Managing the Unmanageable: The Fuzzy Front End of Innovation

Gassmann, Oliver; Schweitzer, Fiona

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-01056-4_1

Cited by 44 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Managers are typically more familiar with the later innovation stages, during which activities are defined and the processes and procedures before commercial appearance exist. However, the true benefits of new ideas are seen to emerge from the fuzzy front end of innovation (Gassmann and Schweitzer, 2014). The fuzzy front end is emphasised as critical because success or failure is often inaugurated before the more defined activities and due to companies lagging in regard to their innovation processes (Frishammar et al, 2011).…”

Section: The Innovation Process and The Beginning Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing radical innovations in established companies

Heikkinen

Belt

Möttönen

et al. 2018

IJMP

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Established companies need to take several aspects into account when considering the management of radical innovations and must simultaneously ensure the profitability and functioning of the existing business. The main contribution of this study lies in exploring how radical and incremental innovations are separated and managed. The article intends to clarify how companies can evaluate ideas, organise decision-making, utilise external parties optimally, and organise innovation activities while ensuring adequate linkages to existing business processes. This study analyses the practical implementation of innovation activities in a leading telecom company with advanced practices for managing innovations. The case company has established a separate innovation unit and defined a process for radical innovations. Linkages to other existing development processes are strengthened by including key personnel from these processes in the company's innovation process. These arrangements aid in acknowledging numerous aspects presented in the literature in conjunction with radical innovations.

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Section: The Innovation Process and The Beginning Of Innovationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing radical innovations in established companies

Heikkinen

Belt

Möttönen

et al. 2018

IJMP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Simultaneously, a lack of information on the product's technical aspects makes it difficult to assess its market attractiveness (Koen et al, 2014). Consequently, information on the technology and market has to co-evolve and be interpreted in an iterative process to reduce product-related uncertainties (Koen et al, 2001;Gassmann and Schweitzer, 2014). The front end concludes successfully when R&D employees manage to reduce product-related uncertainties to such a degree that the product can enter the development phase.…”

Section: The Fuzzy Front End and Uncertainty Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A predominant reason for interacting with marketoriented employees at the fuzzy front end is the need to gather new customer information. Ideally, such information contributes to making the right decisions, including choosing the right ideas and concepts for further development, while reducing product-related uncertainties step-by-step (Gassmann and Schweitzer, 2014;Gupta and Maltz, 2015). Although customer insights should increase market fit and, thus, increase new product development (NPD) success, the benefits have not been uncontested in prior research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond listening: the distinct effects of proactive versus responsive customer orientation on the reduction of uncertainties at the fuzzy front end of innovation

2016

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The extent to which the intensity of R&D employees' interaction with market-oriented employees, proactive customer orientation, and responsive customer orientation affect the ability to reduce product-related uncertainties at the fuzzy front end of innovation was analyzed. They investigated 160 product innovation projects in various high-tech industries and identified proactive customer orientation as an important moderator of the link between R&D employees' interaction with market-oriented employees and the reduction of product-related uncertainties at the fuzzy front end. They also found that responsive customer orientation diminishes the ability to reduce product-related uncertainties at the fuzzy front end. The theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed.

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“…Firms are now challenged to evaluate growing amounts of information within a shorter period of time in order to stay competitive. Applied to innovation, decisions on which opportunities a firm wants to pursue must be taken fast (Gassmann & Schweitzer, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%