{"title":"What fails and when? A process view of innovation failure","authors":"Elena Freisinger , Ian P. McCarthy","doi":"10.1016/j.technovation.2024.102995","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Research on innovation failure has proliferated lately but with little theoretical attention given to the diversity of the concept. Using process theorizing, we present a model and propositions to understand how a firm's anticipation and value toward failure depends on the type of failure (task versus outcome) and the phase (divergent versus convergent) and point (early versus later) ‘within’ the process that the failure occurs. Using the anticipation-value stances, we then present a typology of four modes of innovation failure that can arise ‘from’ task and outcomes failure in the innovation process. The four modes (and associated learning response) are <em>unsolicited failures</em> (prevent-alert-eliminate); <em>hazardous failures</em> (predict-modify-mitigate); <em>fortuitous failures</em> (probe-expose-extrapolate); and <em>excursive failures</em> (facilitate-analyze-harness). To help explain the ideas in our process model and typology, we use the well-known IDEO shopping cart innovation project as an illustrative example. Together, these contributions provide contingency oriented insights on how failure varies and journeys within and from the innovation process, which helps researchers and managers to better understand the related causes, effects and learning responses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49444,"journal":{"name":"Technovation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166497224000452/pdfft?md5=b0cccf996f17d7a14e12efde6166a6b6&pid=1-s2.0-S0166497224000452-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Technovation","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166497224000452","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, INDUSTRIAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Research on innovation failure has proliferated lately but with little theoretical attention given to the diversity of the concept. Using process theorizing, we present a model and propositions to understand how a firm's anticipation and value toward failure depends on the type of failure (task versus outcome) and the phase (divergent versus convergent) and point (early versus later) ‘within’ the process that the failure occurs. Using the anticipation-value stances, we then present a typology of four modes of innovation failure that can arise ‘from’ task and outcomes failure in the innovation process. The four modes (and associated learning response) are unsolicited failures (prevent-alert-eliminate); hazardous failures (predict-modify-mitigate); fortuitous failures (probe-expose-extrapolate); and excursive failures (facilitate-analyze-harness). To help explain the ideas in our process model and typology, we use the well-known IDEO shopping cart innovation project as an illustrative example. Together, these contributions provide contingency oriented insights on how failure varies and journeys within and from the innovation process, which helps researchers and managers to better understand the related causes, effects and learning responses.
期刊介绍:
The interdisciplinary journal Technovation covers various aspects of technological innovation, exploring processes, products, and social impacts. It examines innovation in both process and product realms, including social innovations like regulatory frameworks and non-economic benefits. Topics range from emerging trends and capital for development to managing technology-intensive ventures and innovation in organizations of different sizes. It also discusses organizational structures, investment strategies for science and technology enterprises, and the roles of technological innovators. Additionally, it addresses technology transfer between developing countries and innovation across enterprise, political, and economic systems.