Enabling knowledge creation through outsiders: towards a push model of open innovation

Authors: Spaeth, Sebastian¹; Stuermer, Matthias¹; Krogh, Georg Von²

Source: International Journal of Technology Management, Volume 52, Numbers 3-4, October 2010 , pp. 411-431(21)

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Abstract:

Open innovation is increasingly being adopted in business and describes a situation in which firms exchange ideas and knowledge with external participants, such as customers, suppliers, partner firms, and universities. This article extends the concept of open innovation with a push model of open innovation: knowledge is voluntarily created outside a firm by individuals and organisations who proceed to push knowledge into a firm's open innovation project. For empirical analysis, we examine source code and newsgroup data on the Eclipse Development Platform. We find that outsiders invest as much in the firm's project as the founding firm itself. Based on the insights from Eclipse, we develop four propositions: 'preemptive generosity' of a firm, 'continuous commitment', 'adaptive governance structure', and 'low entry barrier' are contexts that enable the push model of open innovation.

Keywords: MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS; Policy and Organisational Management; Technology Management

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.2010.035983

Affiliations: 1: Department of Management, Technology and Economics, ETH, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland. 2: Department of Management, Technology and Economics, ETH, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland

Publication date: 2010-10-01

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