Services not only comprise a large part of the economy, but also represent the main sector of gro... more Services not only comprise a large part of the economy, but also represent the main sector of growth within advanced industrial economies (see Chapters 1 and 4). Despite this, relatively little is known about the underlying dynamics and nature of the service sector, as compared with other sectors — particularly manufacturing. In particular, little is known about the role of innovation in this process of dynamic change. Innovation in services is less well understood than innovation in manufacturing (OECD, 2005b). This study highlights the partial view that most studies have adopted in relation to understanding innovation, particularly in the services sector. Innovation studies have tended to overlook the fact that at any one time firms and organizations are typically generating, adopting and implementing multiple forms of innovation. This chapter therefore addresses these issues by exploring innovation processes using data from a survey which covered firms located across Europe and which were active in three business service sectors: road transport, information processing and design and related activities. The chapter also explores some of the behavioural aspects associated with innovation, such as how firms compete and their growth objectives.
ABSTRACT Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in inn... more ABSTRACT Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation systems. Past research has however mostly treated KIBS as a homogenous group. In this study, we apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine a dataset comprising 362 KIBS firms active in the UK in three ‘sectors’: architecture and engineering consulting; specialist design; and software and IT consulting. Partly through the application of content analysis techniques of information drawn from firms’ websites, we identify the primary ‘knowledge type’ central to each firm, be that analytical, synthetic or symbolic knowledge. We also examine how the ‘drivers’ of innovation vary between firms with different knowledge types. The paper therefore contributes to the literature by developing a methodology for empirically identifying ‘knowledge types’ by utilising website information and by showing that the factors associated with innovation differ with the primary knowledge type of the firm. This contributes to understanding variety among KIBS. We also find that investments in design are particularly important for some innovation in KIBS, and discuss the need for further research on design as a ‘driver’ of innovation.
Abstract Protecting the ideas that form the foundation of a novel business model represents a cha... more Abstract Protecting the ideas that form the foundation of a novel business model represents a challenge for any business model innovator. Drawing from the case of'Pay-As-You-Drive'motor insurance in different institutional settings, we elaborate a generic strategy framework which examines the strategies available to incumbents and newcomers for profiting from business model innovation. These strategies are contingent on the degree of effectiveness of legal forms of IP protection and whether the new business model ...
AbstractThe following sections are included:IntroductionInnovation in ServicesAnalysis of the Evi... more AbstractThe following sections are included:IntroductionInnovation in ServicesAnalysis of the Evidence of Innovation in German ServicesThe Effects of the InnovationsConclusionsAppendix
Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation s... more Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation systems. Past research has however mostly treated KIBS as a homogenous group. In this study, we apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine a dataset comprising 362 KIBS firms active in the UK in three ‘sectors’: architecture and engineering consulting; specialist design; and software and IT consulting. Partly through the application of content analysis techniques of information drawn from firms’ websites, we identify the primary ‘knowledge type’ central to each firm, be that analytical, synthetic or symbolic knowledge. We also examine how the ‘drivers’ of innovation vary between firms with different knowledge types. The paper therefore contributes to the literature by developing a methodology for empirically identifying ‘knowledge types’ by utilising website information and by showing that the factors associated with innovation differ with the primary knowledge type of...
* Corresponding author. Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2A... more * Corresponding author. Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. Cher.Li@imperial.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6452 Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. ...
Collaborating with customers is widely advocated as crucial for firms to improve their innovative... more Collaborating with customers is widely advocated as crucial for firms to improve their innovative performance. However, previous empirical research has found mixed results for the impact of collaborations with customers on innovative performance. We consider that these ambiguous results may be due to omitted interaction effects between investing in R&D, in marketing, and in collaborative arrangements with customers. Drawing on a panel dataset of over 2,000 manufacturing firms, we extend this line of research by distinguishing between the introduction of innovations and innovation performance measured as the share of turnover due to innovations. Furthermore, we distinguish between radical and incremental innovators. We find that overall investing in R&D and cooperating with customers increase the likelihood of introducing innovations, but not the innovative sales. Marketing investments have the opposite effect. Cooperating with clients drives the introduction of innovations when R&D investments and marketi...
Analysing Distributed Innovation Processes: A CRIC Position Paper Rod Coombs, Mark Harvey &am... more Analysing Distributed Innovation Processes: A CRIC Position Paper Rod Coombs, Mark Harvey & Bruce Tether This paper is concerned with improving our conceptual understanding of the fact that processes of innovation often, even typically, involve several contributing and co-ordinated firms or organisations. This brings to the fore the significance of innovation processes that are distributed between firms or organisations. We contend such relationships have received inadequate attention in the literature. The distributedness of innovation varies in degree, and takes a variety of (dynamic) forms, but in arguing that greater attention should be paid to `distributed innovation processes' (DIPs) we introduce to innovation studies the more general concept of `instituted economic processes', of which DIPs are an instance, in order to analyse how differently distributed modes of innovation become instituted (and de-instituted) in time and space. The dynamics of change in distributed networks of relationships are thus a central concern, and in drawing attention to these we emphasise the significance of the formation of new classes of economic agent, and the (dynamic) relations of mutual dependency and (qualitative and quantitative) power asymmetry between classes of economic agent. Finally we discuss the `scale' of these distributed innovation processes. `Scale' refers to both the familiar problem of grading innovations and production configurations by their radicalness and complexity, which is partially a matter of empirical perspective, but also relates to the extent to which the agents and their inter-relations are transformed, either as a precursor to innovation, or as a consequence of innovation. 4 1.
Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2000
Under the Fourth Research and Technological Framework Programme, Targeted Socio-Economic Research... more Under the Fourth Research and Technological Framework Programme, Targeted Socio-Economic Research, TSER [Contract no: SOE1-CT 98-1116 (DG 12-SOLS)] ... B. ANDERSEN, JS METCALFE and BS TETHER ESRC CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON INNOVATION AND ...
Page 1. Services and 'Systems of Innovation' Bruce S. Tether and J. Stan Metcalfe CRIC ... more Page 1. Services and 'Systems of Innovation' Bruce S. Tether and J. Stan Metcalfe CRIC Discussion Paper No 58 February 2003 ... University of Manchester & UMIST E-mail: bruce.tether@man.ac.uk Home page: http://les1.man.ac.uk/cric/Bruce_Tether/ ...
Services not only comprise a large part of the economy, but also represent the main sector of gro... more Services not only comprise a large part of the economy, but also represent the main sector of growth within advanced industrial economies (see Chapters 1 and 4). Despite this, relatively little is known about the underlying dynamics and nature of the service sector, as compared with other sectors — particularly manufacturing. In particular, little is known about the role of innovation in this process of dynamic change. Innovation in services is less well understood than innovation in manufacturing (OECD, 2005b). This study highlights the partial view that most studies have adopted in relation to understanding innovation, particularly in the services sector. Innovation studies have tended to overlook the fact that at any one time firms and organizations are typically generating, adopting and implementing multiple forms of innovation. This chapter therefore addresses these issues by exploring innovation processes using data from a survey which covered firms located across Europe and which were active in three business service sectors: road transport, information processing and design and related activities. The chapter also explores some of the behavioural aspects associated with innovation, such as how firms compete and their growth objectives.
ABSTRACT Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in inn... more ABSTRACT Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation systems. Past research has however mostly treated KIBS as a homogenous group. In this study, we apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine a dataset comprising 362 KIBS firms active in the UK in three ‘sectors’: architecture and engineering consulting; specialist design; and software and IT consulting. Partly through the application of content analysis techniques of information drawn from firms’ websites, we identify the primary ‘knowledge type’ central to each firm, be that analytical, synthetic or symbolic knowledge. We also examine how the ‘drivers’ of innovation vary between firms with different knowledge types. The paper therefore contributes to the literature by developing a methodology for empirically identifying ‘knowledge types’ by utilising website information and by showing that the factors associated with innovation differ with the primary knowledge type of the firm. This contributes to understanding variety among KIBS. We also find that investments in design are particularly important for some innovation in KIBS, and discuss the need for further research on design as a ‘driver’ of innovation.
Abstract Protecting the ideas that form the foundation of a novel business model represents a cha... more Abstract Protecting the ideas that form the foundation of a novel business model represents a challenge for any business model innovator. Drawing from the case of'Pay-As-You-Drive'motor insurance in different institutional settings, we elaborate a generic strategy framework which examines the strategies available to incumbents and newcomers for profiting from business model innovation. These strategies are contingent on the degree of effectiveness of legal forms of IP protection and whether the new business model ...
AbstractThe following sections are included:IntroductionInnovation in ServicesAnalysis of the Evi... more AbstractThe following sections are included:IntroductionInnovation in ServicesAnalysis of the Evidence of Innovation in German ServicesThe Effects of the InnovationsConclusionsAppendix
Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation s... more Knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) are known to play a significant role in innovation systems. Past research has however mostly treated KIBS as a homogenous group. In this study, we apply a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine a dataset comprising 362 KIBS firms active in the UK in three ‘sectors’: architecture and engineering consulting; specialist design; and software and IT consulting. Partly through the application of content analysis techniques of information drawn from firms’ websites, we identify the primary ‘knowledge type’ central to each firm, be that analytical, synthetic or symbolic knowledge. We also examine how the ‘drivers’ of innovation vary between firms with different knowledge types. The paper therefore contributes to the literature by developing a methodology for empirically identifying ‘knowledge types’ by utilising website information and by showing that the factors associated with innovation differ with the primary knowledge type of...
* Corresponding author. Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2A... more * Corresponding author. Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. Cher.Li@imperial.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6452 Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. ...
Collaborating with customers is widely advocated as crucial for firms to improve their innovative... more Collaborating with customers is widely advocated as crucial for firms to improve their innovative performance. However, previous empirical research has found mixed results for the impact of collaborations with customers on innovative performance. We consider that these ambiguous results may be due to omitted interaction effects between investing in R&D, in marketing, and in collaborative arrangements with customers. Drawing on a panel dataset of over 2,000 manufacturing firms, we extend this line of research by distinguishing between the introduction of innovations and innovation performance measured as the share of turnover due to innovations. Furthermore, we distinguish between radical and incremental innovators. We find that overall investing in R&D and cooperating with customers increase the likelihood of introducing innovations, but not the innovative sales. Marketing investments have the opposite effect. Cooperating with clients drives the introduction of innovations when R&D investments and marketi...
Analysing Distributed Innovation Processes: A CRIC Position Paper Rod Coombs, Mark Harvey &am... more Analysing Distributed Innovation Processes: A CRIC Position Paper Rod Coombs, Mark Harvey & Bruce Tether This paper is concerned with improving our conceptual understanding of the fact that processes of innovation often, even typically, involve several contributing and co-ordinated firms or organisations. This brings to the fore the significance of innovation processes that are distributed between firms or organisations. We contend such relationships have received inadequate attention in the literature. The distributedness of innovation varies in degree, and takes a variety of (dynamic) forms, but in arguing that greater attention should be paid to `distributed innovation processes' (DIPs) we introduce to innovation studies the more general concept of `instituted economic processes', of which DIPs are an instance, in order to analyse how differently distributed modes of innovation become instituted (and de-instituted) in time and space. The dynamics of change in distributed networks of relationships are thus a central concern, and in drawing attention to these we emphasise the significance of the formation of new classes of economic agent, and the (dynamic) relations of mutual dependency and (qualitative and quantitative) power asymmetry between classes of economic agent. Finally we discuss the `scale' of these distributed innovation processes. `Scale' refers to both the familiar problem of grading innovations and production configurations by their radicalness and complexity, which is partially a matter of empirical perspective, but also relates to the extent to which the agents and their inter-relations are transformed, either as a precursor to innovation, or as a consequence of innovation. 4 1.
Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2000
Under the Fourth Research and Technological Framework Programme, Targeted Socio-Economic Research... more Under the Fourth Research and Technological Framework Programme, Targeted Socio-Economic Research, TSER [Contract no: SOE1-CT 98-1116 (DG 12-SOLS)] ... B. ANDERSEN, JS METCALFE and BS TETHER ESRC CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON INNOVATION AND ...
Page 1. Services and 'Systems of Innovation' Bruce S. Tether and J. Stan Metcalfe CRIC ... more Page 1. Services and 'Systems of Innovation' Bruce S. Tether and J. Stan Metcalfe CRIC Discussion Paper No 58 February 2003 ... University of Manchester & UMIST E-mail: bruce.tether@man.ac.uk Home page: http://les1.man.ac.uk/cric/Bruce_Tether/ ...
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