HOW DO TASKS AND TECHNOLOGY FIT? - BRINGING ORDER TO THE OPEN INNOVATION CHAOS
Paul Kruse · 2014
Open innovation (OI) projects comprise various steps from the generation of ideas and their develop-ment to the market launch of a product (or service). Each step of the innovation process consists of tasks whose execution results in particular outputs. Following the paradigm shift towards OI, organi-zations increasingly allow external stakeholders to contribute during these steps by taking over cer-tain tasks. Although the general benefit of OI is considered to be positively influential on innovative-ness and competitiveness of a new product, the individual output of each task and, thus, the OI project varies tremendously. Research illustrates a broad range from projects with a focus on just initial idea generation to ones that result in complex strategies and marketable solutions. The question remains, which tasks or sub-tasks are involved in OI projects that lead to one particular output? To answer this question, the present study analyzes existing research on open innovation projects and summarizes the tasks that are performed. In addition to this process-oriented perspective, the technical side, i.e. the support of innovation tasks