The Innovation Journey - Hardcover

Ven, Andrew H. Van De; Polley, Douglas E.; Garud, Raghu; Venkataraman, Sankaran

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195133072 ISBN 13: 9780195133073

Publisher: OUP USA, 1999

Synopsis

The Innovation Journey presents the results of a major longitudinal study that examined the process of innovation from concept to implementation of new technologies, products, processes, and administrative arrangements. Its findings call into question most of the explanations of the innovation process that have been proposed in the past. The Minnesota Innovation Research Program, on which this book is based, involved over 30 researchers who undertook longitudinal studies that tracked the development of 14 diverse innovations in real time and in their natural field settings. Studying its results, the authors find that the innovation journey is neither sequential and orderly, nor is it a matter of random trial and error; rather it is best characterized as a nonlinear dynamic system. The system consists of a cycle of divergent and convergent activities that may be repeated over time and at different organizational levels if enabling and constraining conditions are present. This divergent-convergent cycle is found to be the underlying dynamic that explains the development of corporate cultures for innovation, learning among innovation team members, leadership behaviors of top managers or investors, building relationships and joint ventures with other organizations, and developing an industrial infrastructure for innovation. Resource investments and organizational structure enable this innovation cycle, while external institutional rules and internal focus draw the boundaries of the journey. The authors conclude with advice for innovation managers and entrepreneurs: learn to "go with the flow," because while they can learn to maneuver through the innovation journey, they cannot control its flow.

About this title

Review

One of the most elaborate studies of temporal and processual aspects of innovation that applies longitudinal tracking of innovations ... offers guidance to innovation managers and entrepreneurs who need to know more than the starting conditions and investments that are required to achieve desired outcomes ... a nice example of productive research management in innovation research. (Organization Studies)

About the Author

AV: Vernon H. Heath Professor of Organizational Innovation and Change, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota DP: Associate Professor of Management, St. Cloud State University RG: Associate Professor of Management, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University SV: Associate Professor of Business Administration, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia

Edition details

• Publisher: OUP USA
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195133072
• ISBN 13: 9780195133073
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 436