Intraorganizational R&D network and strategic innovation management in a global company
Sapkota, Janak (2022)
2022
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112423982
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112423982
Tiivistelmä
This study explored the role of intraorganizational R&D network for strategic innovation management in a global company. Intraorganizational network refers to the established R&D network within different business units of a same company. The goal of the study was to identify the critical elements of the intraorganizational network that influence strategic R&D, collaboration, and alignment within the company. Recognizing the contents of network relations and how these relations can be accessed was associated with the objective.
The study was conducted as a qualitative single case study for a global company. The case company, with it`s headquarter in Finland, had different business units and each business units had their own R&D units. The empirical data for this study were gathered by interviewing five of the senior management representatives from different business units with a semi-structured interview. Qualitative interview data were analysed based on thematic categories and subcategories, identified within the theoretical framework and analysis, and complemented with abductive reasoning.
For the case company, trust, responsiveness and timeliness, frequency of information exchange and their role in network were the critical network elements that defined strategic innovation and its management. Knowledge sharing and collaboration were the main contents of the network relations and accessing the quality and accessibility of network relations were identified based on governance structure and orientation. While this study mainly endorsed prior research in the field, it also supplemented existing research with new insights in filling current gaps in relation to understanding of interplay between inter and intraorganizational networks. The interplay of these networks clearly shapes how the R&D networks within an organization should be visualized and what frameworks are to be consider when collaboration and strategic alignment is sought.
The study was conducted as a qualitative single case study for a global company. The case company, with it`s headquarter in Finland, had different business units and each business units had their own R&D units. The empirical data for this study were gathered by interviewing five of the senior management representatives from different business units with a semi-structured interview. Qualitative interview data were analysed based on thematic categories and subcategories, identified within the theoretical framework and analysis, and complemented with abductive reasoning.
For the case company, trust, responsiveness and timeliness, frequency of information exchange and their role in network were the critical network elements that defined strategic innovation and its management. Knowledge sharing and collaboration were the main contents of the network relations and accessing the quality and accessibility of network relations were identified based on governance structure and orientation. While this study mainly endorsed prior research in the field, it also supplemented existing research with new insights in filling current gaps in relation to understanding of interplay between inter and intraorganizational networks. The interplay of these networks clearly shapes how the R&D networks within an organization should be visualized and what frameworks are to be consider when collaboration and strategic alignment is sought.