Article: Understanding new corporate innovation strategies: hybrid high-involvement approaches and the increasing importance of individual absorptive capacity Journal: International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (IJEIM) 2021 Vol.25 No.4/5 pp.363 - 390 Abstract: Driven by the challenges of digitalisation and increasing market dynamics, corporations must develop new strategies for innovation and knowledge management. This paper describes hybrid high-involvement innovation (HHII) as an emerging approach to corporate innovation. Through nine interviews, we explore the experiences and actions of experts in German corporate innovation programs in an effort to understand and systematise new approaches to corporate engagement in innovation. We categorise HHII benefits, antecedents, and emerging challenges, indicating the importance of innovation engagement activities and capabilities on the corporate and individual levels. We additionally identify and adapt key design elements of HHII to support its development and implementation in corporate environments, thereby examining the use of open innovation initiatives as vehicles to enable internal and external crowdsourcing of new ideas. This paper develops the concept of individual absorptive capacity (IAC) and explores its increasingly important role in open innovation initiatives such as HHII. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Understanding new corporate innovation strategies: hybrid high-involvement approaches and the increasing importance of individual absorptive capacity

Authors: Katja-Maria Prexl; Antje Gonera

Addresses: Research and Innovation, Norsk Vannteknologi AS, Solgaard Skog 139, 1599 Moss, Norway ' Department of Innovation, Sensory and Consumer Sciences, NOFIMA AS, P.O. Box 210, 1431 Ås, Norway

Abstract: Driven by the challenges of digitalisation and increasing market dynamics, corporations must develop new strategies for innovation and knowledge management. This paper describes hybrid high-involvement innovation (HHII) as an emerging approach to corporate innovation. Through nine interviews, we explore the experiences and actions of experts in German corporate innovation programs in an effort to understand and systematise new approaches to corporate engagement in innovation. We categorise HHII benefits, antecedents, and emerging challenges, indicating the importance of innovation engagement activities and capabilities on the corporate and individual levels. We additionally identify and adapt key design elements of HHII to support its development and implementation in corporate environments, thereby examining the use of open innovation initiatives as vehicles to enable internal and external crowdsourcing of new ideas. This paper develops the concept of individual absorptive capacity (IAC) and explores its increasingly important role in open innovation initiatives such as HHII.

Keywords: high-involvement innovation; HII; individual absorptive capacity; IAC; innovation management; innovation programs; knowledge management; organisational learning; hybrid high-involvement; open innovation; explorative approach; corporate innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2021.119199

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2021 Vol.25 No.4/5, pp.363 - 390

Accepted: 10 Oct 2020
Published online: 29 Nov 2021 *

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Title: Understanding new corporate innovation strategies: hybrid high-involvement approaches and the increasing importance of individual absorptive capacity

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