Open Innovation and Organization Design

Journal of Organization Design, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012

4 Pages Posted: 1 Dec 2012 Last revised: 14 Jan 2015

See all articles by Michael Tushman

Michael Tushman

Harvard University - Organizational Behavior Unit

Karim R. Lakhani

Harvard Business School - Technology and Operations Management Group; Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science; Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society

Hila Lifshitz-Assaf

Harvard University Lab for Innovation Sciences; Harvard LISH, Lab for Innovation Sciences; University of Warwick, Warwick Business School

Date Written: 2012

Abstract

Abernathy's (1978) empirical work on the automotive industry investigated relationships among an organization’s boundary (all manufacturing plants), its organizational design (fluid vs. specific), and its ability to execute product and/or process innovations. Abernathy's ideas of dominant designs and the locus of innovation have been central to scholars of innovation, R&D, and strategic management. Similarly, building on March and Simon's (1958) concept of organizations as decision making systems, Woodward (1965), Burns and Stalker (1966), and Lawrence and Lorsch (1967) examined relationships among organizational boundaries, organization structure, and innovation in a set of industries that varied by technology and environmental uncertainty. These and other early empirical works have led a diverse group of scholars to develop theories about firm boundaries, organization design, and the ability to innovate.

Keywords: Organization design, Open innovation

Suggested Citation

Tushman, Michael and Lakhani, Karim R. and Lifshitz-Assaf, Hila, Open Innovation and Organization Design (2012). Journal of Organization Design, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2181927

Michael Tushman (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Organizational Behavior Unit ( email )

Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Karim R. Lakhani

Harvard Business School - Technology and Operations Management Group ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6741 (Phone)

Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science ( email )

1737 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society ( email )

Harvard Law School
23 Everett, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Hila Lifshitz-Assaf

Harvard University Lab for Innovation Sciences ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Cotting House 321A
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Harvard LISH, Lab for Innovation Sciences ( email )

William James Hall, Sixth Floor
33 Kirkland Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

University of Warwick, Warwick Business School ( email )

West Midlands, CV4 7AL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.hilalifshitz.com/

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