International Journal of Innovation Management

Innovation literature points directly to the Internet and the various form of online channels that companies can implemented as part of user involvement and empowerment in innovation. Yet implementing open innovation requires that online channels lead to user involvement. Online channels can be used for different purposes and will not by themselves create open innovation. This paper therefore analyzes the capability of companies to implement open innovation through use of online channels. The results show that there is a fine line between user involvement and customer orientation. Online channels do not necessarily empower users in the innovation process. In addition, the paper find that on B2C markets pioneering users hold an unrealized innovative potential that could benefit the diffusion of open innovation in these markets.

Open innovation can introduce new ways of organizing the innovation process within companies, but these new activities and processes naturally require some time to mature and work effectively. Continuous improvement of capacities and results is therefore required (Teece et al., 1997; Winter, 2003). The basic aim of this research was to develop, in collaboration with 15 companies, an open innovation maturity framework to measure and benchmark excellence in open innovation. The open innovation maturity framework that was developed combines metrics in several areas of open innovation to illustrate the expertise of that organization. It can reveal organizational excellence as well as areas of improvement in order to reach the next level of maturity.

The paper focuses on the challenges of integrating external sources in the innovation process and investigates the role of environmental turbulence in this context. Building on the resources-based view and the dynamic capabilities perspective the authors propose that open innovation strategies assist companies in navigating through turbulent times. Empirical testing of this assumption in a sample of 101 manufacturing firms indicates that open innovation activities are more important in turbulent than in non-turbulent markets and that supplier integration is vital when technological turbulence is high, whilst customer integration is critical in environments characterized by high market turbulence. From a practical point of view, these findings highlight the importance of stakeholder integration in the innovation process and provide details on the successful implementation of this strategy under different environmental settings.

Inter-firm networking can facilitate new product development but "[…] it is not a panacea for success" (Harris et al., 2000:229). This article is not concerned with the potential of in-house innovations but tries to reinforce network innovation as a worthy alternative, if managed appropriately. Our research includes the spread of the interaction oriented network approach to innovation literature. Relying on this literature, we hypothesize that balanced network management enhances network retention by facilitating partner selection, resource allocation, regulation, and network evaluation. Balanced network management thereby increases the network retention of the innovation network participants. Our empirical results support our hypotheses. These findings imply that balanced network management affects innovation network retention. For this reason, innovation literature should include a detailed investigation of the four network management functions' effects on innovation network success figures, such as network retention. Assessing network stability and social interaction within innovation networks might allow a better understanding of underlying retention mechanisms in the innovation network context.

This paper describes and discusses learning in repeated acquisitions of innovative firms. Researchers have pointed to how companies may improve performance through conducting repeated acquisitions, while they have not previously focused on repeated acquisitions of innovative firms. Findings of this present study are summarised in five learnings: forming a professional organisation that deals with acquisitions; acquiring present, ready-for-market innovations rather than innovative capabilities; acquiring complementary rather than diverse innovations; keeping the innovator and disbanding from him/her; and the slow process of integration. The findings indicate risk reductions and decreased diversification foci in later acquisitions. They also pinpoint learning on how to handle acquisitions, not just knowledge related to the acquired party. The paper contributes to research on acquisitions of innovative firms through discussing performance improvements and what expectations to place on acquisitions. It also contributes to the learning literature through providing a case illustration on a company that changed its acquisition strategy based on knowledge accumulated through previous acquisitions.

This study compares the emergence of four wireless clusters in the 1970s and 1980s. Two of them, Calgary in Canada and Finland, initially pursued rather similar service innovations for not very different markets but with very different outcomes, which raises the question why. One major reason that emerges from the reviewed extant research on cluster emergence and innovation diffusion concerns the differences in timing and quality of the initial innovations, affecting their respective perceived diffusion attributes, and market growth and extent. The initial innovation in Finland was well received, diffused rapidly and eventually globally, and led to a positive spiral spurring the industry on to take a global lead. In the case of Calgary, however, it was un-competitive in the broader international market, forcing the anchor firm to adapt and reorient. The study analyses and compares the characteristics of the respective initial innovations and their impact on the outcome, and concludes with a discussion and some propositions on cluster emergence. Enhanced understanding of nascent clusters, especially regarding the role of globally attractive initial innovations and their diffusion quality and timing, should provide value for both scholars and practitioners.

This paper analyses the effect of public subsidies on a firm's innovation performance. The research aims at filling two research gaps. First, it will try to analyse the effect of public source funding directly on a firm's innovation performance analysing not the effects on R&D investment or intensity but on the final results of the innovative effort, its outcome. Secondly, it will examine the mediating effects of various (internal and external to the firm innovative behaviour) factors which influence the whole innovation process and, though have been identified by literature, its effects have not yet been properly quantified.

Generating novel and sustainable business model ideas is a crucial yet challenging innovation task. A growing body of literature shows that artefacts, such as visual templates, objects and sketches, can enhance team collaboration and creativity in innovation activities. Drawing on literature from diverse fields we propose a model that aims to explain how artefacts can affect the team processes in developing new business model ideas, positing that they have an impact on creativity and collaboration. We report the results of an illustrative experimental study comparing the team processes of managers working on a business model innovation task. Teams were supported by different types of artefacts (a business model template; physical objects with sketching; or PowerPoint). The results indicate that using the template significantly increases perceived collaboration and decreases perceived creativity, hence showing that artefacts can have the power to shape team work for innovation tasks.