Managing Innovation Capability: A Case Study of Invincible Company Limited Thailand

Abstract:     
This paper reports the findings of a case study of Invincible Company Limited, an organization that has successfully completed the manufacture of an innovative fiberglass fire-fighting truck. The study aimed to investigate effective ways in which (i) new product development (ii) e-business and (iii) sustainable development are integrated by companies engaged in the manufacture of innovative products. The main question posed was: How can innovation capability be developed from the integration of the above mentioned components? The case study revealed a relationship between only (i) new product development and (ii) e-business, excluding sustainable development. The sustainable development (SD) component (such as environmental awareness) was not evident at the product conceptualization phase nor did it emerge as a prime focus of the product innovation process. The new product development (NPD) and e-business (EB) became more obvious at the later stage of the post-production phase and as a by-product of best material and technology choices during the manufacturing phase. One of the most striking findings was the way that NPD and EB activities related to the innovation process and how they were applied. Their application appeared to be a direct determinant of the NPD (from which further opportunities and improvements for manufacturing product could be gained) instead of being an attempt to develop innovation capability. These findings raised the concern that the practices in developing innovation capability remained fragmented, lacking a systemic approach. The paper discusses how NPD and EB contribute to the potential success of an innovative small or medium enterprise (SME) in an intensely competitive and “copy-cat” market without the possible success of long-term sustainability. Development of more systemic practices that bring in various elements of all three components (NPD, EB and SD) are required for organizational long term sustainability, innovation capability and goals.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 14

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