scholarly journals Innovation through accelerators: A case for open innovation

Author(s):  
Lerato E. Mohalajeng ◽  
Japie Kroon

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Open innovation is becoming a progressive business practice in Southern Africa because it plays a significant role in economic development through promoting the commercialisation of new ideas. The challenge is that while the benefits of open innovation are widely spoken about, not much is understood about the challenges and successes of open innovation accelerators (OIAs) in taking ideas to market.</p><p><strong>Aim:</strong> The purpose of this research was to investigate an OIA in South Africa for taking ideas to market.</p><p><strong>Setting:</strong> The Innovation Hub is a science park in Pretoria, South Africa, using open innovation to stimulate entrepreneurship in South Africa. Through The Innovation Hub Open IX, a webbased platform, an opportunity to investigate the bridging from invention to commercialisation is presented.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> A qualitative research method using semi-structured, in-depth interviews was applied to collect data. Five key stakeholders of the OIA were interviewed.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The findings suggest that stakeholder buy-in is essential for commercialisation through OIAs in South Africa. By involving stakeholders in the initial phases of the open innovation process, the likelihood of a solution being incorporated and fitted into the organisation’s business strategy is increased.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The insight gained from this research suggests policymakers, research institutions and commercial businesses ought to explore various innovations across industries relevant to their open innovation proficiencies. This research makes a significant contribution to an indepth understanding of what is needed to bridge the gap from invention to successful commercialisation through open innovation.</p>

Author(s):  
Christian Horn ◽  
Marcel Bogers ◽  
Alexander Brem*

Crowdsourcing is an increasingly important phenomenon that is fundamentally changing how companies create and capture value. There are still important questions with respect to how crowdsourcing works and can be applied in practice, especially in business practice. In this chapter, we focus on prediction markets as a mechanism and tool to tap into a crowd in the early stages of an innovation process. The act of opening up to external knowledge sources is also in line with the growing interest in open innovation. One example of a prediction market, a virtual stock market, is applied to open innovation through an online platform. We show that use of mechanisms of internal crowdsourcing with prediction markets can outperform use of external crowds.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
József Tóth ◽  
Giuseppina Rizzo

In the food sector, open innovation has become of particular interest. This paper considers open innovation search strategies in the food and beverages industry and examines the probability of using different innovation sources with respect to the type of innovation. Although the information search for new ideas, tools and solutions in the innovation process regarding the scope and depth is well explored and interpreted in the literature, the probability of using the different sources with respect to type of innovation is rarely investigated. To answer these questions, first a probit, then OLS regression model is adopted, in order to understand the chance of a specific source of information being chosen, and then, to verify how much of these sources are selected in different types of innovation. Findings show that food companies use several kinds of information sources during their product, process, organization and market innovation development processes and apply different sourcing strategies based on innovation type. The study concludes that managers have to take into consideration the type of innovation when they formulate their innovation search strategies. Moreover, if they would like to strive on the European, or even more on the world market, they necessarily have to cooperate with universities and research institutes. Our recommendation for policymakers is that they should encourage the food companies in creation of a viable information network with their business, scientific and professional partners. It is also important that they help the food producers in their continuous innovation activities as well as in expanding their business to European, or even more, to world level.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13456
Author(s):  
Anja Eisenreich ◽  
Johann Füller ◽  
Martin Stuchtey

A transition toward the circular economy (CE) will be key to addressing future environmental and economic challenges, such as environmental pollution and resource scarcity. However, when introducing circular solutions, companies often face complex and disruptive changes that affect many stakeholders and require new innovation practices. This study investigates open circular innovation by analyzing the status quo of circular innovation, discussing the relevance and role of different stakeholders, and examining approaches for open circular innovation processes. The study employs a qualitative research design, including 14 in-depth interviews with CE and innovation experts. The findings indicate that companies currently focus on closed innovation approaches or collaborate with only one stakeholder at a time when developing circular innovations. Stakeholder groups, such as customers, suppliers, and academia, play a crucial role in the innovation process, whereas direct collaborations with governments and competitors are seen controversially. An open innovation network approach combined with crowdsourcing is regarded as the most promising for developing circular solutions. This study contributes to connecting open innovation with CE research and provides new knowledge at this interface. Additionally, this research gives managers guidance on how to approach open circular innovation and thus supports companies on their way toward a CE.


2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (04) ◽  
pp. 683-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
SABINE BRUNSWICKER ◽  
ULRICH HUTSCHEK

"Open innovation" and "external search" for new ideas are central topics in the recent discourse in innovation research. External search helps firms to identify new opportunities for innovation and alleviates the risks of local search. It is widely acknowledged that novel ideas regularly emerge from the combination of distant pieces of knowledge and interaction with "idea suppliers" from distant knowledge domains. However, the current discussion on open innovation has hardly touched upon the question of how firms can systematically search for cross-industry innovation inputs in the fuzzy front-end of the innovation process. This paper links relevant concepts of cognitive psychology and management theory — such as analogical problem solving and the principle of isomorphism — with open innovation in the front-end. It discusses relevant dimensions of systematic search for innovation across industries. A piloted framework is presented that assists firms in systematically and interactively searching for external innovation inputs in distant industries. This framework supports external innovation search in distant industries for a fuzzy customer problem. The results of this participatory action research indicate that a systematic and interactive search process is of practical value to innovation managers. It also points out contingencies of cross-industry innovation search.


Author(s):  
Jonathan Calof ◽  
Greg Richards ◽  
Paul Santilli

The traditional model of competitive intelligence and its operationalization inmost organizations appears to be inadequate to address the intelligence challenges arising fromthe speed of change in the environment, increasing data complexity, and growth of internationalactivities. To address this challenge, this article borrows concepts from open innovation,applying them to all CI activities. We are suggesting going beyond the traditional model of anin-house CI unit with activities largely conducted by the units personnel and moving towards across pollination approach whereby others in the firm contribute to all CI activities including,for example, the selection of key intelligence topics and being involved in analysis andeventually towards a full open intelligence model in which key stakeholders and externalexperts also assist the organization in all aspects of competitive intelligence activity. Inproposing a more open approach for intelligence, the authors recognize the concern that CIprofessionals will have regarding sharing intelligence and intelligence activities outside the CIunit and outside the organization. However, as pointed out in this article, organizations aroundthe world have been moving quickly towards an open innovation model generally concludingthat the benefits associated with opening up all elements of the innovation process, includingR&D, outweigh the risks of intellectual property loss.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47
Author(s):  
Sitti Aisyah. M Aisyah ◽  
Sappaemi

The Corona virus pandemic exploited by irresponsible elements.  They do a cunning business strategy, which is to hoard goods, in fiqhi terms known as iḥtikār. In the Islamic view, iḥtikār is a prohibited business practice and will be met with a painful punishment in the afterlife.  The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding about the impact of COVID 19 on the practice of buying and selling (iḥtikār).  This paper uses qualitative research methods in the form of library reseach using the shar'i approach.  From this study it can be concluded that the behavior of hoarding goods with the aim of reselling them at high prices to obtain large profits.  In Islamic Shari'ah, iḥtikār‘s law is haram because it contains elements that harm others.  This is very clearly stated in QS al-Humazah/109: 1-2 and punished by sin as stipulated in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah.


Author(s):  
Ronel Sanet Davids ◽  
Mariana De Jager

An estimated 90 per cent of children with a hearing loss are born to hearing parents. Most parents are unprepared for the diagnosis, leaving them shocked, confused, sad and bewildered. This article reports on a study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences of hearing parents regarding their child’s hearing loss. The study was conducted in Cape Town, South Africa. The study applied a qualitative methodology with a phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was implemented and data were collected by means of unstructured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical considerations were adhered to. The main findings of the study indicated that hearing parents experience a myriad of emotions when their child is diagnosed with a hearing loss. This study advocates for various stakeholders in the helping profession to collaborate in the best interest of hearing parents and a child with hearing loss. Furthermore, these findings serve as guidelines for professionals working with these families.


Author(s):  
Chris Van Melle Kamp ◽  
Karl Hofmeyr ◽  
Mandla Adonisi

In this study we draw on a series of in-depth interviews with chief executives of some of South Africa’s most prominent businesses, to investigate how their careers unfolded as they rose to the top of their organisations.Twenty-seven CEOs of South Africa’s top companies were interviewed. Eleven of these companies are listed among the top 50 South African companies.We trace the evolution of leadership, from its embryonic beginnings in childhood and adolescence, through the different stages of a developing career to the crucial transformation of an operational mindset into a strategic one.We examine the circumstances that led to these CEOs being appointed and describe the difficulties of transitioning from a senior management role into that of chief executive. We look at the competencies and experience necessary to be effective as the leader of an organisation, as well as the role played by motivation and self-belief. Finally, we identify the unique leadership challenges faced by chief executives in South Africa and pass on their advice to the country’s next generation of leaders.


Author(s):  
Tembinkosi Bonakele ◽  
Dave Beaty ◽  
Fathima Rasool ◽  
Drikus Kriek

The recent entry of the US multinational Walmart into South Africa has proved to be a source of controversy. Key stakeholders in South Africa objected to the merger and attempted to block it unless certain conditions were met. The aim of this study was to examine the controversy and the conditions surrounding the merger. The research employed a qualitative archival analysis to examine publicly available sources of information with regard to the merger. The findings revealed key stakeholders’ concerns that Walmart’s entry would lead to an increase in imports which would displace local producers, increase unemployment, marginalise trade unions and lower labour standards unless certain conditions were met. The results also revealed problems relating to the firm’s primary focus on “business” while neglecting “public interest” issues, naively relying on their “local retailer” to manage key stakeholders, and assuming that their perceived controversial reputation regarding treatment of trade unions and their views about unemployment as well as the controversies surrounding their history of entry into other global markets would not have the major negative impact it did on stakeholders in South Africa.


Author(s):  
Talent Mhangwa ◽  
Madhu Kasiram ◽  
Sibonsile Zibane

The number of female drug users has been on the rise in South Africa, with statistics reflecting a rise in the number of women who attend treatment centres annually. This article presents empirical data from a broader qualitative study which aimed to explore perceptions concerning the effectiveness of aftercare programmes for female recovering drug users. The main data source was transcripts of in-depth interviews and focus groups with both service users and service providers from a designated rehabilitation centre in Gauteng, South Africa. Framed within a biopsychosocial-spiritual model, this article explores the perceptions and meanings which the female recovering drug users and the service providers attach to aftercare programmes. The findings of the research outlined the range of factors promoting recovery, alongside noteworthy suggestions for improvement in aftercare services. While acknowledging multiple influences on behaviour, this article highlights the significance of these findings in planning and implementing holistic aftercare programmes.


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