Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Innovative Frameworks'

The importance of design to enhance innovation in businesses has gradually diversified with the expansion of the meaning and influences of design, and is now regarded as a critical strategic tool to increase commercial competitiveness and sustainable growth in a complex global market. Concurrently, the importance of embracing the extensive scope of innovation - including technological, product/service, process and organisational innovation - in businesses, especially in manufacturing companies, has been identified by scholars, industry bodies and the government as a way to avoid the ‘locked-in’ effect of existing technology and a business model which could hinder competitiveness. In this context, innovative manufacturing is regarded as an enabler for developing advanced and high-value manufacturing, which are considered as being of strategic importance in achieving the UK’s global competitiveness and economic balance. The research, however, identified a relatively narrow view and use of design in innovative manufacturing, limiting the potential benefits of ‘designing’, ‘design strategy’ and ‘corporate-level design thinking’ to systematically enhance the extensive scope of innovation. The research therefore aims to create a design innovation framework to provide a comprehensive overview of design innovation actions and influences for UK innovative manufacturing companies to further improve innovativeness. The research consists of three phases: (i) the exploration phase, which explores the expanding role of design and innovation, and the context of UK innovative manufacturing, (ii) the development phase, which establishes the relationship between design and innovation in the business context, and discovering the design innovation characteristics which form the design innovation framework and its implementation process, and (iii) the evaluation phase which identifies the adaptability and usefulness of the framework in the innovative manufacturing context. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used, including a questionnaire survey (n=48), in-depth interviews with academics and industrial experts in manufacturing and design innovation (n=36), and case-studies of UK innovative manufacturing companies (n=46). The research identified twenty design innovation characteristics with six main benefits including: (i) problem/opportunity identification, (ii) extensive collaboration, (iii) clear communication, (iv) innovative product and service development, (v) effective process development, and (vi) work culture and environment improvement. The design innovation framework and implementation process recommended by the research therefore provide a comprehensive overview of the influence of design innovation to achieve creative idea generation, optimise the business environment, and successful commercialisation which enables the improved product/service, process and organisational innovativeness of UK innovative manufacturing companies.

This thesis project was conducted at Sandvik and builds on a previous project, also conducted at Sandvik by the same authors, during the autumn of 2019. The work is part of a newly established ambidextrous development team that is split into an innovation branch and an execution branch, with the goal to become a digital factory. A part of this thesis project is to conduct Research-to-Development (RTD) work for a future product possibility. However, the product being developed is dependent on underlying technology and infrastructure that the execution branch is simultaneously developing and establishing. Furthermore, the aim of the team is to improve Sandvik’s digital offering within the mining and construction industry which remains quite non-digitalised. The recent push for digital transformation within this industry is challenging large international companies to discover new ways of communicating advanced product ideas while working with product innovation, but also to identify and overcome organisational implementation obstacles and build lasting co-creation relationships with Business-to-Business (B2B) customers. Therefore, the purposes of this thesis were to: (1) find an optimal way of conducting RTD projects to develop product concepts that are validated with both customers and the organisation; (2) find ways of initiating and establishing a lasting co-creation relationship with B2B customers and to efficiently communicate product ideas and concepts that are dependent on underlying technology and infrastructure that have not been developed, implemented, or established yet; and (3) find a suitable way of collaborating within ambidextrous organisations when conducting RTD projects, and to clearly define the contents of a product handover. The results are based on literature, qualitative interviews with innovation experts and stakeholders, four separate user tests, and questionnaires. The findings were evaluated and improved by performing qualitative analysis and incorporating received stakeholder feedback, which led to the development of a framework for co-creation with B2B customers called the Temporary Innovation Space that can be applied to develop and validate product concepts with both customers and the internal organisation. It also addresses how to build a lasting co-creation relationship with B2B customers. Additionally, a part of the results clearly defines the contents of a product handover in an ambidextrous setup. Finally, interesting reflections and observations regarding collaboration, communication, cross-functional integration, co-creative relationships, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more are discussed, and a few suggestions for further research are presented.<br>Det här arbetet utfördes på Sandvik och baseras på ett tidigare projekt som också utfördes på Sandvik av examensarbetets författare under hösten 2019. Arbetet är en del av ett nyligen etablerat och ambidextriöst utvecklingsteam som är uppdelat i en innovationsdel och en exekveringsdel med målet att bli en digital fabrik. En del av detta arbete inkluderar att utföra forskningsarbete till utvecklingen av en framtida produktmöjlighet (Research-To-Development, RTD). Samtidigt så är produkten som utvecklas beroende av underliggande teknologi och infrastruktur som inte ännu har utvecklats eller etablerats av exekveringsbenet. Fortsättningsvis så är teamets mål att förbättra Sandviks digitala produkturval inom gruvindustrin vars digitalisering fortfarande är i ett relativt tidigt stadium. De kliv som gruvindustrin nyligen har tagit mot digital transformation utmanar dessa stora företag att upptäcka nya sätt att kommunicera avancerade produktidéer, men även att identifiera och överkomma organisatoriska implementeringshinder och bygga upp varaktiga samarbeten med Business-to-Business-kunder (B2B). Arbetets syften var att; (1) hitta ett optimalt sätt att utföra forskningsarbeten för utveckling av produktkoncept som är validerade hos både kunder och organisationen; (2) hitta sätt att initiera och etablera varaktiga samarbeten med B2B-kunder och metoder för att effektivt kommunicera produktidéer som är beroende av underliggande teknologi och infrastruktur som ännu inte har utvecklats, implementerats eller etablerats; och (3) hitta ett lämpligt sätt att kollaborera inom en ambidextriös organisation medans RTD-projekt utförs och att tydligt definiera innehållet i en produktöverlämning. Resultaten är baserade på litteraturstudier, kvalitativa intervjuer med innovationsexperter och andra intressenter, fyra tester med slutanvändare, och frågeformulär. Resultaten utvärderades och förbättrades genom att utföra kvalitativ analys och genom att inkludera återkoppling från intressenter. Utifrån detta utvecklades ett ramverk för samskapande, kallat Temporary Innovation Space, som kan appliceras för utveckling och validering av produktkoncept med både kunder och den interna organisationen. Ramverket kan även användas för att etablera varaktiga förhållanden med B2Bkunder. Dessutom föreslår resultaten från detta projekt vad en produktöverlämning bör innehålla i ett ambidextriöst team. Slutligen diskuteras även intressanta observationer angående kollaboration, kommunikation, tvärfunktionell integration, samskapande samarbeten, effekterna av COVID-19 pandemin, med mera. Avslutningsvis ges flera förslag för framtida forskning.

When developing new products, it is important to be able to evaluate their readiness as this helps organizations manage three major challenges of product development, performance, schedule, and budget. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) discovered this in 1990 and developed a nine-level framework to measure the progression of technology development, Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).  The framework has since then been adopted by many different industries, among them OEMs. However, there are more aspects of the innovation process than just technology. Research topics such as user centered design and business model innovation has lately gained much attention, indicating that user and business aspects of the innovation are important. Therefore, the purpose of his thesis was to propose a framework to evaluate the readiness of business, user and technology aspects. To do so, a case study was performed at the Swedish OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Husqvarna Group, a global producer of equipment for garden and park care, as well as for the construction industry. A literature study was performed to create an understanding of the current knowledge on the topic. Semi structured interviews were used to investigate how innovation is performed at the researched company. The result from these interviews was contrasted with the results from interviews at four other Swedish OEMs, to increase external validity. Lastly the findings were validated through focus group interviews at Husqvarna Group. The case study resulted in the identification of important steps when developing viable, desirable, and feasible products. From these, the nine most important for business and user was identified and frameworks for business and user readiness respectively were developed, along with attainment criteria for each level. The findings showed that the TRL framework still holds relevance, however the attainment criteria were adjusted to better suit OEMs. Together these three frameworks create the Innovation Readiness Level (IRL) framework.<br>Vid utveckling av nya produkter finns det tre stora utmaningar i produktutvecklingen; prestanda, tid och budget, därför är det viktigt att ständig stötta processen genom att utvärdera projektets mognadsgrad. År 1990 utvecklade NASA en niogradig skala som kan tillämpas som ett ramverk för att mäta mognadsgraden av en teknikutveckling, Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), detta har sedan dess införts av många industriföretag. När det kommer till innovation finns det dock fler aspekter än enbart teknik att ta hänsyn till. Forskning inom användarfokuserad design och affärsmodellsinnovation har fått ökad uppmärksamhet den senaste tiden, vilket indikerar att användare och affär är viktiga aspekter inom innovation. Syftet med denna studie är att föreslå ett ramverk för att utvärdera mognadsgraden utifrån ett affärs-, användar- och teknikperspektiv. För att genomföra detta gjordes en fallstudie på det svenska industriföretaget Husqvarna Group, en global tillverkare av skogs-, park- och trädgårdsprodukter samt utrustning för konstruktionsindustrin. För att skapa en förståelse av den befintliga kunskapen inom ämnet gjordes en bred litteraturstudie. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomfördes för att undersöka hur innovation hanteras inom Husqvarna Group. Resultatet från det undersökta företaget ställdes i kontrast med intervjuresultat från fyra andra svenska industriföretag för att skapa ett mer generaliserbart resultat. Till sist testades resultatet genom validering med fokusgruppsintervjuer på Husqvarna Group.  Fallstudien resulterade i identifiering av betydelsefulla steg vid utveckling av en ny produkt som ordnades kronologiskt. Vid varje nivå i skalan föreslogs en rad kriterier från ett affärs- respektive användarperspektiv som ett produktutvecklingsprojekt bör uppnå för att öka chansen att bli väl mottagen när den når marknaden. Resultatet visade även att TRL-ramverket fortfarande är aktuellt och relevant, men uppnåendekriterier anpassades för ett industriföretag. Tillsammans skapar dessa tre faktorer det föreslagna ramverket Innovation Readiness Levels (IRL).

This thesis integrates Lean construction (LC) with the organisational assessment method ofmaturity models (MM) and delivers an original contribution to knowledge in the form of avalidated innovative organisational framework to measure the current state of LC maturity,which is called Lean Construction Maturity Model (LCMM). This framework provides andsupports organisations towards the development of greater maturity and subsequentlyenhances the awareness and understanding of LC. The aim of this research was to enableorganisations to measure the gap between their current state and where they want to be interms of embedding LC. Accordingly, the research addressed this aim further by providingbusinesses with support and guidance in their LC maturation process in particular inmeasuring sought improvement in their journey towards greater maturity in LC. The studywas conducted as a qualitative mixed-method design in order to discover and achieve a richunderstanding of the phenomenon of LC maturity from LC key informants and best fulfil theresearch aim. Consequently, a phenomenological approach was utilised, with focus groups(FGs) as the primary study, combined with a group interview as well as individual interviewsas supplementary components. To ensure validity, three different approaches weredeployed: first the triangulation of three different methods to collect the data, second a richand thick-description, and finally the validation of the developed framework by memberchecks in the form of interviews and a FG. The major findings of this research are: thesuccessful integration of MMs and LC achieved through the development of the proposedframework, and the simplification of LC into 11 Key Attributes that explain LC in a simplerand better way than before. This framework defined a LC maturity assessment methodutilising five maturity levels, 11 Key Attributes, which have been described through 60Behaviours, Goals & Practices, and 75 Ideal Statements that more mature organisations willexemplify. Finally, the most important consequence of this work is the enabling oforganisations to obtain a systemic and holistic overview of their current state of LC maturityand providing them with support in their maturation.

The objective of this paper is to increase our ability to understand the systems of innovation approach as a flexible and useful conceptual framework for innovation analysis. It presents an effort to develop some missing links and to decrease the conceptual noise often present in the discussions on national innovation systems. The paper specifies elements and relations that seem to be essential to the conceptual core of the framework and argues that there is no a priori reason to emphasise the national over the subnational [regional] scale as an appropriate mode for analysis, irrespective of time and place. Localised input-output relations between the actors of the system, knowledge spillovers and their untraded interdependencies lie at the centre of the arguments. The paper is organised as follows. It introduces the reader, first, to some basic elements and concepts that are central to understanding the approach. The characteristics of the innovation process are examined: its nature, sources and some of the factors shaping its development. Particular emphasis is laid on the role of knowledge creation and dissemination based on the fundamental distinction between codified and tacit forms. These concepts recur throughout the paper and particularly in discussions on the nature and specifications of the systems approach. The paper concludes by summarising some of the major findings of the discussion and pointing to some directions for future research activities. (author's abstract)<br>Series: Discussion Papers of the Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience

<p>High tech companies face continual pressures to innovate, differentiate, and be first to market. Open innovation allows organizations to focus on their core competencies while developing strategic alliances that create win-win relationships and competitive advantages for all parties involved. However, open innovation introduces certain risks and challenges and a consistent framework for open innovation is lacking. This study developed a high-level framework for planning and executing open innovation within the high tech industry. A convenience sample of nine managers experienced in the high tech industry experience and open innovation were interviewed about their perspectives, experiences, and approaches related to open innovation. Results confirmed the lack of open innovation roadmaps or playbooks in use, due to the inherent uncertainty and complexity of open innovation. Diligent vetting of partnerships is critical for success in open innovation, as incompatible partner characteristics can undermine the success of such initiatives.

Over the past two decades, a combination of changes in technological, political, and cultural arenas have affected the way in which companies, organizations, groups and individuals innovate. Firms seek for different, more “open” and new ways of thinking about innovation, mostly to complements traditional innovation logics. This dissertation, based on three distinct and jet interconnected papers, explores innovation as a complex challenge for profit and nonprofit organizations, and focuses critically on two promising and widely adopted models for problem solving to manage such innovation process: Crowdsourcing and Design Thinking. This work intends to provide theoretical contributions and empirical evidences on what are the role(s) and the mechanisms of Crowdsourcing and Design Thinking when facing open innovation challenges in organizations. Investigating and comparing these two models allow to better understand the dynamics and the mechanisms underlying their results. The first article investigates crowdsourcing contests. Drawing on matching theory, it suggests that a contest is a two-sided matching process between firms and the crowd, where the way a task is formulated is essential to engage the best idea providers. The second empirical work of this thesis investigate crowdsourcing too, but in nonprofit context. It addresses the issue of how to use crowdsourcing to lead social innovation. By analyzing a crowdsourced co-created platform, this research provides empirical evidences about how a crowd could evolve into a community which will be able to engage in social innovation. The third article focus on Design Thinking. It investigates the process towards solutions in Design Thinking to better understand the challenges and the costs on the use of this model, in particular when newly adopted. It analyzes and isolates the elements, in particular struggles and triggers, which accompany participants, as they work through conflicting demands facing the innovation process.

Abstract In this paper an attempt will be made to identify what has been explicitly recognised as central and peripheral within the systems of innovation concept; the inclusion or exclusion of the factors that are important in understanding the political economy of innovation systems; the themes, issues and range of actors and spaces that must be included in NSI types of appreciative theory or modelling. We suspect that those who focus narrowly tend to exclude important variables that must be included in the understanding of the making and development of innovation systems. Conversely those who focus broadly may include factors that may not be helpful in creating clarity of conception and understanding of the innovation systems application to the problems and challenges of development. It is thus important to reflect and review the variety of ways the system of innovation has been used by the economists who have used the NSI perspective in their search to develop alternative frameworks to understand the problems and challenges of economic system dynamics in general and economic development in particular. We will probe how the search for an alternative economic framework for economic development through the NSI perspective have been applied with a view to advance an argument for its judicious application as an intellectual conceptual tool to help understanding and explanation of the problems and challenges of development and underdevelopment. A unified conception of systems of innovation that includes not only history and culture but also the critical political factor that closely impinges and shapes policies on the economics of innovation will be attempted with a view to valorise the explanatory analytical power of the NSI framework in the context of its value in generating new insights, practices and applications to the general problem of economic development.

The main topic of this thesis is IT innovation management which is very up to date theme as a research within the thesis documents. IT innovation should be managed jointly with the IT Governance to support effectiveness of IT and competitiveness of the whole company.

Boosting economic growth and competitiveness in different spatial contexts such as national, regional, metropolitan etc. has always been in the epicenter of both large and small-scale planning efforts pursued at different levels of government from local to extra- regional and their significance is still, and probably will always be, on the rise given the ever increasing competition in today’s, and yet-to-come future world. In order to achieve this, relevant authorities have devised and implemented a vast variety of policies and approaches which are, more often than not, based on abundance of theoretical contributions in the field of economic geography. This thesis explores one of the main theoretical contributions to this field being Innovation Systems theory and tries to adapt the concept, originally intended for application at a larger scale, to the perspective of an individual firm rather than a whole production system while briefly using empirics from the spatial context of Adelaide/South Australia, loosely defined as a region, and the sectoral context of electricity infrastructure. The initial conclusion here is that applying the concept to the more manageable context of an individual firm, may have the potential to enable one to identify the relevant organizational and institutional setup more effectively and present a better explanatory description of their role in the whole Innovation system and in turn, can contribute to a more informed planning and policy- making process for regional economic growth.

The aim of this research project is to develop an innovative framework to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS) with the capability of assessing the leanness level of the services offering process. The framework comprises three implementation phases namely: assessment of the current state, developing a future state, and stabilising the new way of operations. Additionally, the framework covers the enablers, factors, and appropriate lean tools required for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS), as well as, the challenges that may obstacle the implementation process. The proposed framework has integrated an assessment model that provides a quantifiable measure of the leanness level of Product-Service System (PSS). Five main enablers and thirty three factors emerging from these main enablers deemed to be critical for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS). Moreover, a series of eight inhibitors appeared to block the implementation process. The Product-Service System leanness assessment model was developed upon three main levels, namely: enablers, criteria, and attributes. The first level contains five enablers. These enablers are supplier relationship, management leanness, workforce leanness, process excellence, and customer relationship. In the second level there are twenty one criteria such as: supplier delivery, culture of management and process optimisation. Finally, the third level consists of seventy three attributes. By using multi-grade fuzzy approach the PSS leanness index was computed and areas for further improvement were identified. A combination of research methodology approaches has been employed in this research. Firstly, an extensive literature review related to lean and PSS was conducted. Secondly, the qualitative approach and the case study were selected as an appropriate methodology for this research, using semi-structured and structured interview techniques to gather the required data from experts who are involved in lean projects in their companies. Finally, validation of the results was carried out using real life industrial case studies and experts judgment. Case studies demonstrate that the framework provides guidelines for manufacturing companies that aim to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS). The framework enables manufacturing companies to better satisfy their customers’ needs through responding quickly to their changing demands; to improve the service offering process through reducing the creation of wastes and non-value added activities; and to improve competitiveness through increasing customers’ value. Additionally, the PSS leanness index is useful for improving the service offering process. The index provides manufacturing companies with a real insight into the leanness level of their service offering, as well as, it provides managers with a quantifiable measure of how lean their PSS is. The index identifies the gap between the current state and the future state and this helps in determining areas for further improvement.

The report discusses issues of innovative development of industrial enterprises. Recommendations the authors relate the electrical business. Analyzed in detail the most important definitions of innovation: innovation, technology and intellectual property.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.<br>This research examines organizational theory to gain understanding about the tradeoffs organizations are required to make in order to adopt innovations. As a framework for identifying gaps in current processes, the eight practices identified by Denning and Dunham's The Innovator's Way, Essential Practices For Successful Innovation (2010) are introduced. The eight practices are also provided as a tool to improve communications, focus, and methods for achieving innovation adoption within an organization.

This thesis investigates the evolutionary foundation of the Innovation System concept and the quantitative techniques that could be used for a systemic evaluation of innovation policies. This topic has been covered through 6 chapters:<br>Chapter I: The innovation system concept, which is the central concept of this thesis, finds its foundations in the evolutionary theory of economics and the Schumpeterian point of view on the co-evolution of innovation, organizations and institutions. Developed by Nelson and Winter in 1982, this theory is based on the idea that the surviving firms on the markets are not necessarily the ones that maximize their profits. Indeed, their ability to survive is reinforced by the development of internal organizational routines allowing for a fast adaptation to their changing environment. Thus, when assessing performances in terms of innovation in general, the single firm should not by the only centre of attention anymore. The entire environment surrounding its innovation activities should by analysed to understand the conditions underlying its failure or success. The definition of the innovation system (IS) concept finds its roots in this theory: the environment in which innovation activities take place is as important as the decision of the single innovation actor. Defined as all the institutions and organizations involved in the creation and diffusion of new knowledge and technology, the IS includes not only stakeholders of the innovation process, but also all the transversal sectors affecting innovation near or far: labour market, finance, and education… In such a context, the main justification for public intervention shifted from the market failures described by the neo-classical theory, to systemic failures, i.e. the dysfunctions of the IS, on which governments may take actions. And this shift in the policy rationale also leads to specific evaluation techniques of public initiatives.<br>Chapter II: The IS concept is defined as all the institutions and organizations involved in the creation, diffusion and absorption of new knowledge and technology. An important question is raised by such a point of view: what is a system? What are its components? How does it foster innovation? This theoretical step is necessary to understand all the aspect of the innovation environment that are concerned by innovation policy design. How could a policy-maker integrate the systemic framework of the IS when initiating public action with the aim to improve performances in terms of science, technology and innovation? A large part of the economic literature is dedicated to the description of innovation systems. So the aim of this chapter consists of synthetizing the aspects referenced in the economic theory as the components of the IS in a normative exercise. First, the term “system” involves the articulation of several components and the relationships existing between them. Departing from this definition, three broad aspect of the IS are considered: the actors of the innovation process, the functions of the system and the resulting objectives that should be pursued by the stakeholders, and the instruments used by public authorities to intervene in such a systemic context. The actors involved in the innovation process are not only the recipient of a public policy, they are also policy makers, implementation agents and targets of the policy measures. The functions of the IS mainly concerns the creation, diffusion and absorption of new knowledge and technology. As the role of the State is to improve the performances of such a system, those functions should be considered as the objectives of public action. Finally, the instruments used by the State to reach these goals can also be detailed: innovation policies can be implemented through direct support measures (financial or fiscal tools), the improvement of the infrastructure allowing for the diffusion of innovation, or the general framework conditions affecting performances. The normative exercise ended up with an exhaustive taxonomy that may be used for further analysis<br>Chapter III: As the aim of this thesis is to develop analytical tools to integrate the IS point of view in public policy evaluation, the most important aspect of the work consisted in building an exhaustive database on innovation policies implemented in the EU28 Member States and its main non-EU competitors (Australia, China, Japan, the US, India, the Russian Federation, Brazil, South Korea and Canada). This database was constructed in the context of the ENIRI study conducted by the European Commission, between 2013 and 2015. This long-lasting work involved the collection of information concerning the innovation policy measures implemented in all the considered countries, both at the national and regional levels. This information was related to the IS dimensions highlighted in previous chapter. The main sources for data collection were the RIO (former Erawatch) and OECD STIP databases, the RIM Plus Monitor and national sources (Ministry websites), as well as national experts. The budgets was also included or estimated for the 2007-2013 period. Once the data were collected, the policy measures were classified according to the theoretical canvas developed through the taxonomy of chapter II. Functional matrices combining different aspects of the IS allowed for detailed information on the distribution of policy measures among the different dimensions of the system. For example, it is possible to estimate the percentage of policy measures implemented in one country that are dedicated to the fundamental research activities in SMEs. This distribution has been computed both in absolute and budget terms. This difference provided information on the contrast existing between governmental claims and intentions in terms of innovation policies and the effective use of money dedicated to the announced target. Indeed, it is not because a substantial number of policies are dedicated to a specific sector of beneficiary that the allocated budget will be more important. Thus, this policy database should shed a light on the way innovation policies are articulated at a national level, and how they are effectively implemented through their budgets<br>Chapter IV: The evolutionary foundations of the IS concept imply that there is no general equilibrium describing an ideal situation to which a specific case can be compared. In other words, there is no optimal innovation system, and no ideal configuration that should be imitated by the others. This absence of equilibrium and the systemic point of view adopted in this context lead to the use of alternative techniques to evaluate performances and policies. As suggested by Edquist (2006), this has to be done through a diagnosis of the IS, consisting in the identification of the systemic failures, and the elaboration of strategy to fix the problem. This demarche will be investigated in this chapter of the thesis and the following. In this section, a diagnosis of the IS of 37 countries (28 EU and their 9 non-EU competitors) will be realized through a typology based on innovation performances indicators. The aim of such an analysis is to see whether the different IS can be gathered in groups sharing the same characteristics, relative strengths and weaknesses. The expected results should reveal groups of countries sharing the same configurations in terms of innovation process, and facing the same type of weaknesses, dysfunctions or systemic failures. By doing so, one should be able to identify the needs of each IS, i.e. the components that may need improvement and eventually public intervention. To do so, a principal component analysis and a hierarchical ascendant clustering technique have been implemented on the 37 IS, revealing 4 clusters of countries, depending on their NIS characteristics and advancement: 1) The Asian economies, 2) The lagging-behind and catching-up NIS, 3) The small opened systems, 4) The technological leaders. This analysis has been realized for the 2003-2005 and 2013-2015 periods, revealing that, if the general features of the clusters do not tend to change over time, some countries faced a change a modification of their status: Korea left the Asian group to join the leaders, Cyprus and Ireland opened their boarders to a larger extent in a decade.<br>Chapter V: Innovation policy typologyThis chapter is focused on the construction of an innovation policy typology based on the distributions of policies obtained in the database presented in chapter III. The results of this typology will be compared with the diagnosis realized in previous section to see if the weaknesses and needs of the NIS are effectively targeted by public action in innovation. Also, the aspects that could enhance or weaken such action, and their combination with other component of the NIS could be better understood. To this purpose, a multiple factor analysis has been implemented on the distributions of policy measures in terms of NIS components, followed by a hierarchical ascendant clustering, revealing groups of countries sharing the same characteristics in terms of policy design and implementation. 34 NIS have been examined (India, Brazil and Russia have been removed from the sample due to the bad quality of the information), using both the budget-weighted and non-budget-weighted distributions of measures on the 2007-2013 period. However, the results of this typology cannot be interpreted separately from the general innovation framework in which the public action is implemented. Indeed, countries having the same features in terms of beneficiaries and/or objectives in terms of policy do not necessarily share the same kind of IS. These implementation characteristics should rather be interpreted in light of the results obtained in the NIS diagnosis typology, in order to examiner if the public money effectively go where it is needed. In general, the different examined countries seem to effectively tackle their weaknesses, but countries facing the same types of problems do not implement the same type of policy mix, reinforcing the hypothesis that the innovation process is embedded in a large institutional framework that my orient public action in a direction rather than another. Two specific cases hold the attention in those results: South Korea, whose leader status came along with an improvement of the in force regulatory framework and a focus on private research, and Japan, dealing with research in the pharmaceutical research and ageing-population issues.<br>Chapter VI: The impact of macroeconomic and IS factors on the efficiency of public R&DAnother point of view can be adopted in an attempt to integrate the IS representations in policy evaluation techniques: the analysis of their impact on the efficiency of public R&D in leveraging private investments. In this chapter, a combination of two types of analysis is used to examine the problematic: the study of the efficiency of public R&D expenditure and its determinants on one hand, and the investigation of a possible crowding out effect of public R&D on the private one on another hand. The crowding out effect is translated into efficiency analysis, considering the BERD funded by government as an input, and the BERD funded by business as an output. And if an increase in the output leads to a decrease in the output, public intervention is considered to crowd out private initiative, as the firm may decide to replace its own investment with public money, instead of using it as an extra resource to increase its R&D activities. In this context, the IS as environment of R&D activities can be seen as a determinant of this efficiency, as it can strengthen or weaken this crowding out effect. The question asked in this section is the following: how to quantify and model the interdependencies existing between the different components of a NIS in order to integrate them in a quantitative analysis. This has been done in this study by implementing factorial analysis (Buesa, 2010) on a set of indicators collected in the Global Competitiveness Index database, and considered as descriptors of the different aspects of the innovation system. Those IS factors are: 1) the general STI environment, 2) the accessibility of the financial markets, 3) the internationalization of the system, 4) barriers to entrepreneurship and 5) the flexibility of labour regulation. Afterwards, these variables have been added as efficiency determinants in a stochastic frontier model assessing a possible crowding out effect between public and private initiatives. The main results showed that there is an additional effect of public R&d expenditure on private R&D investments (no crowding out). Moreover, the general STI environment and accessibility of financial markets have a positive impact on this efficiency, contrary to the presence of foreign stakeholders in the system. The two last factors remain insignificant. Those results suggest that, if public intervention should have an effect on the performances of the NIS, this relationship is also reciprocal: a well-functioning NIS may have a positive effect on the results of a policy measure.<br>Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion<br>info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study examined how a knowledge management system can bring innovative behaviour to a knowledge based firm. The study developed a framework for such a system by investigating what components should comprise the system and how they should interact. The outcome of the study is a recommended framework of components, tools & methods to effectively implement a knowledge management system.

Context. Performance testing, among other types of non-functional testing, is necessary to assess software quality. Most often, manual approach is employed to test a system for its performance. This approach has several setbacks. The existing body of knowledge lacks empirical evidence on automation of non-functional testing and is largely focused on functional testing. Objectives. The objective of the present study is to evaluate a test framework that automates performance testing. A large-scale distributed project is selected as the context to achieve this objective. The rationale for choosing such a project is that the proposed test framework was designed with an intention to adapt and tailor according to any project’s characteristics. Methods. An experiment was conducted with 15 participants at Ericsson R&amp;D department, India to evaluate an automated test framework. Repeated measures design with counter balancing method was used to understand the accuracy and time taken while using the test framework. To assess the ease-of-use of the proposed framework, a questionnaire was distributed among the experiment participants. Statistical techniques were used to accept or reject the hypothesis. The data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel. Results. It is observed that the automated test framework is superior to the traditional manual approach. There is a significant reduction in the average time taken to run a test case. Further, the number of errors resulting in a typical testing process is minimized. Also, the time spent by a tester during the actual test is phenomenally reduced while using the automated approach. Finally, as perceived by software testers, the automated approach is easier to use when compared to the manual test approach. Conclusions. It can be concluded that automation of non-functional testing will result in overall reduction in project costs and improves quality of software tested. This will address important performance aspects such as system availability, durability and uptime. It was observed that it is not sufficient if the software meets the functional requirements, but is also necessary to conform to the non-functional requirements.

Increasing competition and regulation are raising the pressure on manufacturing organisations to innovate their products. Innovation is fraught by significant uncertainty of whole product life cycle costs and this can lead to hesitance in investing which may result in a loss of competitive advantage. Innovative products exist when the minimum information for creating accurate cost models through contemporary forecasting methods does not exist. The scientific research challenge is that there are no forecasting methods available where cost data from only one time period suffices for their application. The aim of this research study was to develop a framework for forecasting cost uncertainty using cost data from only one time period. The developed framework consists of components that prepare minimum information for conversion into a future uncertainty range, forecast a future uncertainty range, and propagate the uncertainty range over time. The uncertainty range is represented as a vector space representing the state space of actual cost variance for 3 to n reasons, the dimensionality of that space is reduced through vector addition and a series of basic operators is applied to the aggregated vector in order to create a future state space of probable cost variance. The framework was validated through three case studies drawn from the United States Department of Defense. The novelty of the framework is found in the use of geometry to increase the amount of insights drawn from the cost data from only one time period and the propagation of cost uncertainty based on the geometric shape of uncertainty ranges. In order to demonstrate its benefits to industry, the framework was implemented at an aerospace manufacturing company for identifying potentially inaccurate cost estimates in early stages of the whole product life cycle.

Mammalian tissues and organs are complex in structure and function and can degenerate because of diseases. It is not possible to study in full their characteristics with traditional laboratory methods making it difficult to extend our knowledge of tissue function in vivo. This thesis presents a novel computational cellular automata agent and new rules of interaction that can simulate behaviours within and outside such biological components in computational simulations. The new computational methodology was applied to articular cartilage to simulate its complex porous single-phase osmosis-governed structure and characteristics. The results demonstrate that this new computational agent can be used to study other single-phase multi-component materials.

Thesis: S.M. in Management of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2018.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 136-142).<br>Recent years have seen important changes in the way corporates compete and the dynamism of this competition. Companies are facing increasing pressure to innovate and generate value for customers in over-satisfied societies demanding more complex business propositions and faster response. These changes lead to greater horizontal and vertical uncertainty, that corporations have to manage while sustaining investment in core assets to ensure short term performance. Open innovation strategies, levering on the internal and external entrepreneurial drive, have been proposed to increase the resilience of corporates while opening the opportunity for nascent ventures to grow in new markets. The design of these programs is an area of active research. This thesis proposes a specific open innovation program. The design implements an integral strategy combining inside-out and outside-in transitions to lower costs and enhance efficiency. The design is sequential and staged, resulting in a flexible, modular program architecture with multiple, specifically designed components (accelerator, innovation center, incubator and CVC) enabling the management of a wide range of deal flows.<br>by Roberto José Vázquez Lucerga.<br>S.M. in Management of Technology

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation is widely considered a key prerequisite for achieving organisational competitiveness and sustained long-term wealth in our increasingly volatile business environment. It is therefore imperative that organisations enable themselves to relentlessly pursue constant innovation; to grow and mature their innovation capability. A study aimed at organisational support by means of business tools toward maturity growth in these innovation capability areas is therefore warranted. Knowledge management plays a fundamental role in the enterprise’s ability to innovate successfully, and the question arises whether knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions can be used to grow innovation capability maturity. The existing literature on the subject is sparse, which led to the following research problem statement: No formal guidelines exist for the use of knowledge management to grow innovation capability maturity. Knowledge conversion is a prominent theme within the knowledge management field. Knowledge creation processes form the core of this knowledge creation model and therefore, one solution to the above-stated problem is to investigate the use of knowledge creation processes to grow innovation capability maturity. This notion provides the platform for aligning knowledge creation processes to the requirements for innovation capability growth from one maturity level to the next as the cornerstone for developing a knowledge management framework that enables innovation capability maturity growth. In order to align these knowledge processes with the requirements for growth in innovation capability maturity, the author identified a knowledge creation path as a key enabler for maturity growth in each innovation capability area. Knowledge management tools and organisational facilitating conditions that support the specific knowledge processes highlighted in the identified path were identified through a literature study and subsequently synthesised to form a framework. The impact of this framework lies in providing guidelines for the use of knowledge management as a vehicle for innovation capability maturity growth.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Innovasie word allerweë beskou as ’n kernvereiste vir die verkryging van organisatoriese mededingendheid en volhoubare langtermynsukses in ons toenemend wisselvallige sake-omgewing. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat organisasies hulself in staat stel om meedoënloos konstante innovasie na te streef; om hul innovasievermoë uit te brei en volwassenheid daarin te bereik. ’n Studie gemik op organisatoriese ondersteuning deur middel van sake-hulpmiddels ten einde groei in volwassenheid in hierdie innovasievermoë-areas te bereik, is dus nodig. Kennisbestuur speel ’n fundamentele rol in die onderneming se vermoë om suksesvol te innoveer, wat die volgende vraag ontlok: Kan kennisbestuurhulpmiddels en organisatoriese fasiliteringsomstandighede gebruik word om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te bereik? Die bestaande literatuur oor die onderwerp is gebrekkig, wat aanleiding tot die volgende probleemstelling gegee het: Daar is geen formele riglyne vir die gebruik van kennisbestuur om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter nie. Kennisomskakeling is ’n prominente tema in die gebied van kennisbestuur. Kennisskeppingsprosesse vorm die kern van hierdie kennisskeppingsmodel en daarom is een oplossing tot bogenoemde probleem om die gebruik van kennisskeppingsprosesse om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter, te ondersoek. Hierdie idee skep ’n platform om kennisskeppingsprosesse met die vereistes vir innovasievermoëverbetering van een volwassenheidsvlak tot die volgende te belyn, as hoeksteen vir die ontwikkeling van ’n kennisbestuurraamwerk om innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te verbeter. Ten einde hierdie kennisprosesse met die vereiste vir groei in innovasievermoëvolwassenheid te belyn, het die outeur ’n kennisskeppingspad as kernelement geïdentifiseer om volwassenheidsgroei in elke innovasievermoë-area in die hand te werk. Kennisbestuurhulpmiddels en organisatoriese fasiliteringsomstandighede wat die spesifieke kennisprosesse wat in die geïdentifiseerde pad uitgelig word, ondersteun, is deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie geïdentifiseer en daarna gesintetiseer om ’n raamwerk te vorm. Die impak van hierdie raamwerk lê daarin om riglyne vir die gebruik van kennisbestuur as ’n middel tot innovasievermoëvolwassenheidsgroei te bied.

There is an increased need for innovation activities in companies today due to mounting pressure from external factors increasing the urgency for renewal and agility. Digitalisation of processes, products and services sets completely new requirements for competence but also changes the value creation and competitiveness. In recent years, management focus has shifted from optimization of production processes, logistics and supply chains, to being more oriented towards an innovation focus, promoting business renewal and innovative business models. The purpose of this study is to examine how board evaluations are used to improve board work and to study how well boards guide the innovation ambitions of their companies. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to develop a framework that can provide a holistic perspective of both control and strategic innovation aspects. Results from a comprehensive literature review and analysis of board evaluation data indicate that there is a lack of innovation inclusion in board evaluations and a clear lack of statistical approach when constructing surveys. The result of the study is a proposed framework that provides guidance for designing an innovation inclusive board evaluation tools and recommendations for providing actionable insights to clients, backed up by statistical models such as regression analysis and consistency analysis that has the possibility to scale into a digital assessment tool.<br>Ett flertal omvärldsfaktorer ökar innovationsbehovet i många företag idag vilket således ökar brådskan för förnyelse och mer agila förhållningssätt. Digitalisering av processer, produkter och tjänster ställer helt nya krav på kompetenser men ändrar också värdeskapandet och konkurrenskraften hos dagens företag. Under de senaste åren har managementfokus skiftat från renodlad optimering av produktionsprocesser, logistik och försörjningskedjor, till att inrymma innovation och förnyelse genom ett flertal förändringsarbeten så som formella ledarskapsroller med innovation som fokus, förnyade processer och innovativa affärsmodeller. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur styrelseutvärderingar används som ett verktyg för att förbättra styrelsearbetet och att studera hur väl styrelser vägleder innovationsambitionerna i ett företag. Fortsättningsvis är målet med denna studie att utveckla ett ramverk som kan ge ett helhetsperspektiv av balansen mellan både kontroll och strategiska innovationsaspekter. Resultatet från en omfattande litteraturgranskning och analys av styrelsens utvärderingsdata visar att det saknas innovationsintegration i styrelseutvärderingar och ett bristande statistiskt underlag vid konstruktionen av frågebaserna för utvärderingen. Det föreslagna ramverket ger vägledning åt alla som behöver utvärdera styrelser med ambitionen att utforma ett utvärderingsverktyg som är mer innovationsorienterad och som möjliggör rekommendationer med konkreta insikter till styrelser, grundade i statistiska modeller så som linjär regression och intern konsistens analys som kan möjliggöra utvecklandet av en skalbar digital utvärdering.

Research found that today’s organisations are increasingly aware of the potential barriers and perceived challenges associated with the successful delivery of change — including cultural and sub-cultural indifferences; financial constraints; restricted timelines; insufficient senior management support; fragmented key stakeholder commitment; and inadequate training. The delivery and application of Innovative Change (see glossary) within a construction industry organisation tends to require a certain level of ‘readiness’. This readiness is the combination of an organisation’s ability to part from undertakings that may be old, traditional, or inefficient; and then being able to readily adopt a procedure or initiative which is new, improved, or more efficient. Despite the construction industry’s awareness of the various threats and opportunities associated with the delivery of change, research found little attention is currently given to develop a ‘decision-making framework’ that comprises measurable elements (dynamics) that may assist in more accurately determining an organisation’s level of readiness or ability to deliver innovative change. To resolve this, an initial Background Literature Review in 2004 identified six such dynamics, those of Change, Innovation, Implementation, Culture, Leadership, and Training and Education, which were then hypothesised to be key components of a ‘Conceptual Decision-making Framework’ (CDF) for delivering innovative change within an organisation. To support this hypothesis, a second (more extensive) Literature Review was undertaken from late 2007 to mid 2009. A Delphi study was embarked on in June 2008, inviting fifteen building and construction industry members to form a panel and take part in a Delphi study. The selection criterion required panel members to have senior positions (manager and above) within a recognised field or occupation, and to have experience, understanding and / or knowledge in the process of delivering change within organisations. The final panel comprised nine representatives from private and public industry organisations and tertiary / research and development (R&D) universities. The Delphi study developed, distributed and collated two rounds of survey questionnaires over a four-month period, comprising open-ended and closed questions (referred to as factors). The first round of Delphi survey questionnaires were distributed to the panel in August 2008, asking them to rate the relevancy of the six hypothesised dynamics. In early September 2008, round-one responses were returned, analysed and documented. From this, an additional three dynamics were identified and confirmed by the panel as being highly relevant during the decision-making process when delivering innovative change within an organisation. The additional dynamics (‘Knowledge-sharing and Management’; ‘Business Process Requirements’; and ‘Life-cycle Costs’) were then added to the first six dynamics and used to populate the second (final) Delphi survey questionnaire. This was distributed to the same nine panel members in October 2008, this time asking them to rate the relevancy of all nine dynamics. In November 2008, round-two responses were returned, analysed, summarised and documented. Final results confirmed stability in responses and met Delphi study guidelines. The final contribution is twofold. Firstly, findings confirm all nine dynamics as key components of the proposed CDF for delivering innovative change within an organisation. Secondly, the future development and testing of an ‘Innovative Change Delivery Process’ (ICDP) is proposed, one that is underpinned by an ‘Innovative Change Decision-making Framework’ (ICDF), an ‘Innovative Change Delivery Analysis’ (ICDA) program, and an ‘Innovative Change Delivery Guide’ (ICDG).

Requirements Engineering (RE) involves processing informal natural language de-scriptions of the system requirements into an integrated and structured formal specification. Current and future software intensive systems must accommodate increasingly larger sets of requirements. Therefore, in large-scale new systems engi- neering projects, the requirements analyst (RA) may end up with many thousands, sometimes tens or even hundreds of thousands, of requirements. Dealing with these large volume of requirements is extremely challenging for several reasons: 1. The system requirements may be unstructured and loosely distributed. 2. They may be ill-defined, incomplete, or redundantly specified. 3. They may change at any time, having ripple effects on others. As a result, the RE process becomes very difficult to manage for a large-scale software intensive system, even if it is somewhat manageable for a small-scale one. In order to streamline the RE process, we present an interactive requirements engineering (iRE) framework. The iRE framework provides automated supports for (1) defects detection and resolution, (2) change management and (3) derivation of integrated and structured system model. Since domain knowledge is necessary in different scenarios, the framework involves the RA in an interactive fashion.<br>Thesis (PhD Doctorate)<br>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br>Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems<br>Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology<br>Full Text

Background: The term Open Innovation describes a phenomenon where organizations are no longer solely relying on internal R&amp;D to innovate technologies that they then would bring to market. Instead, firms are looking outside for ideas or working with other organizations to develop technologies in order to capitalize on efficiencies of existing knowledge, reduce investment risks and increase speed to market. We identified a need to analyze the existing open innovation adoption frameworks in order to track similarities and differences so that we could create a new framework which is more comprehensive. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create a framework for the analysis of the open innovation adoption process which is based on organizational change and other relevant streams of research. In order to do this we were to find answers to the following research questions: 1) How can organizational change theory be used to analyze the movement from a closed to open innovation strategy? 2) In addition to organizational change theory, which research streams should be considered when analyzing the open innovation adoption process? 3) To what extent does our new framework provide an adequate foundation for analyzing the open innovation adoption process at SCA Hygiene Products? Results: Our new framework is meant for the analysis of open innovation adoption process. The framework helps researchers to analyze how different organizations have adopted open innovation based on the four research streams that we have analyzed. Our framework includes aspects of organizational change theory, knowledge management, networks and managerial roles. Key Words: open innovation adoption, organizational change, knowledge management, networks, SCA

This study aims to understand which are the factors that allow a company to be proactive in a collaborative relationship within its supply chain (and network), in particular in their innovation processes. A pilot case and three case studies have been conducted to identify the variables of a new framework of network dynamic innovation capabilities that companies need to develop in order to successfully compete in turbulent competitive environments. Companies can manage such complexity, starting from a new strategic vision (sponsored by the CEO and top management), creating or adapting new organizational processes and requiring different attitudes and skills from its employees and collaborators. External contribution can be intended both outside the boundaries of the company or outside a specific division. Ad hoc organization can be formed for scouting, networking, evaluating, financing or connecting external sources of innovation. New competencies and skills are also needed at the individual level, such an extroversion attitude, the capability to be entrepreneurial, the capability to be comfortable with collaboration and develop a technical and business mindset, a leadership vision and the capability to naturally and routinely develop network and seek external potential solution providers. The final goal of the proposed model is to create sustainable competitive advantage through the creation of innovation dynamic capabilities through a network of players. Supply chain management has been considered the companies’ enabler of winning business models. Having improved their own internal processes, the opportunity to create a competitive advantage relies on the improvement of the external relationships. Intense competition, more exigent and unpredictable demand, shortened product life cycles, continuous improvement in technology, more complex products, force companies to structure their processes focusing on their core competences, selecting on the external market complementary competences that could help them to maintain their competitive position.

We believe there to be a possible problem with Enterprise Architecture, in that in using standardizations such as frameworks stifles creativity and innovations, focusing on IT-environments. This assumption is not new as there already are thoughts in existence on this subject, each side discussing if there is a fault or not. Out of our own interest we delve deeper into the subject of Enterprise Architecture to see if there is any truth in our assumption and to see if there is anything anyone can do to compensate or solve this perceived problem. We look into what Enterprise Architecture consists of and examine four different popular frameworks associated with it: TOGAF, FEA, Gartner and Zachman. We learn about creativity in Information Systems organizations and its connection to IT. Our research strategy for this thesis is deduction together with two separate phases, one phase is exploratory and the other descriptive. We examine the nature of creativity and innovation, there too with an emphasis on IT. In order to find out if our assumption is correct we seek out literature, articles and other sources of information on innovations, creativity and frameworks. Armed with this information we seek out and perform interviews with people from large commercial organizations who have hands-on work experience working with Enterprise Architecture in order to see if our assumptions have any form of validity and to gain some insight into the subject matter. The method components for this thesis are literature review, document study and interviews. Analyzed with the help of SWOT we use the data gathered from the interviews to gain a visual representation of the results, to see the pros and cons of Enterprise Architecture. The results show that supplements or tools are used in order to produce or support business innovations, using departments, business related social networks or techniques to compensate. Hampering factors for business innovation can be internal conflicts, struggles between different groups for different EA solutions. Promoting business innovation through EA can come from mixing framework bits together, giving the result of a flexible and adaptive framework. It can also come from acting as a common language and a bridge between different hierarchies. EA aids with difficult decisions, evaluating which alternatives for realization and the order services are realized. Meetings can be used to compensate the lack of creativity and innovation rising from EA. A negative consequence of EA can occur during implementation of things related to EA in larger companies. No examples of companies that failed with creating business innovation in their IT with EA were found.<br>Program: Kandidatutbildning i informatik

Innovation is one of the most important factors behind today´s global economic growth and prosperity. In the current economic climate, increasing global competition and rapidly changing environment, an organisations ability to innovate is regarded as a key factor for success. It is widely accepted that creating new processes, products and procedures are vital for productivity and growth in all sectors. The literature on innovation measurements areas and utilities is voluminous and diverse. Assessing and measuring the complex conditions that influence a firm’s innovation capability is a challenging task, due to the inconsistency, inaccessibility, and complexity of measures. An integrative and holistic innovation capability assessment framework should include all aspects of innovation. This study attempt to address this gap, the lack of a holistic innovation capability assessment framework (HICAF) in project-based firms, by (a) reviewing the literature on innovation, innovation assessment, and measurement areas (b) through a qualitative case study exploring the factors promoting innovation in project-based firms (c) integrating the findings into a holistic assessment framework (d) generating items, in form of a statement, to address the underlying construct of each identified factor (e) applying the proposed framework within an organisation and statistically validating the instrument to achieve item homogeneity. Internal consistency reliability estimates have been utilized to produce a final framework consisting of 57 statistically validated items and eight theoretically grounded categories with 19 corresponding factors promoting innovation, also called enablers, in technology-orientated project-based organisations. In addition to the identified literature findings, the case study resulted in two new enablers, time management, and quality, which are not necessarily specific for project-based organisations, rather specific for the observed organisation. The performed case study is insufficient for determining whether there are any specific enablers for project-based organisations. The advantages of HICAF lies in its simplicity due to practical applicability in a large scale and facilitates managers to diagnose the organisation and recognize true symptoms to then apply appropriate treatment and remedies. A frequent application of HICAF can also help to study the effect of specific treatment and remedies in relation to innovation capability.

This thesis sets out to explore the concept of dynamic capability which centers on the firm’s ability to sustain competitive advantage in dynamic environments. Drawing on a review of the literature, a framework of general factors conducive to a dynamic capability – absorptive capability, adaptive capability and innovative capability – is identified. Since the framework has not been explored empirically, this thesis takes the first step in this pursuit. The phenomenon is investigated in a case study comprised of three firms in the information and communication industry. Data is collected from interviews with representatives of the firms and from the last annual reports of the firms. Drawing on the analysis of the data, it is suggested that the specific operationalization of the factors should be refined. Nonetheless, the study suggests that the framework comprises a straightforward and efficient means of analysing a firm’s ability to sustain competitive advantage.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited<br>Be it on Wall Street, Main Street, or K Street, Americans are concerned about cyber threats, as cyberspace underpins national security and prosperity in the 21st century. The concern is expressed in dinner table discussions, governmental strategy documents, and blogs, alike. A commonly held assertion is that current practices toward securing cyberspace are insufficient, necessitating innovative new approaches. In response to calls for such innovation by the Department of Defense, this work proposes a new organization designed specifically to address enduring national security priorities concerning cyberspace. In order to bring about such an organization and put it on a firm enough a foundation to ensure sustaining endurance, a generative framework of innovation, the Innovators Way (IW), was applied. This endeavor meets the IW criteria of innovation, which is defined as the adoption of new practices within a community. In this case, the practice is a new professionals association and the community is the American military cyber workforce (a subset of the greater American defense community). This work is a culmination of a yearlong effort to employ and evaluate the IW framework, which emphasizes the role of adoption in the innovation process. The weight applied to adoption in this framework should resonate with those passionate about making things happen and helps to answer the so what? question commonly applied to good ideas. This case study serves as an evaluation of this generalizable framework, from which an enduring engine of national cyber development has been bequeathed.

In a world of increased disruptive innovation, volatile macroeconomic variables and unpredictable change, businesses are at risk of being disrupted as disruptors grow enormous user bases seemingly overnight and are then agile enough to continue innovating to stay ahead of the game. Incumbent businesses default to survival mode as they struggle to keep market share because the bureaucracy that burdens these large corporates inhibits their ability to react quickly. That being said, it has never been easier to revolutionise business models and innovate than it is presently, given the velocity of change in technology which underpins most of what disruptive innovation is about. Numerous models and frameworks have been proposed to assist one's cognitive process for ideation but none exist for disruptive thinking, hence a disruptive innovation ideation framework is called for. Using a qualitative research approach, the study was conducted in four phases as we inductively derived a preliminary cognitive framework for disruptive innovation. Phase 0 of this study included an extensive literature review to ensure the important theories relevant to entrepreneurship and innovation were taken into consideration. Three significant findings were uncovered using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method to examine the interviews gathered in Phase one, two and three of this research. Two population groups formed part of this study, (1) 26 of Africa's most accomplished Disruptive Innovators and (2) 12 Senior Managers from the retail and wholesale sector. Group 1 was used to seek answers to research questions one and two using semi-structured interviews whilst Group 2 was used to answer research question three using the same interview method. The study led to the creation of the preliminary cognitive framework "Enriched Disruptive Ideation" (EDI) framework and revealed three major findings: (1) Challenging both the common perception and the conception of business (2) the importance of building a good team (3) the emergence of the seven main themes, all of which were incorporated in the framework. This research as a result provided some contributions to bridging the gap in linking entrepreneurship and innovation theory.<br>Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.<br>zk2017<br>Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)<br>MBA<br>Unrestricted

Background: Systematic reviews are used increasingly to synthesise research for policy and practice decisions. Systematic reviews use transparent, explicit and consistent methods to identify, appraise and integrate research evidence, to inform existing assumptions. Traditionally used to examine the effects of health care, systematic review methods have evolved to address more complex issues across health and social policy. Framework synthesis is one systematic review method employed to address such complexity. Adapted from framework analysis used in primary research, framework synthesis begins with an a priori conceptual framework, which develops iteratively as new data are incorporated and themes derived from the data. Framework synthesis has been used increasingly in qualitative and mixed-method systematic reviews, sometimes incorporating stakeholder consultation to describe and interpret review findings. Aims: This thesis will demonstrate how my development of framework synthesis methods is situated within, and contributes to, wider debates about research synthesis methods in systematic reviews. Methods: I conducted an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic review of the literature discussing or employing framework synthesis methods was conducted. Included studies were ordered and synthesised using framework synthesis methods. The resulting conceptual framework structured the assessment of each of the submitted publications (the ‘thesis reviews’). Findings were subsequently incorporated into the conceptual framework and higher order themes derived using constant comparative analysis. Results: This thesis distinguishes two key approaches to framework synthesis: one approach that constructs a framework (often in discussion with stakeholders) to accommodate research from across academic disciplines and/or policy sectors; and the ‘best-fit’ approach that borrows a framework from a related area to initiate synthesis within a narrower disciplinary or policy scope. Its utility is demonstrated in handling mixed methods and mixed sources reviews, using diverse data types and synthesis methods in order to generate, explore and/or test theory in collaboration with stakeholders. I conclude that framework synthesis is a very flexible research synthesis method that can meet the complex conditions and epistemology arising from public health policy issues.

The aim of this study is to identify characteristics that can be used to assess early-stage research results by research users and research producers of the advanced biofuel sector. Mainly, it qualitatively explores the perceptions of both research users and research producers regarding their experiences with research results. The study builds on the models of Diffusion of Innovation (DoI), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Perceived Characteristics of Innovation (PCI). The findings of this study suggest that the investigated dimensions of DoI, PCI and TAM are applicable to the context of assessing research results with the extra dimension of risk reduction. In particular, some of the criteria used to assess the usefulness of research results are through its originality, scalability and relevance. The findings also suggest that documentation and publication are important to research users: Research users assess ease of use based on the presentation of the research results in their documentation; and they assess the quality of research results based on publications and the reputation of researchers. The findings of this study can be used to tailor research results to research users’ needs, which in turn can be expected to improve the uptake and further development of research results. This will not only permit the push of scientific research results to research users only put also permit research users to inform research needs.

O objetivo principal do trabalho foi analisar e organizar dois movimentos que coexistem ao criar uma startup: empreender e inovar. Verificar se a estruturação de uma startup (o empreender) pode ser entendida como um processo de inovação e compreender como as ferramentas propostas na teoria para esses dois temas podem convergir para um fluxo único de ações. E assim, à luz da literatura, e baseando-se em um caso prático, propor um framework que ajude a empresa a se organizar nesses dois níveis: estruturação e de inovação. Para tanto, através de uma abordagem exploratória-descritiva qualitativa, foi realizada uma pesquisa-ação utilizando o caso de uma startup de tecnologia brasileira fundada por alguns estudantes de pós-graduação, que ao longo de sua jornada incorporou novos sócios e executivos a fim de se estruturar e promover intensa inovação para o mercado brasileiro de varejo digital. Desse modo, foi possível analisar na prática e com alto nível de detalhe e profundidade os dois processos que aconteceram de forma concomitante: a evolução da startup como empresa e o processo interno de inovação para o lançamento dos produtos. Para que esse contexto prático pudesse ser analisado e, ao final, transformado em proposta de atuação na forma de framework, a revisão bibliográfica trata de temas como empreendedorismo, startups e processos de inovação, bem como algumas ferramentas de execução e gestão de empresas. Assim, através da pesquisa-ação em um caso prático real foi possível concluir que pode existir um fluxo macro que rege o desenvolvimento de uma startup, desde a descoberta da oportunidade, passando por sua estruturação, até sua formalização e debut ao mercado em que vai atuar, e que, além disso, é possível propor a junção de processos empreendedores e de inovação ao mesmo tempo. A simbiose entre fluxos de empreender e inovar em um caminho único conduz o novo empreendimento em uma direção onde o mesmo cumprirá etapas que o solidifiquem, sem esquecer que a inovação é um processo contínuo.<br>The main objective of this project was to analyze and organize two movements that coexist during the creation of a startup: entrepreneurship and innovation. Verifying whether the structuring of a startup (entrepreneurship) can be recognized as a process of innovation and an understanding of how the tools proposed within the theory for these two issues can converge for a single flow of actions. As such, considering the existing published work on the subject, and based upon a practical case, a framework is proposed that helps the startup organize itself on the two levels of organization and innovation. Therefore, by means of a qualitative exploratory-descriptive approach, a research-action was undertaken using the case of a Brazilian technology startup created by a group of post-graduate students. Along its trajectory the startup included new partners and executives with the aim of structuring and promoting a high level of innovation for the Brazilian digital retail market. By means of this approach, it was possible to analyze practically - as well as in great degree detail and depth - the two processes that took place concurrently: the evolution of the startup as a company, and the internal process of innovation for the launch of the products. In order for this practical process to be analyzed and transformed into a proposal for action in the form of a framework, the study of writings on the issue covers matters such as entrepreneurship, startups and innovation processes, as well as a number of tools used in the implementation and management of companies. Thus, by means of the research-action in a real practical case, it was possible to conclude that a macro-flow can exist which regulates the development of a startup (from the discovery of the opportunity, moving through the structuring, and on to its formalization and debut in the market in which it intends to operate) that can combine enterprise processes and innovation at the same time. The symbiosis between the entrepreneurship and innovation processes along a single path, guides the new enterprise through stages that firmly establish it, without forgetting that the innovation is an ongoing process.

Despite the claim that blockchain will revolutionise business and redefine logistics, existing research so far is limited concerning frameworks that categorise blockchain application potentials and their implications. In particular, academic literature in transport and logistics to date has not sufficiently distinguished between blockchain adoption ('what to adopt') and the identification of the right business opportunity ('where to start'). In response, this paper (1) uses Rogers¿ (2003) 'attributes of innovation framework' to identify potential blockchain applications and (2) presents a framework explicating four transformation phases to subsequently categorise the identified areas of application according to their effects on organisational structures and processes. Using academic and practitioner literature, we classify possible applications for adoption and provide a framework to identify blockchain opportunities in the logistics industry, thereby helping managers to systematically assess where to start building organisational capabilities in order to successfully adopt and deploy blockchain-based technology.

Le marché de l'aviation fait face aujourd'hui à une croissance rapide des technologies innovantes. Les drones cargo, les taxis drones, les dirigeables, les ballons stratosphériques, pour n'en citer que quelques-uns, pourraient faire partie de la prochaine génération de transport aérien. Dans le même temps, les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (PMEs) s'impliquent de plus en plus dans la conception et le développement de nouvelles formes de système aéroporté, passant du rôle traditionnel de fournisseur à celui de concepteur et intégrateur. Cette situation modifie considérablement la portée de la responsabilité des PMEs. En tant qu'intégrateurs, elles deviennent responsables de la certification des composants et du processus de fabrication, domaine dans lequel elles n’ont encore que peu d'expérience. La certification, qui requiert une connaissance très spécifique des réglementations, des normes et standards, demeure un processus obligatoire et une activité critique pour les entreprises de l'industrie aéronautique. C’est aussi un défi majeur pour les PMEs qui doivent assumer cette responsabilité de certification avec des moyens limités. Dans cette thèse, deux besoins majeurs sont identifiés: le soutien méthodologique n'est pas facilement disponible pour les PMEs; et les exigences de certification ne sont pas facilement compréhensibles et adaptables à chaque situation. Nous examinons donc des voies alternatives pour réduire la complexité de la situation des PMEs. L'objectif est de fournir un soutien afin qu'elles puissent être plus efficaces pour comprendre et intégrer les règles, les législations et les lignes directrices à leurs processus internes de manière plus simple. Cette thèse propose ainsi une approche méthodologique pour soutenir ces organisations. Développée en étroite collaboration avec une PME française, l'approche est composée d'un ensemble de modèles (métamodèle, modèles structurels et comportementaux) couverts par un mécanisme de gouvernance<br>The aviation market is facing nowadays a fast growth of innovative airborne systems. Drone cargo, drone taxi, airships, stratospheric balloons, to cite a few, could be part of the next generation of air transportation. In the same time, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are becoming more and more involved in designing and developing new forms of air transportation, transitioning from the traditional role of supplier to those of system designer and integrator. This situation changes drastically the scope of SMEs' responsibility. As integrators they become responsible for certification of the components and the manufacturing process, an area in which they have little experience. Certification mandates very specific knowledge, regarding the regulations, norms and standards. Certification is a mandatory process and a critical activity for the enterprises in the aerospace industry. It constitutes a major challenge for SMEs who have to take on this certification responsibility with only limited resources. In this thesis, two major needs are identified: methodological support is not easily available for SMEs; and certification requirements are not easily comprehensive and adaptable to each situation. We examine alternate paths, reducing the complexity and bringing one step closer to solving the problem for the innovative SMEs. The objective is to provide support so that they can be more efficient to comprehend and integrate rules, legislations and guidelines to their internal processes in a simpler way. This thesis proposes then a methodological approach to support such organisation. Developed in close cooperation with a French SME in this situation, the approach is composed of a set of models (metamodel, structural, and behavioural models) covered by a certification governance mechanism

Innovations as a source of economic wellbeing and social prosperity has been well researched, albeit primarily done in the context of developed economies. However, of late, interest in the effect of innovation on economic performance and quality of life has been renewed as the world observes the rise of emerging economies, and at the same time, the prolonged recession in the more developed economies (i.e. North America and European countries). There has been a marked increase in the quantity and quality of research and development, spawn by innovative companies from emerging economies that are making their mark in global marketplace. These phenomena challenge the traditional concept that innovation flows from the resource rich developed countries to less developed countries, and that the latter are at a disadvantage in terms of knowledge, technology and competitiveness. Existing studies on national innovation highlight the relationships between innovative capability and its outcomes; however, few have tried to explain the determinants of a nation’s innovative capabilities. Using a sample of 95 countries and panel data analysis covering 28 years of observation, this study attempts to model the determinants of innovative capability at national level, and focuses on absorptive capacity and institutional framework as the main determinants of innovative capability. Further, this study identifies different aspects of absorptive capacity: creation and exploitation of innovation. Findings offer support on the importance of various sources of external knowledge in the creation of innovation, with FDI inflow and High Technology Export as the strongest sources. Corruption as institutional factor has negative effect on innovative capability, whereas openness shows no effect. National absorptive capacity moderates the effect of external knowledge on innovative capability, except on FDI outflow in which a negative effect on trademark application as a measure of innovative capability. The findings suggest that innovative capability and moderating role of absorptive capacity enhance economic wellbeing. Findings show that economic wellbeing increases happiness and income inequality (as the measures of quality of life); same thing as innovative capability, which also increases both happiness and income inequality. This study demonstrates that for happiness, higher education and better infrastructure (as the measure of foundational absorptive capacity) decrease the level of happiness. Higher education and ease access to information may increase expectation, which lead to unhappiness when the expectation is not met. For income inequality, negative effect of the moderating role of absorptive capacity means that higher education and better infrastructure contribute to lowering income inequality. Based on these findings, a nation should continue to attract FDI and trade in high technology because these sources of knowledge contribute to innovative capability. Policy makers can develop country positioning and country’s marketing activities by using the combination of the improvement of national factors and policy reforms. The upgrading of national factors helps to achieve higher economic wellbeing and quality of life in general.

The topic of this thesis is to analyse the impact of Slovak innovation policy on trade balance. The aim of this thesis is to assess how Slovak Republic uses innovation policy instruments to support innovation and enhance competitiveness. I analyzed basic macroeconomic indicators, indicators of innovation performance comparison through the European Innovation Scoreboard and analysis of the trade balance. I evaluated Slovak innovation policy at the conclusion of the thesis.

Innovate or die" is one of the mantras of today’s economy. In order to survive, companies are forced to innovate. It is extremely essential to develop innovative ability to constantly cope with rapid changes in different industries such as Telecom, IT and Media. The research aim is to design an innovation framework which helps to assess the innovativeness of a department and thereafter, derive management implications for improving the innovativeness. A single descriptive case study of a high-tech department has been chosen. The triangular research design consisted of literature study, qualitative interviews and online surveys. In the first step, various factors that influence the innovativeness of departments are identified. Consequently, key learnings from other departments within the same corporation will be discussed. The results of survey, propositions and interviews will be compared to identify parameters of the innovation framework. The framework helps to structure valuable insights that link to management implications. The novelty of this paper can be claimed since it is the first research which combines assessing innovativeness via triangulation method and deriving management implication from the results in the field of innovation research. The outcome is an innovation framework with 17 different dimensions that have an influence on innovativeness at the department level. The study demonstrates a deep understanding of the current innovativeness of the investigated department and draws most relevant managerial implications based on other departments’ best practice.