Narrow Results

In innovation management (IM), two perspectives typically come together, characterized with the term ambidexterity: a clear orientation towards the best possible use of resources (exploitation) and, at the same time, completely new ideas and novel approaches (exploration). We consider contextual ambidexterity suitable to address this dilemma in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on findings from five German SMEs, we argue that training and using ‘conventional’ IM for exploitation and ‘agile’ IM for exploration could be most feasible. We develop a generic conceptual model with high practical relevance for SMEs and their innovation projects.

Successful organizations depend not only on highly successful ideas and projects, but also on terminating poorer projects so that they do not drain their intellectual and other resources. There is, however, evidence that organizations let many projects go on for too long before terminating them. This paper investigates managers' termination behaviors in the energy industry along two dimensions — termination and accommodation. Managers have two main concerns when terminating innovative ideas and projects. One is that the idea is actually abandoned (termination) and the other is that whoever came up with the idea does not become de-motivated when a project is terminated (accommodation). We explore the variance in the data to generate categories of termination and accommodation behaviors. We group our findings into seven major categories of termination strategies that vary with respect to accommodation. We then discuss three major features of accommodation strategies.

Enterprises around the world face significant challenges in an increasingly competitive and global economy. Given this scenario companies’ survival depends on their ability to stay ahead in their markets and innovation is considered a pressing need, the key resource for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Innovations, product and technology development, are transformed into reality through projects and are affected by the management model and the practice adopted in order to be decisive and support the achievement of the organization’s goals. In this way, this paper proposed a conceptual maturity model which was developed for innovation project management through qualitative approach, interviews; and then, through quantitative research involving 162 specialists and project managers who work with innovations from many sectors subsequently, the concept’s applicability was evaluated in the real environment of aerospace enterprises in the Brazilian ecosystem.