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”PLACING INNOVATION IN CONTEXT”
Niklas Kviselius, Stockholm School of EconomicsMay 2009
 
 
 
In this article we present some general observations from therich literature on innovation as an introductory view for bothpractitioners and academics.
Innovation plays a central role in the success of organizations.
In the Open Innovation Frameworksresearch group we are underway togo through some of the old and newclassics in innovation literature. Wefind this reading journey, and indeeda grand journey it is, worth makingespecially when taking on such apromising but still novel concept asOpen Innovation.One observation is thatthere are at least asmany definitions for‘innovation’ as thereare innovation experts.Academics haveproblematizedinnovation in severaldimensions based ontheir interest andspecific area of study. It seemsthough beyond doubt that consensushas been reached on one importantpoint: that innovation is more thaninventions. Many great inventionshave generated little or no returns totheir inventors - innovation is whatrepresents the commercialization of the invention itself. This stressing of commercial gains is sound and opensup for an interest in managing andimproving the innovation activity initself.A more disputable observation is thatperhaps too large of an emphasis hasbeen on innovation in products, andless attention has beengiven to innovation inservices. Not to speak of even more abstract, yetcrucial in the long-term,innovation themes, suchas business models andorganizational strategy.Researchers - lets rallyaround innovation hereas well!In any case our starting-point hasbeen a view of innovation as acontinuous learning process wherenew knowledge is created - we arelooking at how to introducesomething new, at least new in aspecific context.
”PLACING INNOVATION IN CONTEXT”
Niklas Kviselius, Stockholm School of EconomicsMay 2009
 
“...too large anemphasis has beenon innovation inproducts, and less attention has beengiven to innovation inservices.” 
 
 
We will come back with moreobservations on the origins and viewson innovation from our “going back tothe roots” review during the project.Leaving the academic communityaside, most practitioners agree thatinnovation is important - but alsohave a hard time explaining what itmeans. Innovation has been aroundcontinuously so long that it would behard to categorize as a buzzword outof the colorful libraryof Heathrow BusinessSchool. But it certainlyhas taken more or lessof the managers’attention over theyears, perhaps partlyrelated to economicmacro-trends -investments in newinnovation practices issomething that might not be aspopular in an economic downturn aswhen it is sunny outside. Innovationtakes time, often more than expectedor whished for (as investigated byGuus Berkhout et al in “The cyclicnature of innovation”).The practitioners’ interest should alsobe seen in relation to the life span of an organization. A young (small) firmis often innovative per se, and there isnot so much felt need to talk aboutthe need for innovation, which isabundant. As the firm grows it mayshow signs of becoming ‘innovationsluggish’ and face problems stayinginnovative (so well described byClayton Christensen in “TheInnovators Dilemma”).It is our aim with the Open InnovationForum thatorganizations, small orlarge, get more involvedin the learning process of innovation, becauseinnovation plays a centralrole in the success of organizations. In thefollowing brief articleswe will follow up onOpen Innovation as oneof the recent and more promising(and in some cases radical)approaches to spice up innovationpractices. 
”PLACING INNOVATION IN CONTEXT”
Niklas Kviselius, Stockholm School of EconomicsMay 2009
 
“...our starting- point has been a view of innovationas a continuous learning process where new knowledge is created.” 
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