- Email: [email protected]
Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower
JBR-08806; No of Pages 4 Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Business Research
Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower Rajan Nataraajan Auburn University, USA
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history: Received 1 October 2015 Received in revised form 1 November 2015 Accepted 1 November 2015 Available online xxxx Keywords: Knowledge Innovation Innovation issues Innovation opportunities New offering development
a b s t r a c t This article builds from the keynote address delivered by the author at the 2015 Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) conference held in Valencia, Spain. The author elucidates the terms knowledge and innovation and then discusses the current issues facing the innovation process. Following this, he points out the opportunities for innovation and ends by offering a configuration to aid in generating new offering ideas in the 21st century. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
This essay is a textual synopsis of the pictorial keynote address delivered by me at the 2015 Conference of the Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) held at Valencia, Spain. Except for a few names, I furnish no citations or references as they tend to mar the flow of reading. Interested readers may contact me for further information at [email protected], or better still, talk to me in person at the 2016 GIKA conference. At the outset, I thank the founding trio, the principal founder Arch Woodside in particular, for honoring me with the opportunity to deliver the keynote address at this August gathering. I wish GIKA the very best and hope to continue to play a key role in nurturing it in the years to come. The terms “knowledge” and “innovation” can be viewed as powerfully pithy as well as all-encompassing. Such a perspective affords the delivery of a keynote address whose duration can range from several minutes to several days and nights akin to an Emperor's Feast in the bygone imperial days of Japan, China, or Iran. In my address, I am forced to adopt the chronologically shorter view-point in deferring to organizational constraints but will take the liberty to point toward the possible wider vistas at select junctures in my discourse on the two terms.
1. A case for causality Admittedly, I am intrigued by the acronym GIKA as the order of the letters symbolizing innovation (I) and knowledge (K) implies that innovation leads to knowledge; that is, I ➔ K. But isn't it the other way around? Doesn't knowledge lead to innovation (K ➔ I)? Granted that, at first glance, this seems like a modern day “which came first, chicken or egg?” situation. Upon contemplation, however, it dawns on my E-mail address: [email protected].
mind that typically knowledge precedes innovation. The drive to learn and to make sense of the world and ourselves or, in other words, the drive to acquire knowledge, is time immemorial. The drive to invent can stem from necessity or just one's zest for unleashing one's creativity. Regardless, a certain amount of knowledge is a pre-requisite to come up with the rare radical innovation (e.g., the airplane, antibiotics etc.) or the relatively ubiquitous incremental innovation (e.g., the plethora of brands in consumer products). So the ineluctable conclusion is that the acronym GKIA seems more reflecting of reality than GIKA. But then, GIKA is phonetically not only simpler but also sweeter as it sounds like an exotic variation of the Spanish word “chica” (how fitting that this is being said in beautiful Valencia). GKIA, on the other hand, is phonetically unwieldy and could be mistaken for some term pertaining to KIA, the erstwhile Korean bicycle manufacturer turned automobile giant. Clearly, and understandably, GIKA won out in the minds of the founders of this August academy. Nevertheless, I submit to you that knowledge precedes innovation. 2. What is knowledge? An archaic interpretation is the biblical reference to “knowledge” as the state of becoming “aware” (with sexual overtones) in the Garden of Eden of the Old Testament. According to the dictionary, however, knowledge is simply cognizance, the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association, acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique, the fact or condition of being aware of something, the range of one's information or understanding, or the sum of what is known. Synonymous references to knowledge include the terms learning, erudition, and scholarship. And then there are broad dichotomies pertaining to knowledge including subjective/objective knowledge, breadth/depth of
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006 0148-2963/© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
2
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
knowledge, public/private or secret (referred to as “gupt” in Sanskrit) knowledge, and general/specialized knowledge. Finally, there are esoteric terms pertaining to knowledge, the most notable being epistemology, which is the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to limits and validity. The above thoughts notwithstanding knowledge clearly results from the efforts of inquiring minds. The drive to learn and to make sense of the world and ourselves can give rise to a mode of general inquiry or purposive (focused) inquiry. Either mode may also be characterized by inadvertently or serendipitously gained knowledge and human history abounds with examples of this kind ranging from the ancient knowledge that fire makes flesh softer and tastier, to the accidental discovery of electricity, yogurt, cheese, and champagne, all the way to Post-it Notes of 3M Corporation. 3. Age-old knowledge issues Philosophers have long been assailed by the cardinal question, “Is there a limit to knowledge?” Even the Einsteinian quest for a general systems theory that will fully elucidate the universe implies that there might be a limit to knowledge. But have we learned all that there is to learn? I am comfortable with the answer in the negative. As per the Tamil saying, Kalaimagal kattrathum kaimmanalave, even what the Divine Saraswathi, the Hindu Goddess of learning and knowledge, has learned amounts to only a handful of sand in magnitude. The ineluctable conclusion therefore is that the pursuit of knowledge will go on possibly till the end of human civilization. Some philosophers wonder if knowledge is the pathway to doom. Is the biblical “tree of knowledge” a figurative affirmation of such a path? Surely, knowledge is power. Despite this realization, some wise and benevolent folks have been giving it away freely throughout the ages. Others, for better or worse, have been hoarding it. More importantly, some have used it for good and pro-bono causes while others have used it to perpetrate evil; this is true even today. Some others advance the concept of “know-nothingism” which implicitly advocates platitudes including “Ignorance is bliss,” “He who thinks he knows is a fool,” and “He who knows that he doesn't know is wise.” To me, “know-nothingism” sounds fatalistic and banal, akin to declaring that death is inevitable. I believe that there is bliss to be gained through the acquisition of knowledge; at the very minimum, it would likely empower one to alleviate if not obliterate misery! 4. What is innovation? The term innovation refers to an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by the entity. It does not have to be new to the world. Such a perspective enables the inclusion of both radical (new to the world) and incremental (modifications to existing options) innovations. The vast majority of so-called new offerings (products and services) fall into the latter category, and it is common knowledge that whereas radical innovations have been few and far between, incremental innovations have been relatively abundant, and close to being ubiquitous since the advent of the latter half of the 20th century. Back in 1962, Everett Rogers elucidated that it was the diffusion of innovation and not the innovation per se that brought about social and cultural changes. While all the characteristics that he listed still come into play in such diffusion, the one that has taken a quantum leap in relevant applicability in current times is “communicability” with the advent of the internet and all its offshoots such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. This is well known now, and there is little need to elaborate on this aspect.
minor product differentiation or with slightly altered product positioning) has been forcing all players in the brutal economic arena to constantly come up with new offerings to stay ahead of competition. This is now global. Flaws and lacunae in existing options also necessitate the rise of new “corrected” or “improved” options. Further, dubious control over patents, blatant imitation, and the need to keep pace with cultural changes add to the ordeals of organizations. Furthermore, they have to contend with the rise in impression making. While the occurrence of Levitt's innovative imitation (where the imitation is typically better than the original) may be laudable, mere “impression making” of being innovative on the part of some unscrupulous competitors (e.g., claiming to be green conscious in garment manufacturing because of the addition of a few soya beans in the making of the chemical fiber) can be an annoying problem to deal with. Consumer ennui exacerbates the pressure on organizations to be incessantly in quest of incremental innovations. This appears to be positively correlated with the economic development of a nation reaching its zenith in the USA. Consumers, by and large, get bored quickly with existing options and crave new stuff all the time. A new offering (product or service) is a combination of need, form, and technology. And in most cases, the benefit offered by an option will typically exceed consumer-need. However, if consumer want begins to outweigh the available benefit, then boredom will invariably set in. While the critic may view the product (chocolate with holograms on it) of the Swiss company Morphotonix as pandering to consumer ennui, the fair-minded observer will see it as an endeavor to keep consumer interest alive. In short, all participants in the global economy are forced to constantly innovate or risk annihilation. Fig. 1 is a play on the widely accepted maxim “Publish or perish” in academia.
6. Innovation issues Innovation aspects and issues abound in the new millennium. The jury is still out on the effects (including risks) of “outsourcing” on the innovation process. Given that industrial spying is well ensconced in “marketing intelligence,” trust and legality have taken on greater salience, particularly on the global stage where the perception of control of any kind is, by and large, dubious. In terms of “speed,” whether one should be first to market or first to market acceptance is still hotly debated as there are examples to extol the virtues of either strategy. The big players (e.g., Microsoft) in the economic arena can certainly do as they please but the relatively smaller ones typically face a make or break situation in this regard. Regarding “prototype testing,” whereas all companies claim to “beta test,” is it really happening or is it just a case of “alpha testing” that projects an image of the former? Given the attendant economic and political risks, one wonders if anyone really does “gamma testing”
No, INNOVATE or PERISH
5. Why innovate? Unfortunately, innovation is no longer a choice for organizations. The intense and pervasive monopolistic competitive structure (a large number of sellers essentially providing the same offering but with
Fig. 1. A 21st century academic maxim.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
(testing by a third-party using third-party criteria) or is it just impression making, an industrial mirage if you will, for the most part? Finally, the cardinal question seems to revolve around “protectionism.” Should we zealously protect our technology given that the global arena is not a level playing field? While it seems fair that the firm that incurs the R&D expense to get the innovation going should enjoy the most benefits, it is widely believed that industry spying and blatant stealing of technology or company know-how substantially erode such genuinely earned advantages. It would be prudent to assume that this state of affairs will unfortunately continue for the foreseeable future. 7. Innovation opportunities The “scope” for innovation has always been substantial but not always readily recognized. Since the 1990s, however, such scope has burgeoned to a humongous level, has opened up new vistas, and continues to accelerate. It has also become even more pervasive than before; innovation can occur in every nook and corner of human civilization. The quantum leap in technology has proven to be a formidable catalyst as well as a promoter for this phenomenon. For instance, the advent of mobile and nano devices has given a greater impetus to innovation activities. In short, when it comes to the scope of innovation, only the sky seems to be the limit. 8. On implementable innovative realities In line with the theme of this conference, “New Knowledge Impacts on Designing Implementable Innovative Realities,” it would be a fitting finale’ to comment on implementable innovative realities. For this purpose, I provide Fig. 2, which has evolved over the talks I have given at different locations on the globe in the last decade. Admittedly, audience feedback at various locations has aided in augmenting and fine-tuning the configuration appearing in Fig. 2. Also, earlier versions of this configuration have appeared in a couple of my publications along the way. In any case, its current title is The 21st Century Research Smorgasbord. While it is primarily meant to aid in generating research ideas for the 21st century, it can just as effectively aid in new product/service idea generation. It would also be relevant to mention here that I had received
3
a few requests for copies of this figure right after my keynote address at the 2015 GIKA conference. I am now acceding to such requests albeit indirectly by the publication of this piece in JBR! While Fig. 2 is quite self-explanatory, a brief elucidation is in order. In this millennium, three realities of our civilization have assumed greater importance than ever before. They are aging, culture, and leisure; they are depicted as intersecting circles. Each of these realities is a fertile ground for the generation of new product or service ideas, the incremental ones in particular. But the regions formed by their intersections (aging-culture, culture-leisure, aging-leisure, and agingculture-leisure) are also fecund areas for innovative ideas. Since people are living longer, the term aging has typically been used with respect to older folks. The prevalence of marketing to the older segment bears testimony to its importance. It is amazing to behold the ever-increasing arrays of products and services offered to this segment. Aging in Fig. 2, however, may also be seen as representing all agecohorts (from infants to toddlers to tweens and teens … to senior citizens) and even the senior citizen segment can be broken down to finer segments (a 60 year old may not think like an 80 year old). Bring in gender into this scenario and the resulting view becomes truly panoramic. While older cultural practices are still around, new ones are emerging and being accepted at a rapid rate on a global level. For instance, who could have predicted that “curry” would be the national dish in the UK? As another example, in current times, and in direct contrast to the past, the practice of “living together” regardless of sexual orientation is common place in the economically advanced nations. In short, culture, in modern times, is characterized by modification, augmentation, and replacement. That generates new offering ideas. Traditionally, leisure was connected primarily with retired folks, but since the 1970s, it has been assuming increasing relevance for other age-cohorts also. The millennials appear to exhibit more attention to how best they could spend their hard-earned vacation time and consequently expend considerable time and effort in determining the best options available in the marketplace. This has tremendous implications for the “hospitality” sector as a whole and puts pressure on that sector to come up with incremental innovations. Allow the physical, psychological, and technological aspects of the environment to pervade the individual regions formed by the above
The 21st Century Research Smorgasbord
Aging Physical Psychological Technological
Culture
Leisure
Fig. 2. A 21st century aid to innovation idea generation.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
4
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
three realities and, voila, even more innovative ideas can emerge. The technological aspect is of particular salience to the 21st century; perceptions regarding tangible offerings (e.g., gadgets) as well as intangible aspects such as E-Trust, E-WOM, E-Security, and E-Privacy may exhibit differences across the regions in Fig. 2. For instance, a mobile phone desired by a senior citizen may not jive with the one desired by a young adult.
Finally, if these regions are viewed from the vantage point of human happiness as the ultimate goal, then that should trigger even more innovative ideas. I will end by exhorting you, the reader, to focus on any region of the configuration depicted in Fig. 2 and unbridle your fertile imagination to come up with the next billion dollar new offering idea. Good luck!
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Business Research
Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower Rajan Nataraajan Auburn University, USA
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history: Received 1 October 2015 Received in revised form 1 November 2015 Accepted 1 November 2015 Available online xxxx Keywords: Knowledge Innovation Innovation issues Innovation opportunities New offering development
a b s t r a c t This article builds from the keynote address delivered by the author at the 2015 Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) conference held in Valencia, Spain. The author elucidates the terms knowledge and innovation and then discusses the current issues facing the innovation process. Following this, he points out the opportunities for innovation and ends by offering a configuration to aid in generating new offering ideas in the 21st century. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
This essay is a textual synopsis of the pictorial keynote address delivered by me at the 2015 Conference of the Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy (GIKA) held at Valencia, Spain. Except for a few names, I furnish no citations or references as they tend to mar the flow of reading. Interested readers may contact me for further information at [email protected], or better still, talk to me in person at the 2016 GIKA conference. At the outset, I thank the founding trio, the principal founder Arch Woodside in particular, for honoring me with the opportunity to deliver the keynote address at this August gathering. I wish GIKA the very best and hope to continue to play a key role in nurturing it in the years to come. The terms “knowledge” and “innovation” can be viewed as powerfully pithy as well as all-encompassing. Such a perspective affords the delivery of a keynote address whose duration can range from several minutes to several days and nights akin to an Emperor's Feast in the bygone imperial days of Japan, China, or Iran. In my address, I am forced to adopt the chronologically shorter view-point in deferring to organizational constraints but will take the liberty to point toward the possible wider vistas at select junctures in my discourse on the two terms.
1. A case for causality Admittedly, I am intrigued by the acronym GIKA as the order of the letters symbolizing innovation (I) and knowledge (K) implies that innovation leads to knowledge; that is, I ➔ K. But isn't it the other way around? Doesn't knowledge lead to innovation (K ➔ I)? Granted that, at first glance, this seems like a modern day “which came first, chicken or egg?” situation. Upon contemplation, however, it dawns on my E-mail address: [email protected].
mind that typically knowledge precedes innovation. The drive to learn and to make sense of the world and ourselves or, in other words, the drive to acquire knowledge, is time immemorial. The drive to invent can stem from necessity or just one's zest for unleashing one's creativity. Regardless, a certain amount of knowledge is a pre-requisite to come up with the rare radical innovation (e.g., the airplane, antibiotics etc.) or the relatively ubiquitous incremental innovation (e.g., the plethora of brands in consumer products). So the ineluctable conclusion is that the acronym GKIA seems more reflecting of reality than GIKA. But then, GIKA is phonetically not only simpler but also sweeter as it sounds like an exotic variation of the Spanish word “chica” (how fitting that this is being said in beautiful Valencia). GKIA, on the other hand, is phonetically unwieldy and could be mistaken for some term pertaining to KIA, the erstwhile Korean bicycle manufacturer turned automobile giant. Clearly, and understandably, GIKA won out in the minds of the founders of this August academy. Nevertheless, I submit to you that knowledge precedes innovation. 2. What is knowledge? An archaic interpretation is the biblical reference to “knowledge” as the state of becoming “aware” (with sexual overtones) in the Garden of Eden of the Old Testament. According to the dictionary, however, knowledge is simply cognizance, the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association, acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique, the fact or condition of being aware of something, the range of one's information or understanding, or the sum of what is known. Synonymous references to knowledge include the terms learning, erudition, and scholarship. And then there are broad dichotomies pertaining to knowledge including subjective/objective knowledge, breadth/depth of
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006 0148-2963/© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
2
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
knowledge, public/private or secret (referred to as “gupt” in Sanskrit) knowledge, and general/specialized knowledge. Finally, there are esoteric terms pertaining to knowledge, the most notable being epistemology, which is the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to limits and validity. The above thoughts notwithstanding knowledge clearly results from the efforts of inquiring minds. The drive to learn and to make sense of the world and ourselves can give rise to a mode of general inquiry or purposive (focused) inquiry. Either mode may also be characterized by inadvertently or serendipitously gained knowledge and human history abounds with examples of this kind ranging from the ancient knowledge that fire makes flesh softer and tastier, to the accidental discovery of electricity, yogurt, cheese, and champagne, all the way to Post-it Notes of 3M Corporation. 3. Age-old knowledge issues Philosophers have long been assailed by the cardinal question, “Is there a limit to knowledge?” Even the Einsteinian quest for a general systems theory that will fully elucidate the universe implies that there might be a limit to knowledge. But have we learned all that there is to learn? I am comfortable with the answer in the negative. As per the Tamil saying, Kalaimagal kattrathum kaimmanalave, even what the Divine Saraswathi, the Hindu Goddess of learning and knowledge, has learned amounts to only a handful of sand in magnitude. The ineluctable conclusion therefore is that the pursuit of knowledge will go on possibly till the end of human civilization. Some philosophers wonder if knowledge is the pathway to doom. Is the biblical “tree of knowledge” a figurative affirmation of such a path? Surely, knowledge is power. Despite this realization, some wise and benevolent folks have been giving it away freely throughout the ages. Others, for better or worse, have been hoarding it. More importantly, some have used it for good and pro-bono causes while others have used it to perpetrate evil; this is true even today. Some others advance the concept of “know-nothingism” which implicitly advocates platitudes including “Ignorance is bliss,” “He who thinks he knows is a fool,” and “He who knows that he doesn't know is wise.” To me, “know-nothingism” sounds fatalistic and banal, akin to declaring that death is inevitable. I believe that there is bliss to be gained through the acquisition of knowledge; at the very minimum, it would likely empower one to alleviate if not obliterate misery! 4. What is innovation? The term innovation refers to an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by the entity. It does not have to be new to the world. Such a perspective enables the inclusion of both radical (new to the world) and incremental (modifications to existing options) innovations. The vast majority of so-called new offerings (products and services) fall into the latter category, and it is common knowledge that whereas radical innovations have been few and far between, incremental innovations have been relatively abundant, and close to being ubiquitous since the advent of the latter half of the 20th century. Back in 1962, Everett Rogers elucidated that it was the diffusion of innovation and not the innovation per se that brought about social and cultural changes. While all the characteristics that he listed still come into play in such diffusion, the one that has taken a quantum leap in relevant applicability in current times is “communicability” with the advent of the internet and all its offshoots such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. This is well known now, and there is little need to elaborate on this aspect.
minor product differentiation or with slightly altered product positioning) has been forcing all players in the brutal economic arena to constantly come up with new offerings to stay ahead of competition. This is now global. Flaws and lacunae in existing options also necessitate the rise of new “corrected” or “improved” options. Further, dubious control over patents, blatant imitation, and the need to keep pace with cultural changes add to the ordeals of organizations. Furthermore, they have to contend with the rise in impression making. While the occurrence of Levitt's innovative imitation (where the imitation is typically better than the original) may be laudable, mere “impression making” of being innovative on the part of some unscrupulous competitors (e.g., claiming to be green conscious in garment manufacturing because of the addition of a few soya beans in the making of the chemical fiber) can be an annoying problem to deal with. Consumer ennui exacerbates the pressure on organizations to be incessantly in quest of incremental innovations. This appears to be positively correlated with the economic development of a nation reaching its zenith in the USA. Consumers, by and large, get bored quickly with existing options and crave new stuff all the time. A new offering (product or service) is a combination of need, form, and technology. And in most cases, the benefit offered by an option will typically exceed consumer-need. However, if consumer want begins to outweigh the available benefit, then boredom will invariably set in. While the critic may view the product (chocolate with holograms on it) of the Swiss company Morphotonix as pandering to consumer ennui, the fair-minded observer will see it as an endeavor to keep consumer interest alive. In short, all participants in the global economy are forced to constantly innovate or risk annihilation. Fig. 1 is a play on the widely accepted maxim “Publish or perish” in academia.
6. Innovation issues Innovation aspects and issues abound in the new millennium. The jury is still out on the effects (including risks) of “outsourcing” on the innovation process. Given that industrial spying is well ensconced in “marketing intelligence,” trust and legality have taken on greater salience, particularly on the global stage where the perception of control of any kind is, by and large, dubious. In terms of “speed,” whether one should be first to market or first to market acceptance is still hotly debated as there are examples to extol the virtues of either strategy. The big players (e.g., Microsoft) in the economic arena can certainly do as they please but the relatively smaller ones typically face a make or break situation in this regard. Regarding “prototype testing,” whereas all companies claim to “beta test,” is it really happening or is it just a case of “alpha testing” that projects an image of the former? Given the attendant economic and political risks, one wonders if anyone really does “gamma testing”
No, INNOVATE or PERISH
5. Why innovate? Unfortunately, innovation is no longer a choice for organizations. The intense and pervasive monopolistic competitive structure (a large number of sellers essentially providing the same offering but with
Fig. 1. A 21st century academic maxim.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
(testing by a third-party using third-party criteria) or is it just impression making, an industrial mirage if you will, for the most part? Finally, the cardinal question seems to revolve around “protectionism.” Should we zealously protect our technology given that the global arena is not a level playing field? While it seems fair that the firm that incurs the R&D expense to get the innovation going should enjoy the most benefits, it is widely believed that industry spying and blatant stealing of technology or company know-how substantially erode such genuinely earned advantages. It would be prudent to assume that this state of affairs will unfortunately continue for the foreseeable future. 7. Innovation opportunities The “scope” for innovation has always been substantial but not always readily recognized. Since the 1990s, however, such scope has burgeoned to a humongous level, has opened up new vistas, and continues to accelerate. It has also become even more pervasive than before; innovation can occur in every nook and corner of human civilization. The quantum leap in technology has proven to be a formidable catalyst as well as a promoter for this phenomenon. For instance, the advent of mobile and nano devices has given a greater impetus to innovation activities. In short, when it comes to the scope of innovation, only the sky seems to be the limit. 8. On implementable innovative realities In line with the theme of this conference, “New Knowledge Impacts on Designing Implementable Innovative Realities,” it would be a fitting finale’ to comment on implementable innovative realities. For this purpose, I provide Fig. 2, which has evolved over the talks I have given at different locations on the globe in the last decade. Admittedly, audience feedback at various locations has aided in augmenting and fine-tuning the configuration appearing in Fig. 2. Also, earlier versions of this configuration have appeared in a couple of my publications along the way. In any case, its current title is The 21st Century Research Smorgasbord. While it is primarily meant to aid in generating research ideas for the 21st century, it can just as effectively aid in new product/service idea generation. It would also be relevant to mention here that I had received
3
a few requests for copies of this figure right after my keynote address at the 2015 GIKA conference. I am now acceding to such requests albeit indirectly by the publication of this piece in JBR! While Fig. 2 is quite self-explanatory, a brief elucidation is in order. In this millennium, three realities of our civilization have assumed greater importance than ever before. They are aging, culture, and leisure; they are depicted as intersecting circles. Each of these realities is a fertile ground for the generation of new product or service ideas, the incremental ones in particular. But the regions formed by their intersections (aging-culture, culture-leisure, aging-leisure, and agingculture-leisure) are also fecund areas for innovative ideas. Since people are living longer, the term aging has typically been used with respect to older folks. The prevalence of marketing to the older segment bears testimony to its importance. It is amazing to behold the ever-increasing arrays of products and services offered to this segment. Aging in Fig. 2, however, may also be seen as representing all agecohorts (from infants to toddlers to tweens and teens … to senior citizens) and even the senior citizen segment can be broken down to finer segments (a 60 year old may not think like an 80 year old). Bring in gender into this scenario and the resulting view becomes truly panoramic. While older cultural practices are still around, new ones are emerging and being accepted at a rapid rate on a global level. For instance, who could have predicted that “curry” would be the national dish in the UK? As another example, in current times, and in direct contrast to the past, the practice of “living together” regardless of sexual orientation is common place in the economically advanced nations. In short, culture, in modern times, is characterized by modification, augmentation, and replacement. That generates new offering ideas. Traditionally, leisure was connected primarily with retired folks, but since the 1970s, it has been assuming increasing relevance for other age-cohorts also. The millennials appear to exhibit more attention to how best they could spend their hard-earned vacation time and consequently expend considerable time and effort in determining the best options available in the marketplace. This has tremendous implications for the “hospitality” sector as a whole and puts pressure on that sector to come up with incremental innovations. Allow the physical, psychological, and technological aspects of the environment to pervade the individual regions formed by the above
The 21st Century Research Smorgasbord
Aging Physical Psychological Technological
Culture
Leisure
Fig. 2. A 21st century aid to innovation idea generation.
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006
4
R. Nataraajan / Journal of Business Research xxx (2016) xxx–xxx
three realities and, voila, even more innovative ideas can emerge. The technological aspect is of particular salience to the 21st century; perceptions regarding tangible offerings (e.g., gadgets) as well as intangible aspects such as E-Trust, E-WOM, E-Security, and E-Privacy may exhibit differences across the regions in Fig. 2. For instance, a mobile phone desired by a senior citizen may not jive with the one desired by a young adult.
Finally, if these regions are viewed from the vantage point of human happiness as the ultimate goal, then that should trigger even more innovative ideas. I will end by exhorting you, the reader, to focus on any region of the configuration depicted in Fig. 2 and unbridle your fertile imagination to come up with the next billion dollar new offering idea. Good luck!
Please cite this article as: Nataraajan, R., Knowledge and innovation: Musings from the 2015 GIKA Ivory Tower, Journal of Business Research (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.006