Global Network-centric Innovation:An Integrative Framework Implications for Emerging Markets

摘要

Most companies realize the need to "look outside" for innovation. However, few have a clear understanding about how they can make such a shift from innovation initiatives that are centered on internal resources to those that are centered on external networks and communities-i. e., a shift from firm-centric innovation to network-centric innovation. In this paper, we offer an integrative framework that draws on innovation management and network theory areas to identify four different models of global network-centric innovation and shows how a company can select the approach that best fits its own business and innovation context. Our framework is grounded in the academic literature, yet it is deeply informed by practice as it draws on detailed case studies of network-centric innovation initiatives in more than 30 companies including Boeing, IBM, Salesforce. com, Dial Corporation, Sun Microsystems, and Staples. Our framework informs on the organizational capabilities ( e. g., network leadership, relational competencies, structural arrangements) as well as the operational capabilities (e. g., technological and process infrastructure) that would be needed to succeed in network-centric innovation. We derive the critical implications of our framework for companies in the emerging markets, particularly those in China and India. We conclude the paper by identifying the key practical insights for R&D/innova-tion managers and the important directions for future research in the area of innovation networks.