Abstract
Incremental change and innovation are often regarded as two separate concepts, with some interconnections. Based on two practical cases that emphasize respectively incremental change and innovation, the article discusses whether a division between these concepts can be maintained. Action research is seen as having a central role, offering an integral working method in industrial networks.
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Notes
In parts of the literature, a different terminology is used for exploitation and exploration. “Operational effectiveness is based on exploitation capabilities, which are embedded in the organisation’s configuration of products, market approaches, processes, technologies, competencies, organisation and management systems. An organisation is strategically flexible if it is able to develop new configurations that satisfy tomorrow’s customers. Strategic flexibility is based on exploration capabilities” (Boer et al. 2006 are referring to: March 1991; Boer 2001; Boer and Gertsen 2003).
Understood as improving the exploitation and exploration capabilities in the participating enterprises.
This paper is based on experiences as an action researcher within two development networks consisting of industrial enterprises. These networks participated in a national R&D programme in Norway funded by the Norwegian Research Council: Value Creation 2010 (VC2010). The programme is organized in regional modules. At the regional level, there are Development Coalitions. Regionally, the triple helix system consists of three different arenas: enterprises, networks, and coalition.
The two research institutes involved are Agder Research and International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS).
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Haga, T. Orchestration of network instruments: a way to de-emphasize the partition between incremental change and innovation?. AI & Soc 23, 17–31 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0165-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0165-7