
The notion of an adaptable negotiator, who can respond to any situation he or she encounters, resonates with every negotiation expert. Unexpected things happen in negotiation, and negotiators must be able to adapt in fleet and effective ways. Dealing with the unexpected, responding “in the moment,” and adapting effectively to sudden changes — these are the skills of an improvisational artist, and they are effective skills for negotiators to learn. How can improvisational skills be taught to negotiation students so that they will be able to draw upon these skills in the heat of a negotiation or mediation? By bringing together teachers of improvisation in various disciplines, we explored how improvisation is currently applied and taught in theater, business, and psychotherapy. We then developed some ideas about ways in which teachers of negotiation might begin to incorporate improvisation as part of the negotiation lesson plan.
PurposeInterest in the uses and effects of art and methods of art making in businesses of all kinds is on the rise. In this paper, we show that the “arts‐in‐business movement” is no mere fad, that it is, in fact, driven by fundamental economic forces, two tectonic shifts moving the business world. Financial crises and other like disruptions not withstanding, these shifts will increasingly influence how companies, especially those based in developed economies, compete. Consequently, business success in a not‐too‐distant future will, for many companies, require a new understanding of art and art making, a sophisticated appreciation of, and a feel for, aesthetic principles.Design/methodology/approachWe develop an economics and business strategy based model using historical facts and empirical patterns to illustrate how two tectonic shifts now gathering force and momentum will change the way businesses, especially those based in developed economies, compete. The first shift, toward differentiation based business strategies, arises from the emerging realities of the globalized economy, and is enabled by increasingly mature communications and transportation networks. The second shift, toward iterative modes of production that lead to more artful innovation, is supported by recent developments in information technology. We compare the transformation from Industrial to Post‐Industrial economy to a centuries earlier transition from Craft to Industrial economy, demonstrating that the changes underway have potential to be every bit as important as those earlier changes. Our arguments and analyses are based on and summarize findings from a multi‐year field based research project.FindingsBusiness success in the not‐too‐distant future will, for many companies, require a new understanding of art and art making, a sophisticated appreciation of, and a feel for, aesthetic principles. Managers will need to improve their understanding of these principles, will succeed or fail in business competition based on how well they master them. Although many have long labeled certain poorly understood aspects of business “art” and wished to turn them into science or engineering, to make them more industrial, something more like the opposite will occur – some formerly industrial aspects of business will evolve into something very like art.Practical implicationsFirms that develop and exploit artful methods will be a step ahead of their competition. Insightful managers should begin now gaining a better understanding of how notions like “aesthetic coherence” can improve their ability to compete.Originality/valueThis paper looks at current events from a perspective rare in business practice and research, presenting familiar facts in a new light, and urging a long‐term view quite different to the current short‐term reasons for moving work off shore. We reach conclusions opposite (or nearly so) what many might casually assume, reaching counterintuitive endpoints of our empirically and analytically developed arguments, which many readers will consider surprising.
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