From Closed to Open Innovation: The Evolving Nature of Teams and the Use of Information Technology - Information Technology and Product Development - page 148

This indicates additional issues for future research. Specifically, how should compa-
nies design their IT infrastructure so as to enhance the transparency of the innovation
interactions and the associated reward structure?
With respect to collaboration with external partners in open innovation models,
several additional research questions can be identified. For example, how should a
firm access the capabilities of its external collaborators? What type of innovation
collaborator would complement firm capabilities? What are the roles and respon-
sibilities of the various partners as well as the depth and range of their associated
relationships? How, when, and by whom will those roles and responsibilities be
determined? What type of IT applications will help facilitate or support those roles
and relationships? Who should invest in establishing such IT infrastructure?
The research agenda described here address the evolving nature of organiza-
tions, innovation teams, and the use of IT in open innovation contexts. We hope
the research issues raised here will be pursued rigorously in the future. The findings
from such studies could provide valuable insights to companies as they expand their
innovation boundaries through appropriate use of IT.
7.7 Conclusion
The movement from closed to open innovation is a paradigm shift, and one that
creates new opportunities and challenges in both theory and practice. The definition
of innovation itself may be changing, and our acknowledgement of this is vital as we
press forward toward a better understanding of the changes and adaptations in the
marketplace. Transitioning to an open innovation business model will not simply
happen overnight. Yet, while transition may take time, firms slow to accept such
a change may find significant retardation in their ability to compete in the future.
A 2006 Innovation Networks Report indicates that when compared to their peers,
early adopters of collaborative networks aggressively grew their top lines while also
boosting customer satisfaction (Radjou, 2006).
A critical component of such an approach to open innovation would be the
identification and the deployment of an appropriate portfolio of IT applications.
Through a new perspective on product development teams and information tech-
nologies as described in this chapter, both researchers and practitioners can work
together to better understand, anticipate, and react to shifts in innovation business
models.
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Ancona, D., Bresman, H., & Kaeufer, K. (2002). The comparative advantage of X-Teams. MIT
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