From Closed to Open Innovation: The Evolving Nature of Teams and the Use of Information Technology - Information Technology and Product Development - page 146

determine which of these models is the best for its use? What structure will be most
suitable for effective collaboration and successful innovation? How should compa-
nies devise their IT infrastructure to support these varied forms of innovation that
may co-exist? How do we get firms to continue moving along the continuum and
share outwardly? Which models are appropriate for a particular project or firm?
What models might address the continuum for closed to open innovation?
Researchers might be interested in applying social network analysis (SNA), a tool
often used in conjunction with the core-periphery model (Boyd, Fitzgerald, & Beck,
2006). Through SNA, actors and their interactions are studied to better understand
patterns of ties between team members (Crowston & Howison, 2006). This type of
analysis can identify core and peripheral individuals, and provide insight into the
relationships that exist between members. The application of the core-periphery
model may be quite useful in understanding management of product develop-
ment teams in open innovation contexts. It appears that the use of peripheral team
members on teams is becoming more common in real practice, as teams become
increasingly distributed and individuals play roles in multiple teams within their
organizations (Chudoba et al., 2005). In addition, the core-periphery model appears
to be quite complementary to the open innovation concept. Together with SNA, this
model may be a useful framework in understanding team structures and the inter-
action and communication processes that take place between team members. And,
in turn, this may be valuable insights on deploying appropriate IT applications to
support team member's interactions in open innovation contexts.
7.6.2 Team Function
Individuals operating at the periphery or boundary of an open model, or “boundary
spanners,” will be responsible for relating the organization with elements outside it.
As boundaries become increasingly permeable, this role and the individuals that
occupy it will become increasingly important to address (Ancona, Bresman, &
Kaeufer, 2002; Reid & de Brentani, 2004). In addition to understanding the bound-
ary spanning role and its corresponding activities, we need to better understand
other roles that team members may undertake. Do new roles develop as a boundary
becomes more permeable? What types of roles do individuals outside of the orga-
nization hold? What is the impact of multiteaming on innovation project success?
How can IT support these new roles in product development teams?
We might also consider the extent to which firms that open up their boundaries
to enjoy innovation success. What types of internal ideas and technologies do they
receive? What do they share and with whom? What types of IT applications are
required to support such sharing of information across organizational boundaries?
Another important research question relates to the nature of open innovation
projects firms can pursue and the impact on speed-to-market. Earlier, we noted that
open innovation models which allow for more external collaboration enable firms
to participate in more riskier projects (since risks are shared in open innovation
projects) and to potentially introduce the innovations to the market more quickly.