Title: An examination on the integration of technological and business innovation: cases of Yahoo! and Google

Authors: Ping Lan, Gregory A. Hutcheson, Yavor Markov, Nathaniel W. Runyan

Addresses: School of Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756080, Fairbanks, AK 99775–6080, USA. ' School of Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756080, Fairbanks, AK 99775–6080, USA. ' School of Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756080, Fairbanks, AK 99775–6080, USA. ' School of Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756080, Fairbanks, AK 99775–6080, USA

Abstract: This research aims to examine the integration of different types of innovation in two world leading innovative companies: Yahoo! and Google. Through coding and analysing over two thousand publicly available documents including patents, annual reports, news releases, and search engine watch reports, the two companies| innovation efforts over their entire development history were scrutinised against the background of the search engine and online directory industry. This research finds that there is a common factor contributing to the success of the two giants: they all actively pursue the synergy of product innovation, process innovation, and business innovation – innovation tripartite. Recognising the integration of the tripartite, on the one hand, offers clues for understanding the best practices of innovation; on the other hand, challenges some traditional concepts on innovation such as the dichotomy structure and the four-stage innovation life cycle.

Keywords: innovative companies; Yahoo!; Google; innovation integration; technology marketing; technological innovation; business innovation; search engines; online directory industry; product innovation; process innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2007.015747

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.4, pp.295 - 315

Published online: 12 Nov 2007 *

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