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In today’s dynamic and rapidly changing corporate environment, organizations are required to innovate in order to remain competitive. For businesses, this implies the necessity of identifying effective methods for fostering innovation within their organizational structures. While there are numerous strategic methods to enhance innovation processes, previous research has examined the effect of humor in the workplace. Humor fosters effective communication and strengthens interpersonal relationships, therefore laying a strong foundation for successful group work. Consequently, researchers have explored the use of humor, particularly leader humor, stimulating employees’ creativity in innovation. However, innovation processes involve activities other than creativity. As a result, this study aims to investigate the effect of humor on innovative behavior and innovative performance. Furthermore, it will focus on the humor occurring in the innovation work group, as research in this setting remains scarce. This qualitative research study provides a comprehensive view of humor’s role within teams. It is based on 12 interviews conducted with experts in innovation processes. The results showed that humor has a primary impact on team dynamics and working atmosphere. Individuals feel more cohesive and bonded with their team. Furthermore, individuals exhibit greater openness and motivation to engage in the innovation process. These factors influence their innovative behavior, which, in turn, improves their innovative performance. This research contributes to the existing knowledge about the effects of leader humor on innovation by providing a deeper insight into the effects in a team setting. It offers practical and theoretical implications which are discussed below., Masterarbeit Universität Innsbruck 2024

Our knowledge of how to design innovation ecosystems that effectively deal with grand challenges or wicked problems is currently insufficient due to a lack of understanding of their joint innovation processes. Through the use of an in-depth case of an innovation ecosystem designed to combat organized crime, this study shows how diverse government authorities manoeuvre innovation and interact to continuously make the challenge amenable and identify and implement provisional and innovative solutions. Drawing on extensive data gathered from observations, documentation, and interviews with multiple stakeholders, we contribute to the innovation ecosystem literature by offering a model of three interdependent and complementary innovation processes: responsive, preventive, and tactical innovation, supporting an ongoing and distributed experimentation among diverse actors. Furthermore, we emphasize the use of a hybrid interorganizational structure that combines hierarchical and horizontal structures, over one that is entirely network-based, and we highlight the crucial role of a focal collective actor as opposed to a single orchestrator of the ecosystem. Finally, the study suggests attention not only to strengths and complementary attributes but also to vulnerabilities and gaps between involved actors, providing unique innovation opportunities. The paper offers valuable guidance to designers and coordinators of innovation ecosystems addressing grand challenges., QC 20240711

Påskyndat av teknik går utvecklingen snabbare än någonsin. Generativ AI har blivit tillgänglig för allmänheten. Det ger möjligheter för verksamheter att nyttja AI-teknik utan större insatser och kunskap. Detta skiftar förutsättningarna inom digital innovation. Denna nya aktör skapar gap i litteraturen, där tidigare forskning behöver omvärderas. Ett viktigt forskningsområde är hur användningen av generativ AI påverkar digital innovation. En annan aspekt är hur innovatörer kan nyttja, och förhålla sig till generativ AI inom innovationsprocessen. För att undersöka detta har en kvalitativ studie genomförts, där empiri har samlats in genom åtta intervjuer. Studien har resulterat i en tematisk modell med följande teman: Generativ AI som en kollega; Generativ AI som resurs för digital innovation; Generativ AI ökar tillgängligheten till AI-teknik; Känslor gällande generativ AI; Problematik gällande generativ AI; Spridd och differentierad syn på digital innovation. Studien visar att generativ AI kan påverka digital innovation genom de resulterande temana. Vidare relateras dessa teman till innovationsprocessen, där en modifierad processmodell för innovation har tagits fram. Då användningen av generativ AI är ett relativt nytt fenomen är det sannolikt att innovatörer framöver kommer att öka sin användning av verktyget, vilket medför att fynden från denna studie riskerar att snabbt bli utdaterade. Vidare forskning bör därför utföra liknande studier med jämna mellanrum, för att fånga upp nya erfarenheter som uppstår av den ökade användningen., Accelerated by technology, development is progressing faster than ever. Generative AI has become accessible to the general public. It provides opportunities for businesses to leverage AI technology without significant efforts and expertise. This shifts the conditions within digital innovation. This new actor creates gaps in the literature, where previous research needs to be reevaluated. An important research area is how the use of generative AI affects digital innovation. Another aspect is how innovators can utilize and engage with generative AI in the innovation process. To investigate this, a qualitative study has been conducted, where empirical data has been collected through eight interviews. The study has resulted in a thematic model with the following themes: Generative AI as a colleague; Generative AI as resource for digital innovation; Generative AI increases accessibility to AI technology; Emotions regarding generative AI; Challenges regarding generative AI; Diverse and differentiated views on digital innovation. The study shows that generative AI can affect digital innovation through the resulting themes. Furthermore, these themes were related to the innovation process, where a modified process model for innovation has been developed. Since the use of generative AI is a relatively new phenomenon, it is likely that innovators will increase their use of the tool in the future. This may render the findings from this study quickly outdated. Further research should therefore conduct similar studies at regular intervals to capture new experiences arising from increased usage.

Påskyndat av teknik går utvecklingen snabbare än någonsin. Generativ AI har blivit tillgänglig för allmänheten. Det ger möjligheter för verksamheter att nyttja AI-teknik utan större insatser och kunskap. Detta skiftar förutsättningarna inom digital innovation. Denna nya aktör skapar gap i litteraturen, där tidigare forskning behöver omvärderas. Ett viktigt forskningsområde är hur användningen av generativ AI påverkar digital innovation. En annan aspekt är hur innovatörer kan nyttja, och förhålla sig till generativ AI inom innovationsprocessen. För att undersöka detta har en kvalitativ studie genomförts, där empiri har samlats in genom åtta intervjuer. Studien har resulterat i en tematisk modell med följande teman: Generativ AI som en kollega; Generativ AI som resurs för digital innovation; Generativ AI ökar tillgängligheten till AI-teknik; Känslor gällande generativ AI; Problematik gällande generativ AI; Spridd och differentierad syn på digital innovation. Studien visar att generativ AI kan påverka digital innovation genom de resulterande temana. Vidare relateras dessa teman till innovationsprocessen, där en modifierad processmodell för innovation har tagits fram. Då användningen av generativ AI är ett relativt nytt fenomen är det sannolikt att innovatörer framöver kommer att öka sin användning av verktyget, vilket medför att fynden från denna studie riskerar att snabbt bli utdaterade. Vidare forskning bör därför utföra liknande studier med jämna mellanrum, för att fånga upp nya erfarenheter som uppstår av den ökade användningen., Accelerated by technology, development is progressing faster than ever. Generative AI has become accessible to the general public. It provides opportunities for businesses to leverage AI technology without significant efforts and expertise. This shifts the conditions within digital innovation. This new actor creates gaps in the literature, where previous research needs to be reevaluated. An important research area is how the use of generative AI affects digital innovation. Another aspect is how innovators can utilize and engage with generative AI in the innovation process. To investigate this, a qualitative study has been conducted, where empirical data has been collected through eight interviews. The study has resulted in a thematic model with the following themes: Generative AI as a colleague; Generative AI as resource for digital innovation; Generative AI increases accessibility to AI technology; Emotions regarding generative AI; Challenges regarding generative AI; Diverse and differentiated views on digital innovation. The study shows that generative AI can affect digital innovation through the resulting themes. Furthermore, these themes were related to the innovation process, where a modified process model for innovation has been developed. Since the use of generative AI is a relatively new phenomenon, it is likely that innovators will increase their use of the tool in the future. This may render the findings from this study quickly outdated. Further research should therefore conduct similar studies at regular intervals to capture new experiences arising from increased usage.

The use of design methods for innovation in business models has gained popularity recently. Despite interest in the business sector, there are still gaps in literature research on their potential to aid business applications and challenges. To understand how design methods enhance business model innovation, this study examines design research on business model innovation. We review researchers' work on design thinking for business model innovation, identifying five research themes: technological differentiation, innovation adoption in business, transforming ideas into innovative concepts, evaluating design's influence on new strategies, and assessing the role of designers in driving business innovation. We also investigate factors impacting design methods' effectiveness, such as organizational culture, resources, capabilities, industry dynamics, competition, and regulations. In conclusion, we emphasize considering design research's social and situational nature to apply it to the co-evolution of tech products, services, and models. This literature review provides a valuable resource for future researchers and practitioners interested in using these concepts in business innovation, regardless of expertise in design, organizational research, or business innovation management.

The use of design methods for innovation in business models has gained popularity recently. Despite interest in the business sector, there are still gaps in literature research on their potential to aid business applications and challenges. To understand how design methods enhance business model innovation, this study examines design research on business model innovation. We review researchers' work on design thinking for business model innovation, identifying five research themes: technological differentiation, innovation adoption in business, transforming ideas into innovative concepts, evaluating design's influence on new strategies, and assessing the role of designers in driving business innovation. We also investigate factors impacting design methods' effectiveness, such as organizational culture, resources, capabilities, industry dynamics, competition, and regulations. In conclusion, we emphasize considering design research's social and situational nature to apply it to the co-evolution of tech products, services, and models. This literature review provides a valuable resource for future researchers and practitioners interested in using these concepts in business innovation, regardless of expertise in design, organizational research, or business innovation management.

New emerging digital technologies are evolving at an unprecedented pace. These advancements create increasing expectations for public sector organizations. However, we do not yet know much about the processes of these organizations when approaching emerging technologies. Such early innovation processes are critical to reaping the benefits of emerging technologies. We conducted a case study of a Nordic government agency to explore how a potentially paradigm-changing idea involving blockchain,evolves through an innovation process. We investigated the characteristics of early innovation search processes as a public sector organization approaches emerging technologies. Our contribution shows 1) how the search focus shifts over time - focus can be more about the solution, the need or the need–solution pair, and 2) how the conceptualization of technology plays an important role in the process.The findings increase our understanding of innovation processes in the public sector.

The world is facing a climate crisis. We are polluting the earth with high CO2 emissions and waste. In addition to this, the human population is ever-growing. This results in a demand for more products, which will create even more waste. Products that are predominantly made of raw materials. Meanwhile, the global economy is only 7,2% circular and this situation is getting worse year after year. While on the one hand, there is a desire for raw materials, and on the other hand, there are ever-growing piles of waste, there is an opportunity to meet the two. The growing desire for repurposing waste streams creates fruitful ground for businesses that focus on waste stream innovation, like Renewi. Renewi currently enables the circular economy by giving new life to used materials. It positions itself as the leading waste-to-product company in the world’s most advanced circular economies. To stay a leader in recycling and the production of secondary materials, an ambitious goal is created, called Mission 75. This goal is to recycle 75% of Renewi’s collected waste in 2025. This is 10% more compared to 2020, where 64,7% of the collected waste was recycled. The only way to get to this 75% is through improving current activities and being innovative. By all means, after reaching Mission 75 the goal will without doubt rise to 80% or 85%. Being an innovative company calls for having a proficient innovative process. This process entails a dynamic workforce keen to engage in innovation activities and is well-informed about ongoing activities. Being innovative is one of Renewi’s core values. Yet, the current innovation process doesn't work optimally, while it is challenging to spread an innovation mindset across a large, geographically widespread company with various working cultures. This paper endeavours to contribute to this objective by addressing the research question: “How can the innovation process of Renewi be improved to enable the company to recycle mo, Strategic Product Design

Using a participatory observation approach, this paper aims at exploring how public and private organizations have collaborated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the case of Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), an international project with over 250 contributors and partners; this project aimed to achieve the challenging goal of designing and realizing a mechanical ventilator for mass production in about 6 weeks. The project received the Emergency Use Authorization granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The MVM ventilator is a reliable, fail-safe, and easy-to-operate mechanical ventilator that can be produced quickly at a large-scale, based on the readily available parts. The success of the MVM case is unique as it adopts open innovation practices to generate technology innovation, in addition to a lean perspective. Through the MVM project description, this study offers a framework that explains the interplay between open innovation and lean approach, highlighting the different internal and external forces and types of collaborations, and offering fine-grained insights into the role of universities as platforms of multidisciplinary knowledge. This framework might serve as a basis for future theoretical and empirical research, providing practitioners with new best practices that are essential when facing a severe crisis like COVID-19.

Purpose Within digital innovation, there are two significant consequences of the pervasiveness of digital technology: (1) the increasing connectivity is enabling a wider reach and scope of innovation structures, such as innovation networks and (2) the unprecedented availability of digital data is creating new opportunities for innovation. Accordingly, there is a growing domain for studying data-driven innovation (DDI), especially in contemporary contexts of innovation networks. The purpose of this study is to explore how DDI processes take form in a specific type of innovation networks, namely federated networks. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study design is applied in this paper. We draw our analysis from data collected over six months from four cases of DDI. The within-analysis is aimed at constructing the DDI process instance in each case, while the crosscase analysis focuses on pattern matching and cross-case synthesis of common and unique characteristics in the constructed processes. Findings Evidence from the crosscase analysis suggests that the widely accepted four-phase digital innovation process (including discovery, development, diffusion and post-diffusion) does not account for the explorative nature of data analytics and DDI. We propose an extended process comprising an explicit exploration phase before development, where refinement of the innovation concept and exploring social relationships are essential. Our analysis also suggests two modes of DDI: (1) asynchronous, i.e. data acquired before development and (2) synchronous, i.e. data acquired after (or during) development. We discuss the implications of these modes on the DDI process and the participants in the innovation network. Originality/value The paper proposes an extended version of the digital innovation process that is more specifically suited for DDI. We also provide an early explanation to the variation in DDI process complexities by highlighting the different modes of DDI pro, Validerad;2022;Nivå 2;2022-04-13 (sofila)

Purpose Within digital innovation, there are two significant consequences of the pervasiveness of digital technology: (1) the increasing connectivity is enabling a wider reach and scope of innovation structures, such as innovation networks and (2) the unprecedented availability of digital data is creating new opportunities for innovation. Accordingly, there is a growing domain for studying data-driven innovation (DDI), especially in contemporary contexts of innovation networks. The purpose of this study is to explore how DDI processes take form in a specific type of innovation networks, namely federated networks. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study design is applied in this paper. We draw our analysis from data collected over six months from four cases of DDI. The within-analysis is aimed at constructing the DDI process instance in each case, while the crosscase analysis focuses on pattern matching and cross-case synthesis of common and unique characteristics in the constructed processes. Findings Evidence from the crosscase analysis suggests that the widely accepted four-phase digital innovation process (including discovery, development, diffusion and post-diffusion) does not account for the explorative nature of data analytics and DDI. We propose an extended process comprising an explicit exploration phase before development, where refinement of the innovation concept and exploring social relationships are essential. Our analysis also suggests two modes of DDI: (1) asynchronous, i.e. data acquired before development and (2) synchronous, i.e. data acquired after (or during) development. We discuss the implications of these modes on the DDI process and the participants in the innovation network. Originality/value The paper proposes an extended version of the digital innovation process that is more specifically suited for DDI. We also provide an early explanation to the variation in DDI process complexities by highlighting the different modes of DDI pro, Validerad;2022;Nivå 2;2022-04-13 (sofila)

The purpose of the research thesis is to examine which steps are evident in the development of innovations in family businesses, and to determine which steps of the innovation process are affected by traditions and knowledge. An abductive method was used for the thesis, together with a qualitative research consisting of interviews with respondents from the two case study companies Engelholmsglass and Magnihll. The theoretical perspective includes earlier research on innovation processes, family businesses, traditions and knowledge. It also includes linkages between the areas of interest, which are summarised in a theoretical framework. Data collection was collected on the basis of interviews with respondents from the companies Engelholms and Magnihill, which provide a foundation for this thesis. The two companies were chosen on the basis of them being family businesses actively working with innovation, and several other criterias more explained in detail in the method section. The findings show that family businesses have established innovation processes consisting of formal stages with more informal phases, and that management factors of traditions and knowledge are crucial for establishment of and security within these processes.

The importance of digital innovation is widely acknowledged among managers and scholars alike. However, its actual conceptual treatment in academic research is not necessarily clear or precise. Most research considers digital innovation as the final result of adopting digital technologies, such as new products, processes, services, or business models. In other words, this research advances the concept of digital innovation as an outcome. In parallel to this research on digital innovation as an outcome, the concept of digital innovation as a process has emerged, linking innovation capabilities, organizational structures, boundaries, and technology management in organisations. The scattered existing research on digital innovation as a process explores the anatomy of the digital transformation of the innovation process by focusing on its phases, underlying mechanisms, barriers, and enabling factors. We argue that management research should pay more attention to this perspective on digital innovation. Therefore, in this essay, we take stock of research on the topic and identify four orchestration mechanisms that are inherently processual, enabling the firm to effectively coordinate and leverage different types of resources to create and capture value through the adoption and exploitation of digital technologies in the innovation process. Based on these orchestration mechanisms, we develop an agenda for future research that will hopefully inform further scholarly inquiry in the field of digital innovation.

This project puts the focus on innovation towards sustainability driven by teamwork inside an organisation. The case study company is TED BED, which is a leader in mattress production in Bulgaria and is also striving to become a notable example for the industry. There are major issues in this field, from waste management to sleep deprivation and disorders. Therefore, sustainable development plays an important role in the strategies which have a holistic approach toward each one of the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and ecological. These complexities can be solved only by having a deep comprehension of several fields which could be best obtained through the teamwork of organisational members from various backgrounds. Thus, the expected outcome is to build a new mindset with which those strategies could be fulfilled. This is done by integrating a bottom-up approach, meaning that the employees are developing a plan on how a specific strategy could be implemented into real practice. The result is a proposal for integrating togetherness activities to spark creativity and drive innovation through cross-departmental work.

Innovation anses fortfarande vara en praktisk ledarskapsutmaning, speciellt eftersom många företag idag inte har ett systematiskt sätt att mäta innovation. Trots detta är innovation en av de viktigaste drivkrafterna för hållbar ekonomisk tillväxt. Denna studie hade därför som syfte att utforska vad ett företag kan göra för att arbeta med innovation och vad ett företag kan mäta för att avgöra om de ökar sin innovationsförmåga. För detta ändamål har en induktiv och kvalitativ forskningsansats valts ut, inspirerad av klassisk grundad teori. Studien resulterade i att en första modell för innovationsorientering togs fram som visar vad ett företag kan göra för att arbeta med innovation och att en andra modell togs fram för mätning av innovationsförmåga som integrera olika innovationskoncept och nyckeltal och visar vad ett företag kan mäta för att avgöra om deras innovationsförmåga ökar. Studiens slutsats är att även om det finns ett flertal olika nyckeltal som företag kan välja på för att mäta sitt företags innovationsförmåga, så bör dessa nyckeltal anpassas till företagets affärsmål och specifika affärskontext, samt att en sådaninnovationsmätning kräver att innovationsrelaterade koncept såsom ”nytt”, ”skapa nytta”, och ”bli nyttiggjort”, integreras med de nyckeltal som företaget väljer ut för sin innovationsmätning., Innovation is still considered a practical leadership challenge, especially since many companies today do not have a systematic way to measure innovation. Despite of that, innovation is considered one of the most important drivers of sustainable economic growth. This study therefore aimed to explore what a company can do to work with innovation and what a company can measure to determine if they have increased their innovativeness or innovation capability. For this purpose, an inductive and qualitative research approach was selected, inspired by classical grounded theory. The study resulted in the development of a first model for innovation orientation that shows what a company can do to work with innovation, and the development of a second model for the measurement of innovativeness that integrates different innovation concepts and key performance indicators and shows what a company can measure to determine if their innovativeness has increased. The study’s conclusion is that although there are several different key performance indicators that companies can choose from to measure their company’s innovativeness, such indicators should be adapted to the company’s business goals and specific business context, and that such innovation measurement requires that innovationrelated concepts such as being “new”, providing “benefits”, and being “useful”, are integrated with the company’s chosen key performance indicators when used for innovation measurement.

Innovation är en viktig del i alla företag då det är ett sätt att differentiera sig, utveckla sig och anpassa sig till de nya omständigheter som ständigt råder. Samtidigt är en innovationsprocess väldigt kostsam och riskfylld vilket gör att det är av stor vikt för företag att minimera risken samt optimera processen. Innovationsprocessen är väldigt komplex och skiljer sig beroende på situation. Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera olika framgångsfaktorer inom innovationsprocessen beroende på olika innovationssituationer. Detta har gjorts genom en fallstudie på ett globalt företag inom processindustrin. Datainsamlingen bestod av tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med individer med olika ansvarsområden kopplade till innovation i det studerade fallföretaget. Studien identifierade sju olika innovationssituationer, en ny kundorienterad produkt, en ny marknadsorienterad produkt, en kundorienterad förbättring, en marknadsorienterad förbättring, en kundorienterad bevisad funktionalitet, en marknadsorienterad bevisad funktionalitet samt en intern effektivisering. Bidraget från studien är en modell för varje innovationssituation som beskriver de identifierade framgångsfaktorerna inom den specifika innovationssituationen. Överlag visar resultaten att många framgångsfaktorer är gemensamma för marknadsorienterade respektive kundorienterade processer. På samma sätt är andra faktorer gemensamma för många projekt som är nya produkter, förbättringar eller bevisade funktionaliteter. Förslag på fortsatt forskning är att genom kvantitativa studier bekräfta eller dementera de framgångsfaktorer som identifierats i studien.

Innovation är en viktig del i alla företag då det är ett sätt att differentiera sig, utveckla sig och anpassa sig till de nya omständigheter som ständigt råder. Samtidigt är en innovationsprocess väldigt kostsam och riskfylld vilket gör att det är av stor vikt för företag att minimera risken samt optimera processen. Innovationsprocessen är väldigt komplex och skiljer sig beroende på situation. Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera olika framgångsfaktorer inom innovationsprocessen beroende på olika innovationssituationer. Detta har gjorts genom en fallstudie på ett globalt företag inom processindustrin. Datainsamlingen bestod av tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med individer med olika ansvarsområden kopplade till innovation i det studerade fallföretaget. Studien identifierade sju olika innovationssituationer, en ny kundorienterad produkt, en ny marknadsorienterad produkt, en kundorienterad förbättring, en marknadsorienterad förbättring, en kundorienterad bevisad funktionalitet, en marknadsorienterad bevisad funktionalitet samt en intern effektivisering. Bidraget från studien är en modell för varje innovationssituation som beskriver de identifierade framgångsfaktorerna inom den specifika innovationssituationen. Överlag visar resultaten att många framgångsfaktorer är gemensamma för marknadsorienterade respektive kundorienterade processer. På samma sätt är andra faktorer gemensamma för många projekt som är nya produkter, förbättringar eller bevisade funktionaliteter. Förslag på fortsatt forskning är att genom kvantitativa studier bekräfta eller dementera de framgångsfaktorer som identifierats i studien.

Innovation anses fortfarande vara en praktisk ledarskapsutmaning, speciellt eftersom många företag idag inte har ett systematiskt sätt att mäta innovation. Trots detta är innovation en av de viktigaste drivkrafterna för hållbar ekonomisk tillväxt. Denna studie hade därför som syfte att utforska vad ett företag kan göra för att arbeta med innovation och vad ett företag kan mäta för att avgöra om de ökar sin innovationsförmåga. För detta ändamål har en induktiv och kvalitativ forskningsansats valts ut, inspirerad av klassisk grundad teori. Studien resulterade i att en första modell för innovationsorientering togs fram som visar vad ett företag kan göra för att arbeta med innovation och att en andra modell togs fram för mätning av innovationsförmåga som integrera olika innovationskoncept och nyckeltal och visar vad ett företag kan mäta för att avgöra om deras innovationsförmåga ökar. Studiens slutsats är att även om det finns ett flertal olika nyckeltal som företag kan välja på för att mäta sitt företags innovationsförmåga, så bör dessa nyckeltal anpassas till företagets affärsmål och specifika affärskontext, samt att en sådaninnovationsmätning kräver att innovationsrelaterade koncept såsom ”nytt”, ”skapa nytta”, och ”bli nyttiggjort”, integreras med de nyckeltal som företaget väljer ut för sin innovationsmätning., Innovation is still considered a practical leadership challenge, especially since many companies today do not have a systematic way to measure innovation. Despite of that, innovation is considered one of the most important drivers of sustainable economic growth. This study therefore aimed to explore what a company can do to work with innovation and what a company can measure to determine if they have increased their innovativeness or innovation capability. For this purpose, an inductive and qualitative research approach was selected, inspired by classical grounded theory. The study resulted in the development of a first model for innovation orientation that shows what a company can do to work with innovation, and the development of a second model for the measurement of innovativeness that integrates different innovation concepts and key performance indicators and shows what a company can measure to determine if their innovativeness has increased. The study’s conclusion is that although there are several different key performance indicators that companies can choose from to measure their company’s innovativeness, such indicators should be adapted to the company’s business goals and specific business context, and that such innovation measurement requires that innovationrelated concepts such as being “new”, providing “benefits”, and being “useful”, are integrated with the company’s chosen key performance indicators when used for innovation measurement.

Tato diplomová práce je zaměřena na determinanty inovační schopnosti v účetní společnosti UOL, a.s. V úvodní části této práce jsou vymezeny a definovány základní pojmy z oblasti inovací a inovačního managementu. V této části práce jsou dále představeny vybrané determinanty, které mají vliv na tvorbu inovací. Následující část je zaměřena na představení vybrané společnosti UOL, a.s. a samotnou analýzu determinantů inovační schopnosti. Tato analýza byla zpracována na základě výzkumného rozhovoru, který byl realizován s vybranými zaměstnanci této společnosti. Cílem této analýzy je zhodnocení, zda vybrané determinanty přispívají k tvorbě inovací v této společnosti. Závěr této práce je věnován formulaci výsledků zjištěných analýzou a návrhům na zlepšení současného stavu., This diploma thesis is focused upon determinants analysis of innovation ability within the accounting company UOL, a.s. There are defined basic concepts regarding the field of innovation and innovation management as a preliminary part of this thesis. In this part of the work are also selected determinants that influence the creation of innovative ideas and practices. The following part introduces the selected case study example of UOL, a.s. and the analysis of the determinants of innovation ability itself. The analysis was prepared on the basis of a research interview with selected employees of this company. The aim of this analysis is to show what determinants influence the creation of innovations in this company. The conclusion of this work is devoted to evaluating the results of the analysis and suggesting improvements of the current situation., Fakulta ekonomicko-správní, Student přednesl obhajobu práce s názvem Analýza determinantů inovační schopnosti vybraného podniku. Cílem práce je zhodnocení, zda vybrané determinanty inovační schopnosti přispívají k tvorbě inovace v konkrétním podniku. O1: Jsou ve Vámi zkoumané firmě nějakým konkrétním způsobem měřeny efekty plynoucí z inovací? O2: Jaké konkrétní marketingové inovace byste firmě doporučoval v budoucnu zavést a proč? Otázky oponenta O1: V tabulce 4 (str. 53) uvádíte realizované inovace v letech 2012-2021. Většina inovací (8 ze 12) byla realizována v letech 2020 a 2021. Dovedl byste vysvětlit, proč zrovna v těchto letech došlo k tak výraznému nárůstu realizovaných inovací? Které z Vámi zkoumaných determinantů mohly tuto skutečnost ovlivnit? Doplňující otázky komise O1: Jaká je konkurence zkoumané firmy? O2: Jak se změní profese účetního v budoucnu? Student na otázky dokázat správně reagovat a v problematice se perfektně orientoval., Dokončená práce s úspěšnou obhajobou

This project puts the focus on innovation towards sustainability driven by teamwork inside an organisation. The case study company is TED BED, which is a leader in mattress production in Bulgaria and is also striving to become a notable example for the industry. There are major issues in this field, from waste management to sleep deprivation and disorders. Therefore, sustainable development plays an important role in the strategies which have a holistic approach toward each one of the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and ecological. These complexities can be solved only by having a deep comprehension of several fields which could be best obtained through the teamwork of organisational members from various backgrounds. Thus, the expected outcome is to build a new mindset with which those strategies could be fulfilled. This is done by integrating a bottom-up approach, meaning that the employees are developing a plan on how a specific strategy could be implemented into real practice. The result is a proposal for integrating togetherness activities to spark creativity and drive innovation through cross-departmental work.

The importance of digital innovation is widely acknowledged among managers and scholars alike. However, its actual conceptual treatment in academic research is not necessarily clear or precise. Most research considers digital innovation as the final result of adopting digital technologies, such as new products, processes, services, or business models. In other words, this research advances the concept of digital innovation as an outcome. In parallel to this research on digital innovation as an outcome, the concept of digital innovation as a process has emerged, linking innovation capabilities, organizational structures, boundaries, and technology management in organisations. The scattered existing research on digital innovation as a process explores the anatomy of the digital transformation of the innovation process by focusing on its phases, underlying mechanisms, barriers, and enabling factors. We argue that management research should pay more attention to this perspective on digital innovation. Therefore, in this essay, we take stock of research on the topic and identify four orchestration mechanisms that are inherently processual, enabling the firm to effectively coordinate and leverage different types of resources to create and capture value through the adoption and exploitation of digital technologies in the innovation process. Based on these orchestration mechanisms, we develop an agenda for future research that will hopefully inform further scholarly inquiry in the field of digital innovation.

The purpose of the research thesis is to examine which steps are evident in the development of innovations in family businesses, and to determine which steps of the innovation process are affected by traditions and knowledge. An abductive method was used for the thesis, together with a qualitative research consisting of interviews with respondents from the two case study companies Engelholmsglass and Magnihll. The theoretical perspective includes earlier research on innovation processes, family businesses, traditions and knowledge. It also includes linkages between the areas of interest, which are summarised in a theoretical framework. Data collection was collected on the basis of interviews with respondents from the companies Engelholms and Magnihill, which provide a foundation for this thesis. The two companies were chosen on the basis of them being family businesses actively working with innovation, and several other criterias more explained in detail in the method section. The findings show that family businesses have established innovation processes consisting of formal stages with more informal phases, and that management factors of traditions and knowledge are crucial for establishment of and security within these processes.

The importance of digital innovation is widely acknowledged among managers and scholars alike. However, its actual conceptual treatment in academic research is not necessarily clear or precise. Most research considers digital innovation as the final result of adopting digital technologies, such as new products, processes, services, or business models. In other words, this research advances the concept of digital innovation as an outcome. In parallel to this research on digital innovation as an outcome, the concept of digital innovation as a process has emerged, linking innovation capabilities, organizational structures, boundaries, and technology management in organisations. The scattered existing research on digital innovation as a process explores the anatomy of the digital transformation of the innovation process by focusing on its phases, underlying mechanisms, barriers, and enabling factors. We argue that management research should pay more attention to this perspective on digital innovation. Therefore, in this essay, we take stock of research on the topic and identify four orchestration mechanisms that are inherently processual, enabling the firm to effectively coordinate and leverage different types of resources to create and capture value through the adoption and exploitation of digital technologies in the innovation process. Based on these orchestration mechanisms, we develop an agenda for future research that will hopefully inform further scholarly inquiry in the field of digital innovation.

This report describes the results of a graduation project, which was completed at Hombli, a brand of Avanca International B.V. Hombli offers smart home products and has the ambition to become a leader in this domain. In order to achieve that the company wants to create Intellectual Property in the future and have a solid brand. Hombli has two issues however First of all Hombli’s current positioning risks losing its uniqueness. Competitors also claim to be simple to use, easy to install and safe. Secondly, the way it currently creates new products is sensitive to being copied by competitors. Hombli imports products from China, adjusts them to their liking and integrates it into their ecosystem of devices. Many of these smart home products are also available to competitors, making it hard¬er for Hombli to stand out. A question rises when looking at these obstacles: How can Hombli become a household name and create I.P.? To answer this question a two step approach is proposed: First a future direction will be designed, resulting in a clear and differentiating brand story for Hombli. Second a new way innovation process will be designed as well as improving the existing way of innovating. By doing trend research and using the trend spotting method (Simonse, 2017), a future scenario is created. Summarized it resulted in the following: Because of an increase of people suffering from mental stress and the home becoming an even more prominent space in people’s lives, it makes sense for Hombli to facilitate well being at home. Then the way the company currently innovates is analysed. The existing process which focusses on sourcing products has some disadvantages. Lack of communication, no prioritisation and confusion about responsibilities result in unnecessary slack in the process and in turn hinders innovation. This then also leaves even less room for any exploratory activities. Principiles from the User Centered Design method from Abras, Maloney-Krichmar & Preece (2004, Strategic Product Design

This thesis was performed in assignment of Alpha.One for their new eye tracking prediction platform expoze.io. The project started of with the brief; What does the future of expoze.io hold? This indicates the need for a future vision. In order to create a future vision the company purpose must first be researched, the reason why they exist. The purpose of the company is often related to the customer needs, therefore it is important to understand the subjective value that the product offers to the customer. Therefore before the preliminary research the research questions proposed were; What does the future roadmap of expoze.io look like? What is the future vision for the predictive eye tracking platform expoze.io? What is the purpose of expoze.io? What is the customer value of expoze.io? What are market gaps / differentiating factors in the market? The preliminary research revealed that for the roadmap to succeed a process integrating the roadmap should be designed. This process should also fit the company as it is still a startup, therefore it must be time, effort and cost efficient. Another insight was that there needs to be a shift to a more human oriented mindset within the company. These insights led to the addition of the following research questions. What does the future roadmap of expoze.io look like? How can the roadmap assist in adapting the product to be more Human? How could the roadmap be best adopted into the operation of the expoze.io team? (process) How to build an innovation process that fits a small startup team? cost, time, effort efficient How to create a shift to a more human oriented mindset in this process? How to make sure that ideas selected fit the needs of the customers? Through customer interviews it became evident that the subjective customer value that expoze.io brings to the customer is confidence. Through eye tracking analysis the customer gains confidence in their advertisements and if they will perform in the market as they would lik, Strategic Product Design

The objective was to identify the innovation process in tourism companies in Sonora, Mexico. A descriptive research with a quantitative approach was carried out. As an instrument for collecting information, a 22-item questionnaire was applied to managers of 277 organizations. The results show that the tourism companies approached carry out innovation through the improvement of their processes, which promotes organizational innovation. However, they do not introduce or develop new methods or technologies as enhancing elements of their growth and positioning, since what they have acquired is focused on improving operational processes., El objetivo fue identificar el proceso de innovación en las empresas turísticas de Sonora, México. Se realizó una investigación descriptiva con enfoque cuantitativo. Como instrumento de recolección de información, se aplicó un cuestionario de 22 ítems a directivos de 277 organizaciones. Los resultados demuestran que las empresas turísticas abordadas, llevan a cabo innovación a través de la mejora de sus procesos, lo cual promueve la innovación organizacional. No obstante, no introducen ni desarrollan nuevos métodos o tecnologías como elementos potenciadores de su crecimiento y posicionamiento, dado que lo adquirido se enfoca en la mejora de los procesos operativos.

Despite the growing importance of disruptive innovation, literature still lacks conversations on the entrant perspective, especially those addressing the effort at early stages to cause disruption. Prior research reveals that disruptive innovation follows a trajectory composed of three phases, but the fastest entrants' growth occurs during the first two phases. In these stages, the rate on which new entrants develop and launch product and services increase drastically. Considering that disruption occurs during this period, this study explores the entrepreneurial practices that new entrants use to accelerate their innovation processes to cause disruption. To analyze them, we use a three-tier framework that emerged from entrepreneurship research. The framework decomposes entrepreneurial methods into logic, model, and tactics. The tactical level covers the entrepreneurial practices, which is our main concern in this study. We conducted a process research approach, identifying the entrepreneurial practices on four disruptors. Then, we reconstructed and analyzed their trajectories across 311 events. Early quantitative analysis revealed confirmation of their disruptive roadmap. Further results identify entrepreneurial practices overlaps among their journeys, recognizing mostly iterative and effectual practices behind the disruption. Additionally, we distinguish the operationalization behind the new entrants' strategies to change their innovation processes' pace to seek recognition and legitimation. Findings from this study can help entrepreneurs and scholars point out how disruptive innovations could purposefully be created.

The objective was to identify the innovation process in tourism companies in Sonora, Mexico. A descriptive research with a quantitative approach was carried out. As an instrument for collecting information, a 22-item questionnaire was applied to managers of 277 organizations. The results show that the tourism companies approached carry out innovation through the improvement of their processes, which promotes organizational innovation. However, they do not introduce or develop new methods or technologies as enhancing elements of their growth and positioning, since what they have acquired is focused on improving operational processes., El objetivo fue identificar el proceso de innovación en las empresas turísticas de Sonora, México. Se realizó una investigación descriptiva con enfoque cuantitativo. Como instrumento de recolección de información, se aplicó un cuestionario de 22 ítems a directivos de 277 organizaciones. Los resultados demuestran que las empresas turísticas abordadas, llevan a cabo innovación a través de la mejora de sus procesos, lo cual promueve la innovación organizacional. No obstante, no introducen ni desarrollan nuevos métodos o tecnologías como elementos potenciadores de su crecimiento y posicionamiento, dado que lo adquirido se enfoca en la mejora de los procesos operativos.

Title: The relationship between Open innovation and Swedish forest companies - Why do Swedish forest companies choose to either implement or to not implement Open innovation? Course: 2FE897, Master`s thesis in Entrepreneurship, Department of Business Studies. Key Words: Open innovation, closed innovation, innovation process, collaborative innovation, Swedish forest companies. Purpose: Aims to identify the reasons why or why not Swedish forest companies implement open innovation, but also to find out if there is an ideal open innovation form among Swedish forest companies. Methodology: Abductive approach and qualitative method. Semi structured interviews areconducted with managers from five Swedish forest companies and one startup. Theoretical perspectives: We collected and created a theoretical framework based on open and closed innovation models. We will also bring up different forms of open innovation. Empirical foundation: The empirical data in this thesis are based on our semi structured interviews. Conclusions: Companies prefer a mix of open and closed innovation. Why companies use Open innovation: cost effective, more efficient, boost brand reputation and remain competitive with external knowledge. Why companies continue to use closed innovation: Easier to measure results, keep control, manage and estimate budgets. Collaborative innovation is concluded to be the ideal open innovation form.

Bakgrund: Fastighetsbranschen klassificeras som en stabil bransch med fastigheter som fortsatt kommer behöva driftas och förvaltas, vilket har lett till få incitament att driva innovation i branschen. Spridningen av innovationer i branschen utgör en brist, även om tillgänglighet av innovationsmöjligheter finns. Medvetenhet om nödvändigheten av innovation inom fastighetsbranschen har dock ökat under de senaste decennierna, vilket har lett till att fastighetsbolagen gjort satsningar på att driva innovation i högre grad. Innovationsarbetet i fastighetsbranschen påverkas av flera externa och interna faktorer. Här råder det en kunskapslucka, då innovationsprocessen i fastighetsbranschen inte är tillräckligt studerat. Syfte och Frågeställningar: Studiens syfte är att med hjälp av en komparativ studie utforska skillnader och likheter i olika fastighetsbolags innovationsarbete. För att besvara detta syfte har följande frågeställningar använts: “Vad är drivkraften till innovation för fastighetsbolagen inom branschen?” samt “Hur ser processen ut för innovationsskapande för aktörer inom fastighetsbranschen och finns det några skillnader samt likheter?” Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie har en abduktiv ansats eftersom studiens teoretiska ramverk har utformats utifrån förintervjuer och en litteraturstudie. Empiriska data har samlats in genom primärdata i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem olika fastighetsbolag vilka sedan har analyserats med en tematisk analysmetod. Slutsats: Vad som driver innovation inom branschen visade sig vara följande områden: omvärldsanalys, hållbarhet, kunder, samarbeten samt intern vilja och drivkraft. Processen för innovationsskapande för de olika bolagen ser olika ut och processerna är individuella för bolagen. Bolagen har flertalet likheter i sina innovationsprocesser med tanke på medarbetarnas involvering, pilotprojekt och hur de mäter om en innovation har uppnått sitt syfte. Olikheter i processerna grundar sig ofta i initiativet till va, Introduction: The real estate industry classifies as a stable industry with properties that will still need to be operated and managed, which led to few incentives to drive innovation in the industry. The spread of innovations in the industry constitutes a deficiency, even though there is an availability of innovation opportunities. Awareness of the necessity of innovation in the real estate industry has increased in recent decades which has led real estate companies to make efforts in pursuing innovation to a greater degree. The innovation work in the real estate industry is affected by several external and internal factors. There is a knowledge gap here because the innovation process in the real estate industry has not been sufficiently studied. Purpose and research questions: The purpose of the thesis is to explore differences and similarities in the innovation work of different real estate companies through a comparative study. To answer this purpose, the research questions used are: “What are the driving forces for innovation for real estate companies in the industry?” and “What does the process look like for innovation creation for players in the real estate industry and are there any differences and similarities?”. Method: This qualitative study has an abductive approach, which has meant that the study has designed a theoretical frame of reference based on preliminary interviews and a literature review. This qualitative study has an abductive approach. The empirical data has been collected through primary data in the form of semi-structured interviews with five different real estate companies which then have been analysed using a thematic analysis method. Conclusion: What drives innovation in the industry turned out to be the following areas: external analysis, sustainability, customers, collaborations, and internal will and drive. The process of creating innovation for the different companies looks different and the processes are individual for the com

Forskningsfrågor: •Hur upplever ledare fenomenet Groupthinkinom innovation och utvecklingsarbete och hur det yttrar sig i deras team? •Hur kan en förståelse för Groupthinkförändra processer för beslutsfattanden? Syfte: Huvudsyftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om GT och dess förekomst upplevs hos ledare för innovation och utvecklingsprojekt inom svenska organisationer. Vidare är syftet att skapa en uppfattning av hur en bredare förståelse för GT kan förändra ledares arbetssätt vid beslutsfattande. Metod: Flermetodsforskning med tvärsnittsdesign. Kvalitativ delen är intervjuer med tematisk analys och den kvantitativ del är enkäter som analyserats genom olika delkodningar. Slutsats: GT uttrycker sig i innovationsteam i svenska organisationer, men på ett positivt sätt. Problematiken ligger i när orsaker och symptom slår över till konsekvenser (Aronson et.al., 2020). Beroende på organisationens storlek och bransch så kan denna gräns variera, det tyder däremot på att organisationer inom offentlig sektor har en större risk att slå över till konsekvenserna. Det beror på att de har mer restriktioner och färre som besitter mandat, vilket minskar flexibiliteten och i sin tur ens innovativa förmåga. De finns däremot också risker för mindre organisationer då risken för starkt sammanhållna grupper ökar när de inte besitter samma resurser eller är lika belägna till att arbeta ad hoc., Research questions: •How do leaders experience the phenomenon groupthink in innovation and development work and the way groupthinkexpressesitselfintheirteams? •How can an understanding of groupthinkchange the process of decision making? Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about GT and how it ́s occurrence is experienced by leaders in innovation and development work within Swedish organizations. Furthermore, the aim is to get an apprehension of how a broader understanding of GT can change the way leaders work in decision-making. Method: Mixed methods research with a cross-sectional design. The qualitative method uses interviews with a thematic analysis, the quantitative method uses questionnaires analyzed through different partial coding's. Conclusion: GT expresses itself in innovation teams in Swedish organizations, though in a positive way. Problematic here is when antecedent conditions and symptoms emerges into consequences (Aronson et al., 2020). Depending on the branch of industry and size of the organization the line between antecedent/symptoms and consequences differs, it also seems that organizations within public sector runs a bigger risk of reaching the consequences of GT. This because of higher restrictions and fewer with mandate to reach a conclusion, this decreases the flexibility leading to a decrease in innovative abilities. There are also risks within smaller organizations because of the risk for more cohesive groups since they do not have the same personnel resources or aren't as inclined to work ad hoc.

Forskningsfrågor: •Hur upplever ledare fenomenet Groupthinkinom innovation och utvecklingsarbete och hur det yttrar sig i deras team? •Hur kan en förståelse för Groupthinkförändra processer för beslutsfattanden? Syfte: Huvudsyftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om GT och dess förekomst upplevs hos ledare för innovation och utvecklingsprojekt inom svenska organisationer. Vidare är syftet att skapa en uppfattning av hur en bredare förståelse för GT kan förändra ledares arbetssätt vid beslutsfattande. Metod: Flermetodsforskning med tvärsnittsdesign. Kvalitativ delen är intervjuer med tematisk analys och den kvantitativ del är enkäter som analyserats genom olika delkodningar. Slutsats: GT uttrycker sig i innovationsteam i svenska organisationer, men på ett positivt sätt. Problematiken ligger i när orsaker och symptom slår över till konsekvenser (Aronson et.al., 2020). Beroende på organisationens storlek och bransch så kan denna gräns variera, det tyder däremot på att organisationer inom offentlig sektor har en större risk att slå över till konsekvenserna. Det beror på att de har mer restriktioner och färre som besitter mandat, vilket minskar flexibiliteten och i sin tur ens innovativa förmåga. De finns däremot också risker för mindre organisationer då risken för starkt sammanhållna grupper ökar när de inte besitter samma resurser eller är lika belägna till att arbeta ad hoc., Research questions: •How do leaders experience the phenomenon groupthink in innovation and development work and the way groupthinkexpressesitselfintheirteams? •How can an understanding of groupthinkchange the process of decision making? Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to increase knowledge about GT and how it ́s occurrence is experienced by leaders in innovation and development work within Swedish organizations. Furthermore, the aim is to get an apprehension of how a broader understanding of GT can change the way leaders work in decision-making. Method: Mixed methods research with a cross-sectional design. The qualitative method uses interviews with a thematic analysis, the quantitative method uses questionnaires analyzed through different partial coding's. Conclusion: GT expresses itself in innovation teams in Swedish organizations, though in a positive way. Problematic here is when antecedent conditions and symptoms emerges into consequences (Aronson et al., 2020). Depending on the branch of industry and size of the organization the line between antecedent/symptoms and consequences differs, it also seems that organizations within public sector runs a bigger risk of reaching the consequences of GT. This because of higher restrictions and fewer with mandate to reach a conclusion, this decreases the flexibility leading to a decrease in innovative abilities. There are also risks within smaller organizations because of the risk for more cohesive groups since they do not have the same personnel resources or aren't as inclined to work ad hoc.

El presente trabajo de grado se desarrolló la construcción de una propuesta de una Estrategia para la Gestión de la Innovación para la cooperativa de ahorro y crédito Cobelén; esta propuesta partió de dos factores importantes; el primero fue lo teórico-conceptual, que abarcó modelos (lineales, redes, etc.), la norma ISO 56002:2019 y conceptos. El segundo fue el diagnóstico del proceso de innovación de la empresa, que se llevó a cabo a través de la encuesta para recoger la información pertinente y su análisis permitió la construcción de una matriz DOFA. La estructura de la propuesta conceptual se construyó para que se articule y se integre de manera sistémica y organizada a la estrategia empresarial, a partir así de cinco aspectos: la vigilancia, el liderazgo adaptativo, la cultura, los recursos y el proceso de innovación, enfocada hacia la competitividad de la organización, debido a la gran importancia de la innovación como un instrumento estratégico y gerencial. De esta manera, es una solución para generar valor para Cobelén., The present degree work developed the construction of a proposal of a Strategy for the Management of Innovation for the Cobelén savings and credit cooperative; This proposal started from two important factors; The first was the theoretical-conceptual, which covered models (linear, networks, etc.), the ISO 56002: 2019 standard and concepts. The second was the diagnosis of the company's innovation process, which was carried out through the survey to collect the relevant information and its analysis allowed the construction of a SWOT matrix. The structure of the conceptual proposal was built so that it is articulated and integrated in a systemic and organized way to the business strategy, based on five aspects: vigilance, adaptive leadership, culture, resources and the innovation process, focused on the competitiveness of the organization, due to the great importance of innovation as a strategic and managerial instrument. In this way, it is a solution to generate value for Cobelén.

This report describes the results of a graduation project, which was completed at Hombli, a brand of Avanca International B.V. Hombli offers smart home products and has the ambition to become a leader in this domain. In order to achieve that the company wants to create Intellectual Property in the future and have a solid brand. Hombli has two issues however First of all Hombli’s current positioning risks losing its uniqueness. Competitors also claim to be simple to use, easy to install and safe. Secondly, the way it currently creates new products is sensitive to being copied by competitors. Hombli imports products from China, adjusts them to their liking and integrates it into their ecosystem of devices. Many of these smart home products are also available to competitors, making it hard¬er for Hombli to stand out. A question rises when looking at these obstacles: How can Hombli become a household name and create I.P.? To answer this question a two step approach is proposed: First a future direction will be designed, resulting in a clear and differentiating brand story for Hombli. Second a new way innovation process will be designed as well as improving the existing way of innovating. By doing trend research and using the trend spotting method (Simonse, 2017), a future scenario is created. Summarized it resulted in the following: Because of an increase of people suffering from mental stress and the home becoming an even more prominent space in people’s lives, it makes sense for Hombli to facilitate well being at home. Then the way the company currently innovates is analysed. The existing process which focusses on sourcing products has some disadvantages. Lack of communication, no prioritisation and confusion about responsibilities result in unnecessary slack in the process and in turn hinders innovation. This then also leaves even less room for any exploratory activities. Principiles from the User Centered Design method from Abras, Maloney-Krichmar & Preece (2004, Strategic Product Design

This thesis was performed in assignment of Alpha.One for their new eye tracking prediction platform expoze.io. The project started of with the brief; What does the future of expoze.io hold? This indicates the need for a future vision. In order to create a future vision the company purpose must first be researched, the reason why they exist. The purpose of the company is often related to the customer needs, therefore it is important to understand the subjective value that the product offers to the customer. Therefore before the preliminary research the research questions proposed were; What does the future roadmap of expoze.io look like? What is the future vision for the predictive eye tracking platform expoze.io? What is the purpose of expoze.io? What is the customer value of expoze.io? What are market gaps / differentiating factors in the market? The preliminary research revealed that for the roadmap to succeed a process integrating the roadmap should be designed. This process should also fit the company as it is still a startup, therefore it must be time, effort and cost efficient. Another insight was that there needs to be a shift to a more human oriented mindset within the company. These insights led to the addition of the following research questions. What does the future roadmap of expoze.io look like? How can the roadmap assist in adapting the product to be more Human? How could the roadmap be best adopted into the operation of the expoze.io team? (process) How to build an innovation process that fits a small startup team? cost, time, effort efficient How to create a shift to a more human oriented mindset in this process? How to make sure that ideas selected fit the needs of the customers? Through customer interviews it became evident that the subjective customer value that expoze.io brings to the customer is confidence. Through eye tracking analysis the customer gains confidence in their advertisements and if they will perform in the market as they would lik, Strategic Product Design

Title: The relationship between Open innovation and Swedish forest companies - Why do Swedish forest companies choose to either implement or to not implement Open innovation? Course: 2FE897, Master`s thesis in Entrepreneurship, Department of Business Studies. Key Words: Open innovation, closed innovation, innovation process, collaborative innovation, Swedish forest companies. Purpose: Aims to identify the reasons why or why not Swedish forest companies implement open innovation, but also to find out if there is an ideal open innovation form among Swedish forest companies. Methodology: Abductive approach and qualitative method. Semi structured interviews areconducted with managers from five Swedish forest companies and one startup. Theoretical perspectives: We collected and created a theoretical framework based on open and closed innovation models. We will also bring up different forms of open innovation. Empirical foundation: The empirical data in this thesis are based on our semi structured interviews. Conclusions: Companies prefer a mix of open and closed innovation. Why companies use Open innovation: cost effective, more efficient, boost brand reputation and remain competitive with external knowledge. Why companies continue to use closed innovation: Easier to measure results, keep control, manage and estimate budgets. Collaborative innovation is concluded to be the ideal open innovation form.

Bakgrund: Fastighetsbranschen klassificeras som en stabil bransch med fastigheter som fortsatt kommer behöva driftas och förvaltas, vilket har lett till få incitament att driva innovation i branschen. Spridningen av innovationer i branschen utgör en brist, även om tillgänglighet av innovationsmöjligheter finns. Medvetenhet om nödvändigheten av innovation inom fastighetsbranschen har dock ökat under de senaste decennierna, vilket har lett till att fastighetsbolagen gjort satsningar på att driva innovation i högre grad. Innovationsarbetet i fastighetsbranschen påverkas av flera externa och interna faktorer. Här råder det en kunskapslucka, då innovationsprocessen i fastighetsbranschen inte är tillräckligt studerat. Syfte och Frågeställningar: Studiens syfte är att med hjälp av en komparativ studie utforska skillnader och likheter i olika fastighetsbolags innovationsarbete. För att besvara detta syfte har följande frågeställningar använts: “Vad är drivkraften till innovation för fastighetsbolagen inom branschen?” samt “Hur ser processen ut för innovationsskapande för aktörer inom fastighetsbranschen och finns det några skillnader samt likheter?” Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie har en abduktiv ansats eftersom studiens teoretiska ramverk har utformats utifrån förintervjuer och en litteraturstudie. Empiriska data har samlats in genom primärdata i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem olika fastighetsbolag vilka sedan har analyserats med en tematisk analysmetod. Slutsats: Vad som driver innovation inom branschen visade sig vara följande områden: omvärldsanalys, hållbarhet, kunder, samarbeten samt intern vilja och drivkraft. Processen för innovationsskapande för de olika bolagen ser olika ut och processerna är individuella för bolagen. Bolagen har flertalet likheter i sina innovationsprocesser med tanke på medarbetarnas involvering, pilotprojekt och hur de mäter om en innovation har uppnått sitt syfte. Olikheter i processerna grundar sig ofta i initiativet till va, Introduction: The real estate industry classifies as a stable industry with properties that will still need to be operated and managed, which led to few incentives to drive innovation in the industry. The spread of innovations in the industry constitutes a deficiency, even though there is an availability of innovation opportunities. Awareness of the necessity of innovation in the real estate industry has increased in recent decades which has led real estate companies to make efforts in pursuing innovation to a greater degree. The innovation work in the real estate industry is affected by several external and internal factors. There is a knowledge gap here because the innovation process in the real estate industry has not been sufficiently studied. Purpose and research questions: The purpose of the thesis is to explore differences and similarities in the innovation work of different real estate companies through a comparative study. To answer this purpose, the research questions used are: “What are the driving forces for innovation for real estate companies in the industry?” and “What does the process look like for innovation creation for players in the real estate industry and are there any differences and similarities?”. Method: This qualitative study has an abductive approach, which has meant that the study has designed a theoretical frame of reference based on preliminary interviews and a literature review. This qualitative study has an abductive approach. The empirical data has been collected through primary data in the form of semi-structured interviews with five different real estate companies which then have been analysed using a thematic analysis method. Conclusion: What drives innovation in the industry turned out to be the following areas: external analysis, sustainability, customers, collaborations, and internal will and drive. The process of creating innovation for the different companies looks different and the processes are individual for the com

To efficiently and effectively reduce the uncertainty inherent in the front‐end of innovation processes, recent literature emphasizes new approaches that facilitate rapid knowledge generation and learning such as design thinking, lean innovation, and pretotyping. However, these approaches differ in their conceptualizations and, despite their popularity, the empirical evidence on the performance relevance of such approaches for established organizations is limited. In this research, we propose rapid validity testing (RVT), in which we conceptualize and harmonize existing approaches toward a unique and comprehensive set of front‐end activities necessary to reduce uncertainty and equivocality inherent to this phase and enable planned flexibility. Drawing on information processing theory, we argue that organizations implementing RVT also increase the probability of achieving innovation outcomes of superior quality on time and within budget. We further argue that the effectiveness of RVT depends upon internal and external environmental factors. Drawing on multirespondent data collected from 1022 informants in 129 firms, we find empirical evidence that organizations implementing the RVT approach in their innovation activities achieve higher performance of their innovation programs, and that the performance relevance of RVT depends upon technological turbulence and the organization's long‐term orientation and risk propensity. We contribute to the literature by conceptualizing RVT as a set of activities that enable planned flexibility. Furthermore, we overcome empirical shortcomings of studies on popular approaches that relied primarily on anecdotal or case study evidence and imply the generalizability of their effectiveness. Our findings highlight that organizations indeed not only benefit from RVT but also challenge the notion of a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to the front end of innovation.

Firms increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to innovate. Yet, the current literature offers fragmented guidance regarding its use in innovation processes. This study argues that the exponential use of AI has resulted in a mass of disorganised knowledge, creating confusion and frustration surrounding how managers navigate from conventional to digital innovation processes. A systematic literature review was carried out to examine studies investigating AI innovation published over the last decade (2011–2021). The results suggest that AI is present across all innovation phases and that firms have created three unique capabilities: AI-enabled ideation, AI-enabled development, and AI-enabled commercialisation. This article enriches the innovation management literature, and it equips managers with practical guidance in the use of AI., AID - Automatic Idea Detection. Artificial Intelligence in the fight against healthcare-associated infections: machine learning in digital platforms

Táto bakalářská práce se zabývá porovnáním inovační aktivity v konkrétním podniku s inovační teorií. Teoretická část je zaměřena na definování konkrétních pojmů, typů inovací a popis způsobů měření výkonnosti inovace. Analytická část popisuje proces zavedení zvolené inovace v konkrétním podniku, hodnotí výkonnost a způsoby měření inovační výkonnosti tohoto podniku., This bachelor thesis deals with the comparison of innovation activity in a specific company with innovation theory. The theoretical part is focused on defining specific concepts, types of innovations and a description of ways to measure the performance of innovation. The analytical part describes the installation of selected innovation in a particular company, evaluates the performance and ways of measuring the innovation performance of this company., Fakulta ekonomicko-správní, Studentka seznámila členy komise se svou bakalářskou prací na téma:Měření výkonnosti inovačního procesu. Studentka odpověděla na otázky vedoucího práce: Označila byste Vámi zkoumanou banku za inovačního lídra? Na které determinanty byste se zaměřila při rozvoji inovačních schopností Vámi zkoumaného podniku? Komise položila otázky: Hodnotila jste inovační procesy České spořitelny podle kritérií svých, nebo kritérií České spořitelny? Vytčena nedostatečná korektura bakalářské práce. Studentka na otázky odpověděla., Dokončená práce s úspěšnou obhajobou

How language is used has political implications as well as communicational consequences. Regional development, using means of systematic support for innovation, is a widespread phenomenon globally that also includes numerous political ambitions and implications. This article argues that ambiguities regarding the use of terms such as ‘innovation system’ and ‘innovation support system’ need to be clarified to improve communication in this field, as well as to reveal underlying political ideas on how systematic support for innovation should be carried out, by drawing on examples from studies of regional systems. Such ambiguities contribute significantly to the often-mentioned lack of involvement and engagement in regional development on the part of higher education institutions and academics. Examining key terms and concepts of this discourse, in the interests of promoting a common and stringent use of terminology, helps to illuminate whether the desired academic involvement in innovation processes relates to ideation, implementation and commercialization, or to support for processes through the contribution of knowledge and expertise., RegIno

How language is used has political implications as well as communicational consequences. Regional development, using means of systematic support for innovation, is a widespread phenomenon globally that also includes numerous political ambitions and implications. This article argues that ambiguities regarding the use of terms such as ‘innovation system’ and ‘innovation support system’ need to be clarified to improve communication in this field, as well as to reveal underlying political ideas on how systematic support for innovation should be carried out, by drawing on examples from studies of regional systems. Such ambiguities contribute significantly to the often-mentioned lack of involvement and engagement in regional development on the part of higher education institutions and academics. Examining key terms and concepts of this discourse, in the interests of promoting a common and stringent use of terminology, helps to illuminate whether the desired academic involvement in innovation processes relates to ideation, implementation and commercialization, or to support for processes through the contribution of knowledge and expertise., RegIno

This study develops a framework of internal and external factors that influence the adoption of eco-innovation. We studied 80 adoption processes in the Dutch brewing industry and the Dutch paper industry and analysed the relative importance of different factors. We find that internal factors were more important than external factors. The analysis also shows differences between the industries. The financial advantage was important for both industries, but especially for the paper industry. For the brewing industry, ethical responsibility and stakeholders played a more important role in the adoption. The analysis also revealed differences for small and large firms. Ethical responsibility and stakeholders are relatively more often mentioned by small firms, whereas clear objectives and regulations were mentioned more by large firms. Our study highlights that the adoption of eco-innovation is a complex process and the position in the supply chain as well as the size of a firm influence what is important in the adoption of eco-innovation.

В статье рассмотрены различные подходы к определению таких базовых понятий, как инновации, инновационный цикл, инновационный процесс, инновационная деятельность и инновационная политика. В их числе как классические подходы, так и современные. Четкое понимание вышеупомянутых дефиниций и грамотное их использование позволит повысить эффективность инновационной сферы, даст новый толчок к ее развитию.

U današnjem poslovnom okruženju koje se rapidno menja, inovacije predstavljaju osnovu razvoja svake organizacije. Inovacije su postale veoma složene zbog promenljivih zahteva potrošača, konkurentskih pritisaka i brzih tehnoloških promena. Inovativnost značajno utiče na nivo razvijenosti i budući razvoj preduzeća, privrede i društva u celini. Inovativna mala i srednja preduzeća su najdinamičniji, najfleksibilniji i najefikasniji deo savremene privrede i pokretač su rasta konkurentnosti, novog zapošljavanja i ukupnog privrednog razvoja. Istraživanje je fokusirano na sagledavanje analitičkog okvira za upravljanje inovacijama u organizacijama. U oblasti menadžmenta inovacija, kao specifične menadžment discipline, modeli su se u prošlosti uglavnom oslanjali na saznanja nastala u sektoru proizvodnje. U savremenim uslovima poslovanja, kada sektor usluga eksponencijalno raste, modeli menadžmenta inovacija doživljavaju značajne promene. Originalnost rada ogleda se u tome što su predstavljena saznanja dobijena na osnovu analize realnih projekata razvoja inovacija sprovedenih u preduzeću Tehnoexport i banci-Banka Poštanska štedionica. Predstavljene su inovacije koje su zasnovane na primeni informacionih i komunikacionih tehnologija. Ukazuje se na uticaj IKT na inovacione procese i daju se preporuke za korišćenje IKT u funkciji unapređenja poslovanja savremenih organizacija, In the fast changing business world of today, innovation has become the mainstay of every organization. Innovation has become increasingly complex due to changing customer needs, extensive competitive pressure and rapid technological change. Innovativeness makes a profound impact on the level of development and the future progress of enterprises, economy and society in general. Innovative small and medium-sized enterprises are the most dynamic, flexible and efficient segment of a modern economy and they propel the growth of competitiveness, new employment and overall economic development. The main focus of the research is to construct analytical framework for managing innovation in organizations. In the field of innovation management, as a specific management discipline, the models in the past mainly relied on the knowledge gained in manufacturing sector. In contemporary business conditions, when the service sector grows exponentially, models of innovation management experience significant changes. The originality of the work is reflected in the fact that it presents the knowledge obtained on the basis of analysis of real innovations development projects in company Tehnoexport and in bank – Bank Postal saving bank. Presented innovations are based on the application of information and communication technologies. The impact of ICT on innovation processes is indicated and the recommendations for the use of ICT with the aim of business improvement of contemporary organizations are made

A product group consists of product varieties (phenotypes) that compete for the same customer budget. The paper introduces an approach to identifying separate markets by means of product group (genotype) delineation. The paper contrasts two basic ideas for analysing competition within a product group. The first idea relates to Lancaster’s suggestion that every product variety can be identified by its attributes or characteristics (L-model). The second idea relates to the monopolistic-competition model as popularised by Krugman (DS-model). With this latter approach, a product group potentially contains a large set of varieties, where customers as a group have a taste for variety. For each of the two paradigms, the paper presents and compares the process by which novel product varieties are introduced. In the framework of Lancaster, evolution tends to reduce the number of varieties due to development of superior alternatives. The Krugman framework rather predicts an evolution where the number of varieties may increase without limits. The contribution of the paper is to contrast the two perspectives, by comparing the change processes and by assessing the adhering equilibrium solutions. A major question is how these two conflicting perspectives should be interpreted. The paper ends by suggesting a framework that can resolve the conflict between the two perspectives. The L-model provides a theoretical framework for how a separated market can be delineated, whereas the DS-model is more ad hoc in this sense. The prime demarcation aspect is however that in the DS-model diversity of products is generated by customers’ taste for variety. This must not be interpreted as a case, in which each customer consumes of all varieties at each point in time. A more reasonable interpretation is that a customer during a time period exercises the taste for variety. In contrast, a customer in the L-model purchases two or several varieties only when there is no product available with the des, Part of proceedings: ISBN 9780975840023QC 20211110

Large organizations often constrain their innovation quests only inside the silos of dedicated departments. However, in the rapidly changing world, innovation processes need to be opened to wider circles suggesting involving virtual environments in workplaces that trigger employees’ to be highly engaged. This empirical study investigates the facilitation of knowledge sharing in large organizations and the effect of gamification elements on the perceived level of engagement of users. The case study takes place in one of the largest banks in the Scandinavian countries, Nordea bank. The case study involves an innovation platform (i.e., a virtual place where the employees can share their ideas) within two variations: a conventional and a gamified one. Despite the contradiction between the results from the quantitative approach and the qualitative one, the outcome of this study suggests that in large organizations, there is a potential of opening up the innovation processes and make employees more engaged., QC 20201130

The emergence and pervasiveness of digital technologies are changing many aspects of our lives, including what and how we innovate. Industries and societies are competing to embrace this wave of digitalization by developing the right infrastructures and ecosystems for innovation. Similarly, innovation managers and entrepreneurs are using digital technologies to develop novel products, services, processes, business models, etc. One of the major consequences of digitalization is the massive amounts of machine-readable data generated through digital interactions. But this is not only a consequence, it is also a driver for other innovations to emerge. Employing analytical techniques on data to extract useful patterns and insights enables different aspects of innovation. During the last decade, scholars within digital innovation have started to explore this relationship between analytics and innovation, a phenomenon referred to as data-driven innovation (DDI). Most theories to date view analytics as variable that affects innovation in performative terms and treats it as a black-box. However, if the innovation managers and entrepreneurs are to manage and navigate DDI, and for the investors, funders and policymakers to take informed decisions, they need a better understanding of how DDI outcomes (i.e. market offerings such as products and services) are shaped and how they emerge from a process perspective. This dissertation explores this research gap by addressing two research questions: “What characterizes data-driven innovation outcomes?” and “How do data-driven innovations emerge in federated networks?” A federated network is a type of – increasingly common – contemporary innovation structure that is also enabled by digital technology. The dissertation is based on a compilation of five articles addressing these questions. The overall research approach follows a multiple case study design and the empirical investigation takes place in two case sites corresponding to two

How language is used has political implications as well as communicational consequences. Regional development, using means of systematic support for innovation, is a widespread phenomenon globally that also includes numerous political ambitions and implications. This article argues that ambiguities regarding the use of terms such as ‘innovation system’ and ‘innovation support system’ need to be clarified to improve communication in this field, as well as to reveal underlying political ideas on how systematic support for innovation should be carried out, by drawing on examples from studies of regional systems. Such ambiguities contribute significantly to the often-mentioned lack of involvement and engagement in regional development on the part of higher education institutions and academics. Examining key terms and concepts of this discourse, in the interests of promoting a common and stringent use of terminology, helps to illuminate whether the desired academic involvement in innovation processes relates to ideation, implementation and commercialization, or to support for processes through the contribution of knowledge and expertise., RegIno