Hans Andersson

Individual Inventors in the R&D Factory

Are individual inventors still important in todays lean R&D organizations? A study of three R&D organizations in two Swedish companies, both committed to increasingly leaner R&D and with an innovation focus, certainly indicates that a small group of extra innovative inventors in each organization outperform their colleagues in terms of patents applied for. In this paper we discuss how managers can leverage these important individuals and how the fragile inventive space needed for the growth of the next generation of key inventors can be nourished.

Exploring and exploiting inventors at Westco: a case of ambidexterity in R&D

Achieving both exploration and exploitation at the same time has become an increasingly important success factor for both firms and units within firms. Based on a single case study, this paper addresses how R&D units, traditionally regarded as responsible for firms explorative activities, work to also increase exploitation in R&D. The results suggest that in a project intensive context such as R&D, the role of project management becomes more important to achieve ambidexterity. It is, however, not an easy task for project managers to take on, and the Westco case provides illustrative examples of both pitfalls and structures designed to help the managers.

The Scope of Design Knowledge: Integrating the Technically Rational and Human-Centered Dimensions

This paper examines design from a ‘knowledge integration’ research perspective, a field which enables us to explore the nature and scope of the knowledge involved in design. The integration of technically rational and human-centered knowledge is central to design (‘integration of design’). However, design is also a core knowledge generating process (‘integration by design’) which, although sometimes overlooked, elevates design from a functional task to a strategic activity of the firm. The paper explores the meaning and implications of the scope of design knowledge, highlighting the interplay between technically rational and human-centered aspects, including symbolism, meaning and aesthetics. By examining how the nature and scope of the design knowledge being integrated influences the design process we deepen our understanding of the complexities of design and design practice.