A Novel Metaphor Concerning the Terminology of Open Innovation

International Business Research; Vol. 14, No. 2; 2021, http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/0/44650

10 Pages Posted: 16 Mar 2021

See all articles by Dr. Shanta Rajapaksha Yapa

Dr. Shanta Rajapaksha Yapa

University of Colombo - Faculty of Management and Finance

R. Senathiraja

University of Colombo - Faculty of Management and Finance

Ilkka Kauranen

Aalto University

Date Written: 2020

Abstract

The objective of this article is to present a metaphor concerning the terminology of open innovation. This metaphor will help both academics and practitioners in getting a deeper understanding of the terms and their relationships in this emerging field. An electrical circuit is used as the metaphor. In it, the following open innovation terms are included: inbound open innovation, outbound open innovation, sequential coherence, dynamic innovation capabilities, knowledge flow, absorptive capacity, organizational inertia, and innovation performance. A corresponding term for each one of these open innovation terms is given in the metaphor. Within an organization, open innovation involves the internal exploration of external knowledge and external exploitation of internal knowledge. Open innovation is gaining wide attention of researchers as it impacts innovation performance of organizations. Systematic metaphor analysis is a qualitative research method. A metaphor is an implicit comparison in which a word or phrase that originally denotes a certain object or concept is applied to another. Time tested relationships among variables in the metaphor of electric circuit offer new insights in the domain of open innovation.

Keywords: inbound open innovation, outbound open innovation, sequential coherence, dynamic innovation capabilities, knowledge flow, absorptive capacity, organizational inertia, innovation performance

Suggested Citation

Yapa, Shanta and Senathiraja, R. and Kauranen, Ilkka, A Novel Metaphor Concerning the Terminology of Open Innovation (2020). International Business Research; Vol. 14, No. 2; 2021, http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/0/44650, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3774646

Shanta Yapa (Contact Author)

University of Colombo - Faculty of Management and Finance ( email )

Colombo 03
Sri Lanka

R. Senathiraja

University of Colombo - Faculty of Management and Finance

Colombo 03
Sri Lanka

Ilkka Kauranen

Aalto University ( email )

P.O. Box 21210
Helsinki, 00101
Finland

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