Voices from the Field: How Exceptional Electronic Industrial Innovators Innovate

Abstract

This exploratory research uses in‐depth qualitative interviews to investigate how 11 exceptional innovators in the electronics industry initiated, created, and commercialized radical innovations in their firms. From the data, two initial frameworks emerged for how radical innovations were created by these individuals. Four themes emerged associated with what these innovators bring to the organization as an underpinning for being able to radically innovate. Additional themes emerged as to the process by which they innovate. Across the literatures of innovation, psychology, and management, creativity is discussed in terms of person, product, or process. This research samples on highly creative innovations (products) and finds that it appears that both person and process need to be considered in attaining radical innovation. One may not be able to consider separately the person who achieves radical innovation from the process he or she uses to achieve it. These exceptional innovators have specific personality characteristics that support radically creative behavior, supplemented by a perspective or worldview that focuses on having a business orientation yet also a somewhat idealistic attitude. They have prepared for innovation by studying deeply, within not just one primary technology topic but also a secondary or peripheral technology topic. In addition, they have prepared broadly, across technology, business, and markets. They are both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated to innovate. People communicating what problems are urgently important to them to be solved produce external motivation for the innovator, who is then intrinsically motivated to solve these people's problems by creating new products. In terms of how they innovate, these exceptional innovators are organizationally savvy and both understand and participate in the politics necessary to gain acceptance of and resources for their project. They use an innovation process that emphasizes the up‐front aspects of finding interesting problems, planning first before executing, and understanding customer needs in great detail. This allows them to generate insights into how to solve those problems profitably for the firm. Once they have obtained and validated their insights for solving the problem, they participate in the actual implementation of the concept to a commercialized product. However, this development aspect of innovating is not much spoken of, as if it is taken for granted. Finally, they actively disseminate knowledge and acceptance of the innovation postinvention.

Retracted: The Impact of Aligning Product Development and Technology Licensing: A Contingency Perspective

“…Beyond the benefits from a dedicated licensing function, firms have to integrate these activities by developing "meta strategies" to harmonize their product development and licensing (Kotabe et al, 1996). These strategies need to be directed at maximizing the rents from technology with particular attention to complementary assets (Griffin et al, 2009;Teece, 2007). Despite the importance of an integrated strategy, many firms regard licensing as an isolated stand-alone activity (Davis and Harrison, 2001).…”

Conditions for Innovation: Insights from a multi-case study

“…Innovation in established companies has specific characteristics, as also discussed by e g Griffin et al (2009). Cases showed that there is often a possibility to finance interesting ideas and develop them to a stage where they can be assessed from a technical and marked perspective, even together with a customer.…”

“…From a micro perspective, literatures of innovation, psychology and sociology focus e g individual creativity as a key enabler for innovation. As Griffin et al (2009) also reports, there is a gap in our understanding between individual creativity on a micro level and organizations' ability to create and commercialize innovations on a macro or mezo level. This paper is the result of a multiple-case (Yin, 1994) research study where 18 cases were in-depth studied through interviews and written material.…”

Are We After the Same Thing? Differences among Different MMORPGs Players

“…In order to stay in the game, corporations not only have to constantly revolutionize their management procedures but also embrace "innovation" as the key factor in their strategic planning (Jung, Kim, & Lee, 2014). Products and services must be able to satisfy consumers' specific needs in order to succeed (Griffin, Price, Maloney, Vojak, & Sim, 2009). Corporations need to have a clear understanding of the needs of their target consumers in order to be able to define the direction of new product development and formulate marketing strategies with higher precision.…”