Lois S. Peters

Radical innovation: triggering initiation of opportunity recognition and evaluation

The gap between a firm’s reservoir of technical knowledge and the formation of a project to explore the commercial potential of a breakthrough technical insight or discovery is the first major discontinuity in the radical innovation lifecycle. The first step toward bridging that gap occurs when the researcher with the technical insight recognizes that it might have commercial potential and decides to alert a research manager. In our longitudinal study of eight radical innovation projects in six large, multi-national, R&D-intensive firms, the initiation of a radical innovation project was neither frequent nor routine. In fact the participants in the study indicated that the initiation of a project – in their terminology, the ‘fuzzy front end of innovation’– was the most challenging and uncertain part of the lifecycle. In this paper we explore the case data to illuminate the nature of the initiation gap. In addition we present an assessment framework that can help researchers decide whether or not to bring their technical idea to the attention of management. If the decision is positive, the assessment tool can help them prepare for the discussion with management and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the case to submitted for evaluation.

Multinational web uses and gratifications: Measuring the social impact of online community participation across national boundaries

This paper describes the rationale and findings from a multinational study of online uses and gratifications conducted in the United States, Korea, and the Netherlands in spring 2003. Survey questions developed in three languages by native speaking researchers was presented to approximately 400 respondents in each country via the Web. Web uses and gratifications were analyzed cross-nationally in a comparative fashion focusing on involvement in different types of on-line communities. Findings indicate that demographic characteristics, cultural values, and Internet connection type emerged as critical factors that explain why the same technology is adopted differently.

Outsourcing A Core Competency

OVERVIEW: Data from contract research organizations (CROs) and pharmaceutical companies reveal an increasing amount of outsourcing of biostatistics inclinical trials. However, a surprising number of projects involve practices identified as “never outsource” and of “key importance to grow and retain” by the pharmaceutical statistics directors. The sharing and outsourcing of these big pharma “best practices” with the CROs is anadvantage for smaller competitors, particularly as related to analysis methods and protocols that are likely to be accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Over time, an accumulation of critical resources and tacit knowledge could allow the CRO to eventually become a new type of independent competitive player inthe drug development process.

The virtual enterprise and the sources of technology in discontinuous innovation

While there is recognition that technological advance is at the heart of the ability to introduce discontinuous innovation, most studies have not directly addressed the scope or characteristics of the technological contribution, or the management of the sources of the technological contribution. This paper focuses on identifying sources of discontinuous innovation, particularly with respect to internal and external technical alliances and how to manage the formation and productivity of technology partnerships. The initial findings of our study highlight the importance of virtual R&D organization for discontinuous innovation. A working model of virtuous virtual R&D for discontinuous innovation is presented.

The performance-improving benefits of a radical innovation initiative

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to inquire into the question: to what extent does the process of establishing radical innovation proposals identify new potential for improved performance? The goal is to determine the types of early stage concepts that are developed, their potential performance impact on the existing business and their potential value to the organization ex ante decision making with respect to choice of projects to pursue. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors apply a participatory case study approach combined with a content analysis of data from an idea management system that was utilized by the case organization. The authors build new empirically based theory on the direct and indirect value that emerges by creating new potential concepts to the innovation stream of an existing company. Findings - – The authors conclude that three types of performance-improving activities are developed to be exploited during opportunity recognition and concept development, through a disciplined approach to uncovering potential RI projects. These concern existing products and production, as well as the conceptualization of new products to the organization, market and world. Practical implications - – Approaching high uncertainty projects in a disciplined manner can be beneficial to an organization, since knowledge that is directly exploitable to improve performance is identified during the exploration process. Originality/value - – The paper is original since the authors treat the study of innovation as an independent variable. The authors apply a theory-building approach based on empirical evidence that was collected in a real life setting and not in a business school setup. The findings are novel because the authors examine the potential value of radical innovation processes ex ante realization and decision making. Hence, the authors examine what happens before the archetypical performance measurements of realized innovation projects can be utilized to verdict the success or failure.

The Emergence and Change of Materials Science and Engineering in the United States

Availability of external funding influences the viability and structure of scientific fields. In the 1980s, structural changes in the manner in which external funds became available started to have an impact on materials science and engineering in the United States. These changes colluded with the search for a disciplinary identity of this research field inside the university. The solutions that arose were intended to find a mediating structure between external demands and resources and disciplinary orientation. Interviews with seventeen scientists in seven universities revealed the impact in local university settings. The rise of research centers as new organizational units in universities can be linked to two periods. In the 1960s, expensive instruments stimulated unit formation; in the 1980s, the increase in application-related funding forced new administrative ways. It is shown that organizational changes also have an impact on disciplinary identity as witnessed by a strong increase in interdisciplinary materials Ph.D.s awarded.

Developing competencies and capabilities through knowledge management: a contingent perspective

This paper develops the concept of management capabilities and competencies as a bridge between the current thinking on the resource-based theory of the firm and knowledge management that allows us to propose a model linking management development activities and firm performance through the development of managerial capabilities and competencies. Further, we propose that a consideration of the contingencies requiring different types of managerial capabilities will inform about the required dimensions of management development to achieve competitive advantage.

Inter-firm knowledge management and technology development in radical innovation

The results of the Rensselaer Radical Innovation Project (USA) show that the development of new businesses and product lines based on discontinuous, or radical innovation-which is critical for renewal of the firms competitive position-requires management practices that differ from those required in incremental innovation. Effective knowledge management is critical to discontinuous innovation success. All firms in the Project employ a variety of strategic alliances. Knowledge management studies suggest that inter-firm strategic alliances enhance corporate innovative capability through flow of knowledge across companies. Due to the increasing significance of inter-firm collaborative networks and the importance of technological insight to radical innovation, there is a need for further understanding of the relationship between knowledge management and technology development at the inter-firm level. Prior research has neglected to compare differences and similarities in internal knowledge management with interfirm knowledge management according to type of innovation.

Biostatistics: the hidden path to life science innovation

This exploratory paper investigates the infrastructure for life-science-based new product development. The practice of biostatistics has long been seen as a crucial element of the regulatory process for approving the release of new drugs and medical devices, but the authors hypothesize that it serves a larger role in the new product development process in pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. To this end, they focus on the management of Biostatistics and related know how such as data mining in the discovery, testing, and commercialization of new products. Their results are drawn from a number of in-depth case studies of biostatistical practices in a variety of firms engaged in life-science product development. The findings point to the importance of biostatistics in providing both technical and strategic information. To the extent that Biostatistics is managed as a learning system, it is critical for building core capability and enabling resource configurations that create value.

The relationship between technology-based and product-based knowledge and alliance formation in new firms

Firms are typically viewed as seeking alliances to achieve certain outcomes, advantages they perceive will result from these relationships. Our research investigates whether certain inputs, specifically knowledge, can explain differential alliance formation. Our empirical analysis of 67 new computer and telecommunications firms reveals that firms with more extensive technology-based and product-based knowledge are more likely to form alliances at a higher rate than those with less extensive knowledge. The implications for these findings are that alliances are more attractive to firms with a foundation of knowledge that can be leveraged, and firms with this knowledge have something of value to attract alliance partners.