Refereed Publications Abstract

Critical Connections: Driving Innovation With A Network Perspective

Innovation remains central to an organization’s ability to adapt to changing markets and technologies. However, increased complexity of most new products and services, reduced development cycles, and leaner budgets have meant that innovation efforts must bring together a depth and breadth of expertise—from both inside and outside the firm—faster and more effectively than ever before. To do so, managers must address three obstacles to innovation that often arise from informal networks:

1. fragmentation of networks at points that invisibly undermine efforts to innovate along desired trajectories;
2. domination of networks by particular perspectives and expertise (and marginalization of others), unwittingly creating an innovator’s dilemma trap and
3. insularity keeping an organization from effectively leveraging external expertise.

This article advocates a network-based view that allows executives to assess innovation biases and articulates five practices to more efficiently drive innovation through effective networks.

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