Erik den Hartigh

Keeping the balance: exploring the link of futures research with innovation and strategy processes

Futures research can support decisions concerning innovation and strategy issues. To encourage companies to use the results of futures studies, the futures researcher has to be aware of how those companies (clients) have organised their innovation and strategy processes. It is our position that futures researchers should balance the way they conduct futures research with the way innovation and strategy processes are organised and carried out. For example, in an organisation with a hierarchical way of building a strategy, a ‘democratic’ and interactive approach to futures research will probably not be appreciated. This makes it interesting and worthwhile to find out what futures research and innovation and strategy have in common, and on which points they relate. This will help futures researchers improve their work and make sure that their work has an impact on decisions concerning innovation and strategy.Futures research can support decisions concerning innovation and strategy issues. To encourage companies to use the results of futures studies, the futures researcher has to be aware of how those companies (clients) have organised their innovation and strategy processes. It is our position that futures researchers should balance the way they conduct futures research with the way innovation and strategy processes are organised and carried out. For example, in an organisation with a hierarchical way of building a strategy, a ‘democratic’ and interactive approach to futures research will probably not be appreciated. This makes it interesting and worthwhile to find out what futures research and innovation and strategy have in common, and on which points they relate. This will help futures researchers improve their work and make sure that their work has an impact on decisions concerning innovation and strategy.

The effect of internal and external technology sourcing on firm performance throughout the technology life cycle

In studies about the impact of technology sourcing on firm performance, the impact of the technology life cycle has thus far received scant attention. This paper investigates this topic from the knowledge-based perspective. Data was gathered from 22 PLD (Programmable Logic Device) manufacturers in the integrated circuit industry between 1986 and 2005, and used to test two hypotheses based on panel analysis: (1) that strategic alliance networks, as a mode of external technology sourcing, have a positive effect on a firms innovative and market performance early in the technology life cycle, and (2) that internal development as a mode of internal technology sourcing has a positive effect on a firms innovative and market performance later in the technology life cycle. Although both hypotheses are supported as far as market performance is concerned, neither is supported when it comes to innovative performance.

Service Productivity How to Measure and Improve It

Productivity is a key performance measure for service businesses and serves as a compass for measuring their innovativeness. In this chapter we present a tool for measuring productivity in service businesses. Improvements in service business productivity do not depend on industry, business size or business growth, but on the specific knowledge and competences of managers. Using case examples we show various ways of how managers can improve the productivity of their service businesses. They can do so by adopting a perspective of standardization, flexibility or individualization. Based on these perspectives, we provide a framework that shows how managers can improve service business productivity by coordinating strategic orientation, value creation and the configuration of business processes.

Technology standards battles and business networks during the technology life cycle: Propositions and a plan for further research

In this paper we explore the relationship between business networks and technology standards battles for dominance during the technology life cycle. Based on brief reviews of existing theory and research, we relate (1) standard dominance to the technology life cycle, (2) the business network to standard dominance and (3) the technology life cycle to the business network. We expect the technology life cycle to be a moderator of the relationship between the business network and technology standard dominance. We formulate propositions of how size, diversity and density of the business network contribute to standard dominance during the technology life cycle and we propose a way to further study these propositions.