1,721,036 research outputs found
Agile-as-a-tool and agile-as-a-culture: a comprehensive review of agile approaches adopting contingency and configuration theories
Full text linkToday’s world requires new approaches to innovation that leverage continuous test- ing and pivoting. Speed and the ability to respond to exogenous shocks are becoming increasingly important in both theory and practice. Following the introduction of the Agile Manifesto in 2001, a wide range of industries have adopted agile approaches, which differ from other ways of managing innovation projects by promoting flex- ibility and the rapid development of new solutions. Despite the proliferation of agile approaches across industries, the literature lacks a systematic understanding of their underlying elements. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature review using a text mining technique to longitudinally explore the evolutionary dynamics of the field. Analyzing the results through the dichotomous lens of contingency and con- figuration theories, we show that the agile literature can be systematized into two perspectives: agile-as-a-tool in the contingency perspective, and agile-as-a-culture in the configuration perspective. Our review reveals underexplored intersections in the field of innovation and provides interesting insights into these two perspectives. We also propose a research agenda to shed light on these emerging perspectives in the agile innovation and management literature
The battle of superheroes: the rise of the knowledge platform strategy in the movie industry
Full text linkPurpose – Over the past years – because of the huge impact of companies such as Airbnb and Uber – the concept of the platform became extremely popular in the business world. Still, the concept of the platform has been evolving for a long time in the management field, from internal platforms (like the famous case of Sony Walkman) to industry-wide platforms (like the case of computers with external software developers), up to transaction and two or multi-sided platforms (such as Airbnb and all the companies with a similar business model). Platforms are often considered disruptors in several industries, from accommodations to mobility to entertainment. Still, the disruptors in the creative world usually deal with the way in which they distribute content (Netflix or Spotify), rather than with the content itself. The purpose of this paper is to understand if and how platforms trategies can also be used in the creative industries.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper digs into the movie industry, studying the three most successful Superheroes sagas of the past two decades as follows: the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), DC Comics and X-Men using a narrative approach. The three sagas are studied through network analysis to understand their ‘‘platform approach’’.
Findings – The results show how platform strategies are relevant also in creative industries – defining the concept of ‘‘knowledge platform strategy’’ – and how they have a significant impact in terms of market performance. The MCU builds on a common knowledge through the various movies that enable the chance to rely on many of the platforms’ characteristics emerging from the literature.
Research limitations/implications – This research extends the concept of ‘‘platforms,’’ relying on the three kinds of platform defined in the managerial literature and introducing the ‘‘knowledge platform strategy’’ for creative industries. The main contribution is related to the extension of platforms in research fields where it has not been exploited. This opens up avenues for research both from a knowledge platform and creative industries perspectives.
Practical implications – Managers, working not only in creative industries but also in industries where a common knowledge basis may be leveraged to develop new products over time, may use the concept of ‘‘knowledge platform strategy’’ to rethink the new development process or knowledge management from a customer perspective.
Originality/value – This study explores a mature and relevant concept – the platforms – in a new filed, the creative industries using the case of Superheroes sagas, proposing a new perspective to explain the success of MCU while proposing a new platform strategy
Look for New Opportunities in Existing Technologies
Full text linkSeveral approaches to developing new technologies are available to companies, but few studies explore how the development process can reveal hidden opportunities in existing technologies. This paper investigates the technology development process to consider how they can discover opportunities that generate higher value for users. Implementing a five-step framework in the discovery process can help identify new opportunities and reveal new application fields for existing technologies.
A Process Model for Early-Stage Experimentation to Accelerate Innovation
No full textInnovation has become increasingly urgent for companies to maintain competitive advantage, yet deep uncertainty persists regarding the end results of their innovation efforts. Early-stage experimentation offers a risk management approach that can dramatically accelerate cost-effective innovation. Experimentation relies on scientific methods to craft and test hypotheses. Insufficient guidance exists regarding how to help managers harness experimentation in early-stage innovation projects. Based on our observations of experienced experimenters engaged in early-stage innovation projects in four distinct settings, we developed a process model that offers practitioners a structured and scalable approach to foster early-stage experimentation. Managers in all parts of the organization can apply the process model and operationalize experimentation. The article’s contribution is twofold: we articulate specific practices associated with choices around what is being tested, how it is being tested, and what is learned, and we offer a model designed to help build managerial literacy in early-stage experimentation
The microfoundations of design sprint: how Johnson & Johnson cultivates innovation in a highly regulated market
Full text linkPurpose: Mastering innovation in highly regulated markets might require companies to overcome significant barriers. Rules, laws and limitations on social, economic and institutional dimensions can hinder the ability of a company to transfer knowledge within and across organizational boundaries. However, as recent research in innovation management increasingly advocates user involvement and early understanding of user needs as best practices, the inability to freely interact with customers due to highly regulated market restrictions can hinder the company’s capability to innovate. Hence, this paper aims to shed light on how an emerging managerial approach, such as Design Sprint, can support companies operating in highly regulated markets to overcome user involvement limitations and boost human-centered innovation. Design/methodology/approach: This paper sheds light on how to boost innovation in a highly regulated market by leveraging an in-depth case study. The study investigates the use of the Design Sprint approach adopted by the pharmaceutical multinational Johnson & Johnson to revise the way its R&D department orchestrates the new product development process, overcoming the user involvement challenges of highly regulated markets. Findings: In analyzing six different projects undertaken in the past two years, the findings illustrate three microfoundational dimensions of the Design Sprint approach in highly regulated markets, the so-called 3T model: team, time and tools. Indeed, deploying the Design Sprint in a highly regulated market has proven that being able to experiment in the early stages, building rough prototypes in real-time and openly collaborating with partners is crucial to boost innovation and anticipate constraints. Originality/value: The paper sheds light on the Design Sprint approach by initially grounding an emerging managerial approach on organizational and management theory, leveraging the lens of microfoundations. In doing so, this study suggests how Design Sprint is based on the pillars of experimentation, knowledge transfer and co-creation usually neglected in highly regulated markets where user involvement is challenging. Finally, this study discloses the importance of using a design-based methodology in fostering innovation in highly regulated markets
Technology-Aided Customer Experience Innovation : Implementation Modes in Retail
Full text linkRetailers are increasingly leveraging emerging digital technologies to enhance and deliver memorable and timely customer experiences. However, more research is needed to understand how these technologies are being implemented. Therefore, we conducted an fsQCA analysis of 32 retail cases of early adopters of beacon technology. Our findings reveal three main modes of implementation of emerging digital technologies in the retail customer experience: automation, augmentation, and customization. These modes can be interpreted as enablers that enhance the value of utilitarian and/or hedonic experiences, rather than as drivers of innovation per se. Our study adds a new perspective to the debate about the role of digital technologies in driving innovation. Moreover, the three modes identified provide managers with practical guidelines for the implementation of emerging digital technologies in retail environments. File changed to published version 250611, nr of downloads ahead-of-print: 56</p
Framing the multifaceted nature of design thinking in addressing different innovation purposes
Full text linkScholars and practitioners acknowledge the role of design, and specifically design thinking, as a driver of innovation and change. Design thinking is gaining attention in the business community beyond the traditional product innovation realm and is increasingly promoted as an engine for the creation of novel user experiences, new businesses, strategic transformation, organizational and cultural change. Is it reasonable to assume that the same set of practices fits such a broad range of applications equally well? This study addresses how design thinking applications are differently framed when addressing diverse innovation purposes. Specifically, we compare two purposes: innovation of solutions, encompassing traditional product and service development projects, and innovation of direction, encompassing strategic and organizational renewal projects. Based on data collected from 146 design thinking projects conducted by European consulting firms we investigate the relationships between the design thinking practices adopted and the value generated by the projects. We then analyze how these relationships vary depending on the purpose of the innovation project, namely whether focused on innovating solutions or direction. The results show that different purposes indeed call for different practices. In projects aimed at innovating solutions, market value is positively related to capturing current user needs and envisioning future society. Conversely, in projects aimed at innovating direction, market value is positively related to challenging current assumptions
Enlightening the dynamic capabilities of design thinking in fostering digital transformation
Full text linkDigital transformation describes the deep-seated changes in organizational activities, processes, and capabilities induced by the advent of digital technologies. Digital transformation requires sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring the digital technological challenges into opportunities. Academic literature acknowledges the central role of design as a driver of innovation. Furthermore, recent research discloses the value that design, especially design thinking, can have in leading digital transformations. In this understanding, design thinking has been proven to be an approach based on dynamic capabilities. What seems to lack in the current understanding is how the dynamic capabilities of design thinking can facilitate digital transformation. Thus, the paper aims to shed light on how dynamic capabilities of design thinking foster discovering the opportunities digital technologies provide to enact the transformation. This paper investigates four different cases of consulting projects where the adoption of design thinking dynamic capabilities enhance the value of digital technologies towards a more human centric digital transformation. By being a business-to-business market, the consulting environment might inform readers how design thinking dynamic capabilities are salient for digital transformation. Examining them, the paper proposes five design thinking dynamic capabilities that managers should cultivate: extending, debating, cropping, interpreting, and recombining. Concerning academic debate, the paper enriches the understanding of digital transformation by unshadowing the value that design thinking dynamic capabilities might play in it
The creative process of problem framing for innovation: An integrative review and research agenda
Full text linkWhile today's society tends to prioritize problem solving and idea management, framing the problem is often more important than solving it. Problem
framing is not a linear process; rather, it requires creativity and the ability to
explore multiple dimensions of the problem. Scholars and practitioners
increasingly recognize the value of “building the right things” and addressing
the right problem, rather than “building things right” and addressing the
wrong problem. In this context, understanding the process of problem framing
and the role of creativity—characterized by the ability to navigate uncertainty
and explore unconventional perspectives—has garnered attention across disciplines. Management, psychology, and the social sciences are among the fields
in which researchers have examined the role of creativity in problem framing
from three interrelated perspectives: business and organizational, cognitive,
and social or relational. To gain a holistic understanding of these contributions, we conducted an integrative review of 188 academic papers, synthesizing
the synergies and differences between the management, psychology, and social
science communities of practice on problem framing and creativity. Our
review identifies and integrates key concepts of the creative process of problem
framing from these communities and organizes them into four constituents:
(i) problem representations, (ii) activated knowledge, (iii) influencing stimuli,
and (iv) creative logics. This integration forms the basis of the framework we
present, which synthesizes insights across disciplines to redirect the innovation
management debate. In addition to outlining a research agenda to guide
future investigation and theorizing, our research provides practical insights
into the temporal interactions of the constituents of the creative process of
problem framing. These insights can help innovation managers not only
navigate the dynamics and complexities of this process, but also foster more
effective innovation
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