Research on the human connection in technological innovation: an introductory essay

摘要

The management of technological innovation has been viewed through a variety of lenses. For example, some look at patents or intellectual property as indicators of successful technological innovation (Fleming and Sorenson, 2001; Hicks et al., 2001). Others examine organizational structures, culture, and processes that characterize successful technological innovation (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1995; Galunic and Eisenhardt, 2001; Nystrom et al., 2002). Still others are concerned with the connection between organizational strategy and innovation (Burgelman, 2002; Porter, 1985). Yet, when one talks with individuals involved in the process of technological innovation, the major joys and frustrations they express are not about technical issues, but rather are rooted in the myriad of human interactions that take place as an innovation moves from idea to reality. Whether one examines the role of patents, culture, or strategy in technological innovation, human connections are the enduring thread that knits these complex processes together. Humans working together must find effective ways to create and sustain the flow of ideas, information, decisions, and tasks that are innovation. Thus, managers of technological innovation are acutely concerned about human connections.