Title: The management of service innovation: an empirical investigation

Authors: Ulrike Seegy, Ronald Gleich, Andreas Wald, Paul Mudde, Jaideep Motwani

Addresses: European Business School, International University, Schloss Reichartshausen, 65375 Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. ' European Business School, International University, Schloss Reichartshausen, 65375 Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. ' European Business School, International University, Schloss Reichartshausen, 65375 Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. ' Department of Management, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA. ' Department of Management, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA

Abstract: The primary objectives of this study were to analyse the role of innovations in the service sector, to analyse how innovation activities are organised and to identify the factors of success. A survey among 1450 service firms, each employing more than 500 employees, from different industries (e.g., wholesale and retail, transportation and communication, financial services, IT and consultancy) was used to collect the data. The findings indicate that a defined innovation strategy, the existence of an innovation management system, an innovation-oriented corporate culture and a clear performance measurement system for new services contribute strongest to the success of new services and to the overall success of the company.

Keywords: Germany; management; innovation management; service innovation; innovation strategy; empirical factors; framework; performance measurement; success factors; services; organisational culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2008.018722

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2008 Vol.4 No.6, pp.672 - 686

Published online: 16 Jun 2008 *

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