No Access

CROSSING HORIZONS: LEVERAGING CROSS-INDUSTRY INNOVATION SEARCH IN THE FRONT-END OF THE INNOVATION PROCESS

SABINE BRUNSWICKER

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Corresponding author.

Search for more papers by this author

and

ULRICH HUTSCHEK

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Search for more papers by this author

https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919610002829Cited by:54 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

"Open innovation" and "external search" for new ideas are central topics in the recent discourse in innovation research. External search helps firms to identify new opportunities for innovation and alleviates the risks of local search. It is widely acknowledged that novel ideas regularly emerge from the combination of distant pieces of knowledge and interaction with "idea suppliers" from distant knowledge domains. However, the current discussion on open innovation has hardly touched upon the question of how firms can systematically search for cross-industry innovation inputs in the fuzzy front-end of the innovation process. This paper links relevant concepts of cognitive psychology and management theory — such as analogical problem solving and the principle of isomorphism — with open innovation in the front-end. It discusses relevant dimensions of systematic search for innovation across industries. A piloted framework is presented that assists firms in systematically and interactively searching for external innovation inputs in distant industries. This framework supports external innovation search in distant industries for a fuzzy customer problem. The results of this participatory action research indicate that a systematic and interactive search process is of practical value to innovation managers. It also points out contingencies of cross-industry innovation search.

Keywords:

Remember to check out the Most Cited Articles!
Be inspired by these New Titles in Business and Management

References

D. F. Abell , Defining the business. The Starting Point of Strategic Planning ( Prentice Hall , London , 1980 ) . Google Scholar
T. M. Amabile and M. Khaire, Harvard Business Review 100 (2008). Google Scholar
C. Baldwin and K. Clark, Management Science 52(7), 1116 (2006). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
J. Bergman, International Journal of Innovation Management 13(1), 139 (2009). Link, Google Scholar
K. Brockhoff , Der Kunde im Innovationsprozess , ed. ( Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht , Göttingen , 1998 ) . Google Scholar
S. Brunswicker and A. Kianto , Taking a closer look into open innovation in SME: The interplay of openness, performance and innovation management practice , Proceedings of R&D Management Conference ( 2009 ) . Google Scholar
P. Checkland and S. Holwell , An Applied View of Emerging Concepts and Methods , ed. N. Kock ( Springer , Boston , 2007 ) . Google Scholar
H. W. Chesbrough, MIT Sloan Management Review 44(3), 35 (2003). Web of Science, Google Scholar
H. W. Chesbrough , Open Business Models. How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape ( Harvard Business School Press , Boston , 2006 ) . Google Scholar
H. W. Chesbrough and K. Schwartz, Research Technology Management 50, 55 (2007). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
W. M. Cohen and D. A. Levinthal, Administrative Science Quarterly 35(1), 128 (1990). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
D. W. Dahl and P. Moreau, Journal of Marketing Research 47 (2002). Google Scholar
E. de Bono , New Think: The Use of Lateral Thinking in the Generation of New Ideas ( Basic Books , New York , 1968 ) . Google Scholar
Drechsler, W and M Natter (2008). Open innovation - Management trend with impact? An empirical investigation of antecedents, drivers and performance outcomes. Working Paper, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt . Google Scholar
C. Dürmüller, Innovation Management 06(1), 100 (2007). Google Scholar
Fredberg, T, M Elmquist and S Ollila (2008). Managing open innovation. Present finding and future directions, VINNIVA, Chalmers . Google Scholar
O. Gassmann, R&D Management 36(3), 223 (2006). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
O. Gassmann and E. Enkel , Towards a theory of open innovation: Three core process archetypes , Proceedings of the R&D Management Conference (RADMA) . Google Scholar
O. Gassmann and M. Zeschky, Technische Rundschau 3, (2007). Google Scholar
O. Gassmann and M. Zeschky, Innovation Management 3, 8 (2007). Google Scholar
O. Gassmann and M. Zeschky, Creativity and Innovation Management 17(2), 97 (2008). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
O. Gassmann and P. Sutter , Praxiswissen Innovationsmanagement — Von der Idee zum Markterfolg ( Hanser, München , 2008 ) . Google Scholar
D. Gentner, Cognitive Science 7, 155 (1983). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
M. L. Gick and K. J. Holyoak, Cognitive Psychology 12, 306 (1980). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
R. M. Grant, Strategic Management Journal 17, 109 (1996). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
R. M. Grant and C. Baden-Fuller, Journal of Management Studies 41(1), 61 (2004). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
M. T. Hansen and J. Birkinshaw, Harvard Business Review 121 (2007). Google Scholar
M. Hesse , Models and Analogies in Science ( University of Notre Dame Press , Notre Dame , 1966 ) . Google Scholar
C. Jacobs, M. Statler and J. Ross, Scandinavian Journal of Management 24, 133 (2005). Web of Science, Google Scholar
Jantsch, E (1967). Technological Forecasting in Perspective. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Paris . Google Scholar
T. Johnsenet al., Journal of Business Research 59, 671 (2006). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
P. A. Koen et al. , The PDMA Toolbook for New Product Development , ed. P. Belliveau ( Wiley , New York , 2002 ) . Google Scholar
Lakhani, KR, LB Jeppesen, P Lohse and J Panetta (2006). The value of openness in scientific problem solving. Harvard Business School. (Working Paper) . Google Scholar
K. Laursen and A. Salter, Research Policy 33, 1201 (2004). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
K. Laursen and A. Salter, Strategic Management Journal 27(2), 131 (2006). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
J. Lee and F. M. Veloso, Journal of Product Innovation Management 25, 418 (2008). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
Y. Li, W. Vanhaverbeke and W. Schoenmakers, Creativity and Innovation Management 17(2), 107 (2008). Crossref, Google Scholar
J. G. March, Organization Science 2(1), 71 (1996). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
H. Mintzberg , J. B. Quinn and S. Ghoshal , The Strategy Process ( Prentice Hall , London , 1995 ) . Google Scholar
Nalebuff, B and A Brandenburger (1996). Coopetition - Kooperativ Konkurrieren. Frankfurt/Main: Campus . Google Scholar
S. Nambisan and M. Sawhney, Harvard Business Review 86(6), 109 (2007). Google Scholar
S. Nambisan and M. Sawhney, Harvard Business Manager 29 (2007) pp. 19–20. Google Scholar
B. Nooteboom , Inter-firm Alliances: Analysis and Design ( Routledge , London , 1999 ) . Crossref, Google Scholar
B. Nooteboom , A cognitive theory of the firm ( Rotterdam , 2002 ) . Google Scholar
B. Nooteboomet al., Research Policy 36(7), 1016 (2005). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
W. Pfeiffer , Allgemeine Theorie der technischen Entwicklung ( Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht , Göttingen , 1971 ) . Google Scholar
W. Pfeiffer , Führungsprobleme industrieller Unternehmen , ed. D. Hahn ( Berlin, New York , 1980 ) . Google Scholar
F. Piller, Harvard Business Manager 25(12), 114 (2003). Google Scholar
G. P. Pisano and R. Verganti, Harvard Business Review 78 (2008). Google Scholar
M. E. Porter , Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance ( Free Press , New York , 1985 ) . Google Scholar
C. K. Prahalad and G. Hamel, Harvard Business Review 79 (1990). Google Scholar
RTMResearch Technology Management 21 (2007). Google Scholar
R. Sanchez and J. T. Mahoney, Strategic Management Journal 17, 63 (1996). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
H. Schiele, R&D Management 40(2), 138 (2010). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
K. Schild , C. Herstatt and C. Lüthje , How to use analogies for breakthrough innovations ( Hamburg , 2004 ) . Google Scholar
H. Simon, The American Economic Review (1959). Google Scholar
D. J. Teece, Research Policy 15, 285 (1986). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
E. von Hippel, Research Policy 407 (1990). Google Scholar
E. von Hippel , The Sources of Innovation ( Oxford University Press , New York , 1988 ) . Google Scholar
W. Vanhaverbeke , Open Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm , eds. H. W. Chesbrough et al. ( Oxford University Press , Oxford , 2006 ) . Google Scholar
W. Vanhaverbeke and M. Cloodt , Open Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm , eds. H. W. Chesbrough et al. ( Oxford University Press , Oxford , 2006 ) . Google Scholar
A. Walter, T. Ritter and F. Riesenhuber, Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft 1 (2007). Google Scholar
E. Weiß, International Journal of Technology Management 27(3), 320 (2004). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
W. F. Whyte , D. J. Greenwood and P. Lazes , Through Practice to Science in Social Research, Participatory Action Research , ed. W. F. Whyte ( Sage , Newbury Park, London, New Delhi , 1991 ) . Crossref, Google Scholar