Koenraad Debackere

Business Model Innovation: Propositions on the Appropriateness of Different Learning Approaches

Firms are often faced with market and technological uncertainty when trying to renew their business model. The literature suggests that under uncertainty, firms can either develop new business models through commitment, incremental experimentation, or radical experimentation. Experience effects, complexity, and ambiguity influence the appropriateness of these learning approaches. However, no overarching view exists on whether and how these factors interact. Based on a simulation model, we develop propositions regarding the combined influences of complexity, ambiguity, and experience effects on the performance of these learning approaches. We also find that the firms time perspective matters. The results allow us to refine existing theoretical logic and to delineate the specific conditions under which certain learning approaches outperform others. Furthermore, they provide an explanation as to why investors generally prefer committed businesses. We propose, however, that such commitment is not optimal in the long run and that, in general, firms should consider changing their learning approach over time in order to successfully renew their business model.

Exploring Requisites and Antecedents of Continuous Innovation

When innovating, an organization needs to be capable of (1) exploring problem definition spaces and (2) exploiting them. The processes in which both activities unfold, display paradoxical characteristics which can be addressed by adopting ambidextrous organizational forms. Analyzing underlying value dynamics indicate that such forms will only be sustainable to the extent that cross-fertilization between both types of activity is achieved. These findings underscore the relevancy of interface management practices directed towards enacting synergies.

National Scientific Capabilities and Technological Performance: An Exploration of Emerging Industrial Relevant Research Domains

Todays theories and models on innovation stress the importance of scientific capabilities and science-technology proximity, especially in new emerging fields of economic activity. In this contribution we examine the relationship between national scientific capabilities, the science intensity of technology and technological performance within six promising industrial fields. Our findings reveal that national technological performance is positively associated with scientific capabilities. Countries performing better on a technological level are characterized both by larger numbers of publications and by numbers of involved institutions that exceed average expected values. The latter observation holds for both companies and knowledge generating institutes actively involved in scientific activities. As such, our findings seem to suggest beneficial effects of scientific capabilities shouldered by a multitude of organizations. In addition, higher numbers of patent activity coincide with higher levels of science intensity pointing out the relevance of science proximity when developing technology in newer, emerging fields. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.

REVISITING THE SCIENTIFIC ADVANTAGE OF ACADEMIC INVENTORS: UNRAVELLING UNDERLYING KNOWLEDGE DYNAMICS.

The article discusses academic inventors and their scientific advantage. Academic entrepreneurship has increased and with it debates and research on the advantage held by scientific academics. Universities with an an entrepreneurial orientation can benefit the local economy but there could be counterproductive pressures on the academic research agendas of said Universities. Whether or not there are performance differences between inventing academics and those that do not invent is researched. Empirical research as to other factors in performance differences is conducted.