Developing Innovation Capabilities: A Longitudinal Study of a Project at Volvo Cars

Abstract

Many large firms are struggling to alter and develop their organizational capabilities. There are several discussions in the literature on what these capabilities comprise, and that there is a need to develop them. However, less attention has been paid to how companies can develop these capabilities in practice. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to organizational capability theory by providing insights derived from an empirical study of how organizational capabilities for innovation are developed in large firms, and how these findings compare to the theory. The paper is based on a longitudinal study of Volvo Cars conducted as a long-term collaborative research project. The authors were involved in a project called Vision 2020, which extended over a period of two and a half years, the findings from which highlight several activities that enabled the changes required for the development of organizational capabilities. The need to develop 'management capability' in terms of both cognition and the propensity to act is especially highlighted.

Organizational Variables for Developing Collective Creativity in Business: A Case from an Italian Fashion Design Company

“…Developing intervention research via a process of collaborative/action research seems consistent with recent methodological recommendations (e.g. Börjesson and Elmquist, ; Cirella, Guerci & Shani, ; Shani, Coghlan & Cirella, ; Elerud‐Tryde & Hooge, , Radaelli et al, ).…”

Intervention Research as Management Research in Practice: Learning from a Case in the Fashion Design Industry

“…Finally, we provide an account of models of collective action and their theoretical and practical relevance. 2 The full list of references in English is Borjesson and Elmquist (2011), Daniell et al (2010), Elmquist and Segrestin (2009), Kling (2006), Magnani and Struffi (2009), Rochet, Habib andSoldo (2009), Segrestin (2005), Stassart, Mathieu and Melard (2011), Steyaert and Jiggins (2007) and .…”

“…The full list of references in English is Borjesson and Elmquist (), Daniell et al . (), Elmquist and Segrestin (), Kling (), Magnani and Struffi (), Rochet, Habib and Soldo (), Segrestin (), Stassart, Mathieu and Melard (), Steyaert and Jiggins () and Steyaert et al .…”

Featuring Capability: How Carmakers Organize to Deploy Innovative Features across Products

“…Two decades on, the worldwide institutionalization of these structures and processes is confirmed, highlighting their critical role in adding visible and valuable IFs to regular products. This paper also confirms and enlarges several findings from longitudinal case studies at individual OEMs, with regard to the interfaces between “applied research” and NPD (Nobelius, ) and the development of innovative capabilities within a carmaker (Börjesson and Elmquist, ).…”