Resource access and creation in networks for service innovation

Abstract

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