Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Resource access and creation in networks for service innovation Current research highlights the role of resources in service innovation success and the role of networks in providing resources for innovation.However, research on resources in service innovation is very limited and a clear deficit also exists in research applying a network perspective for service innovation.This study is the first one to focus on resource access and creation in networks for service innovation.The objective of this study is to explore interaction for resources in networks over the service innovation process.This is accomplished by analyzing resource access and creation in business-to-business service innovation.The research aims to shed light on resources provided by networks for service innovation, and on relationships and activities to access those resources and to create new resources.The Interaction and Network Approach provides the theoretical background to the study.This study focuses on the empirical part on business-to-business service innovations in the technical/engineering field.Qualitative multi-case study research with embedded cases enabled investigation on interaction for resources within a real-life context.The empirical research was conducted in three case companies and five service innovation projects in networks, and the main data consisted of 57 in-depth interviews.Processes of the innovation projects were studied longitudinally both in real time and retrospectively.An abductive approach enabled exploration on a phenomenon that has not previously been studied and the building of theory in forms of theoretical models, frameworks, and typologies.This study found that a variety of resources are accessed from networks for service innovation.These resources were divided into individual and organizational resources depending whether they are bound to individuals or organizations.Resources that networks provide for service innovation could be further categorized into human, procedural, technological, financial, facility, relational, and informational resources.This study also shows that different resource categories play different roles in service innovation.Different kinds of resource can be accessed through four separate access strategies and types of relationship.This research further found that resource integration is a resource access strategy for human and procedural resources, which is employed in the creation of new resources in service innovation.Different types of service call for integrating complementary, supplementary or heterogeneous human resources.The main contribution of this research is in advancing understanding on interaction for resources in service innovation.It provides new understanding on service innovation resources.The study resulted in a theoretical model on resource access in service innovation and a model for resource integration in service innovation.
Source: UTUPub (University of Turku)
Author: Helena Rusanen
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W124303235