Services constitute three quarters of all economic activities worldwide. The growing importance of the service industry cannot be neglected and it is obvious that services can offer colossal opportunities on the way of creating and capturing economic value. The way to prosperity  for companies and economies is in their ability to rethink the existing business with the purpose to innovate. Service innovation is believed to be a source of companies’ competitiveness. Leveraging innovation of services is not an  easy task and requires a new thinking which implies the shift towards service business logic. In order to innovate services effectively, there is a need to develop new business models. A business model is a significant assistant which can help to create viable services by taking into consideration appropriate customer needs and organizational resources. However, the majority of approaches to innovation occurred from product-oriented business models. The growing tendency of services requires changing traditional approaches and developing new service-based business models. The main aim of this thesis is to study the process of transformation (innovation) of a product-oriented business model towards a service-centered one which implies stronger customer focus and to identify the main components that constitute the business model framework in the service context. The empirical data was collected from a single case study of ISS Sweden and analyzed according to the developed framework from literature findings regarding business model innovation in the service context. The most important findings reveal the fact that the business model perspective should be taken into account as more holistic approach which integrates all processes and components within the company. However, some of the components were found missing and it was not supported by the literature findings. During the transformation process the major changes were identified while looking at each component in detail and the most important components of a service business model framework were identified, specifically customer, value proposition and value delivery which comprise the  following key factors: ●   Customer is a co-creator, co-producer and a key partner ●  Employees are the main source of successful value delivery ●  Service innovation is a necessity

Background: With the Open Innovation paradigm come new hopes for innovating companies. The ability to tap a global network of experts can, at least in theory, have a significant impact on an organization’s competitive strength. Before such a ‘network of experts’ can be used to its full potential however, a number of challenges related to knowledge markets seem to need solutions. About 10 years ago however, we could witness the entry of a new breed of company – calling themselves innovation intermediaries. These companies are built to profit from delivering the usefulness of knowledge networks to client (Seeker) companies. Though the use of such networks and markets have so far been uncommon outside of high-tech fields they are now starting to be seen used by companies in more mature environments.Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the collaboration between SCA (a large Swedish corporation) and the innovation intermediary InnoCentive in order to create a better understanding of what kind of benefits can be derived from the use of an innovation intermediary, and how these benefits are best utilized. We also set out to identify relevant limitations of innomediary use and to seek to better understand how using an innomediary can fit a client company’s higher-order activities such as exploration and exploitation.Completion and Results: Our findings include that SCA are using InnoCentive mainly as a tool to solve highly specific problems and/or problems with a low degree of complexity that they encounter in their everyday activities. The challenges related to knowledge markets, we find, are avoided by keeping problem complexity low and problem modularity high for the problems sent out to the network. In addition, InnoCentive’s business model seems to eliminate costly negotiations between Seekers and Solvers. Using this kind of ‘market solution’ however, we argue, will put bounds on the usefulness of the network and makes it mainly suited as a tool for improving an organization’s exploitation capacity.

While facing a dynamic environment, a company needs innovation to enhance their competitiveness and to continue to grow in terms of profits. For the company, the question becomes not ¡§whether¡¨ but ¡§how¡¨ to innovate. This thesis, with a perspective of human resources, explores how organizational innovation capabilities, innovative culture, and human resource practices directly affect the effectiveness of innovation. In addition, the indirect impact of human resource practices intertwined with innovation capabilities and innovative culture as a mediator is also under scrutiny. This thesis is conducted through opinion survey, with 201 samples out of 250 manufacturers introduced by Tianxia Magazine. With the valid 111 questionnaires replied by the chairs or directors of human resources department in each company, the findings of this thesis can be summarized as follows: 1. Innovation capability impacts the innovation performance positively. 2. Innovative culture impacts the innovation performance positively. 3. Human resource practices impacts the innovation performance positively. 4. Human resource practices impacts the innovation capability positively. 5. Innovation capability has mediating effect between human resource practices and innovation performance. 6. Human resource practices impacts the innovative culture positively. 7. Innovative culture has mediating effect between human resource practices and innovation performance.

The digital sector is often described as rapidly evolving, hence organisations within it need to remain innovative in order to cope with the changes. However, the traditionally closed approach towards innovation has been increasingly criticized. Inbound innovation is an alternative approach described as the purposive pursuit of gaining external knowledge for product enhancement and new product development. This knowledge can be gained by using tools such as innovation contests and creating innovation communities. Through a multiple case study focusing on three companies within the digital sector, this thesis explores a potential connection between how these companies use inbound innovation in regard to the different phases in the organizational life cycle. The data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, and analysed using a cross-case analysis method. This thesis found that the examined organisations, each specified in different phases of the organisational life cycle, uses inbound innovation differently. Furthermore, as the examined organizations progress through the organisational life cycle a shift, from using inbound innovation to optimize execution towards using it to find new growth options, was found. / Den digitala sektorn beskrivs ofta som snabbt föränderlig och organisationer i den behöver förbli innovativa för att klara av förändringarna. Samtidigt har traditionella innovationsstrategier, som beskrivits som slutna, blivit allt mer kritiserade. ”Inbound” innovation är ett alternativ till tidigare innovationsstrategier. Strategin beskrivs som ändamålsenlig strävan efter att ta in extern kunskap för produktförbättring och gynna utvecklingen av nya produkter. Denna kunskap kan fångas upp genom användandet av verktyg som innovationstävlingar och innovationssamhällen. Genom en multipel fallstudie med fokus på tre organisationer inom den digitala sektorn utforskar denna avhandling det möjliga sambandet mellan hur dessa företag använder sig av ”inbound” innovation genom organisationens utveckling i organisations-livscykeln. Information kring ämnet har samlats in med hjälp av kvalitativa och kvantitativa datainsamlingstekniker och analyserats med hjälp av en tväranalys. Avhandling fann att de studerade företagen befinner sig i olika faser inom organisationslivscykeln och använder ”inbound” innovation på olika sätt. Dessutom påträffades ett samband, nämligen, när de studerade organisationerna fortskrider genom organisationslivscykeln ändrar de sitt användande av ”inbound” innovation från att optimera organisationens genomförande till att använda strategin för att hitta nya tillväxtmöjligheter.

The digital sector is often described as rapidly evolving, hence organisations within it need to remain innovative in order to cope with the changes. However, the traditionally closed approach towards innovation has been increasingly criticized. Inbound innovation is an alternative approach described as the purposive pursuit of gaining external knowledge for product enhancement and new product development. This knowledge can be gained by using tools such as innovation contests and creating innovation communities. Through a multiple case study focusing on three companies within the digital sector, this thesis explores a potential connection between how these companies use inbound innovation in regard to the different phases in the organizational life cycle. The data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, and analysed using a cross-case analysis method. This thesis found that the examined organisations, each specified in different phases of the organisational life cycle, uses inbound innovation differently. Furthermore, as the examined organizations progress through the organisational life cycle a shift, from using inbound innovation to optimize execution towards using it to find new growth options, was found. / Den digitala sektorn beskrivs ofta som snabbt föränderlig och organisationer i den behöver förbli innovativa för att klara av förändringarna. Samtidigt har traditionella innovationsstrategier, som beskrivits som slutna, blivit allt mer kritiserade. ”Inbound” innovation är ett alternativ till tidigare innovationsstrategier. Strategin beskrivs som ändamålsenlig strävan efter att ta in extern kunskap för produktförbättring och gynna utvecklingen av nya produkter. Denna kunskap kan fångas upp genom användandet av verktyg som innovationstävlingar och innovationssamhällen. Genom en multipel fallstudie med fokus på tre organisationer inom den digitala sektorn utforskar denna avhandling det möjliga sambandet mellan hur dessa företag använder sig av ”inbound” innovation genom organisationens utveckling i organisations-livscykeln. Information kring ämnet har samlats in med hjälp av kvalitativa och kvantitativa datainsamlingstekniker och analyserats med hjälp av en tväranalys. Avhandling fann att de studerade företagen befinner sig i olika faser inom organisationslivscykeln och använder ”inbound” innovation på olika sätt. Dessutom påträffades ett samband, nämligen, när de studerade organisationerna fortskrider genom organisationslivscykeln ändrar de sitt användande av ”inbound” innovation från att optimera organisationens genomförande till att använda strategin för att hitta nya tillväxtmöjligheter.

The purpose of this study is to explore critical aspects in the establishment of an open innovation arena. This study considers only the perspective of science parks as the establisher and facilitator of the open innovation arenas. By understanding these critical aspects science parks and its participants can benefit from improved innovativeness. Using existing theories, a theoretical framework illustrating critical aspects for the establishment of an open innovation arena was created and subsequently tested through a qualitative research strategy. The research design included case studies into four science parks, three in Sweden and one in the UK, at various stages of establishing and facilitating open innovation arenas. The primary data comprised interviews with top management at each of the science parks, as well as one interview with a committee overseeing science parks in Sweden. The locations for the case study selection were based on Sweden and United Kingdom’s current prominence and success in fostering collaborations. The results of this study indicate that there are a number of critical aspects important during the establishment of open innovation arenas by science parks. Among these critical aspects are the selection of participants, a neutral and passive stance on formalization of contracts and IP, the creation of trust and motivation within the arena, the importance of the physical arena setting and the benefit of an arena topic area prominent amongst the surrounding participants. In addition, this study shows the importance of science parks’ neutral position, as well as the influence of the participants throughout all aspects. Based on these findings, practical and theoretical implications are presented and discussed in the paper. The key implications of this study are that science parks should play an active role to select appropriate projects and participants in order to create trust and motivation within the arena, provide a physical meeting place and access to specialized equipment that fosters communication and encourages collaboration among participants, as well as sourcing projects close to the science park’s geographical proximity. Additionally, they should choose one or more topic area and utilize networks in order to build up expertise, While science parks should play a passive role regarding formalization and IP regulations, it is important that they know how to assists the participants when requested.

Zugl.: Freiburg (Breisgau), University, Diss., 2006.

The diplomas thesis is focused on innovation processes in Provident Financial s.r.o., company The main aim of this thesis is analysis of innovation processes and recommendation for its management. The support goal of this thesis is to analyse innovation environment in the company. The benefit from student will be the analysis of specific innovation processes, its assessment and concrete proposal for its managing in company.

Innovation is one of the most important factors behind today´s global economic growth and prosperity. In the current economic climate, increasing global competition and rapidly changing environment, an organisations ability to innovate is regarded as a key factor for success. It is widely accepted that creating new processes, products and procedures are vital for productivity and growth in all sectors. The literature on innovation measurements areas and utilities is voluminous and diverse. Assessing and measuring the complex conditions that influence a firm’s innovation capability is a challenging task, due to the inconsistency, inaccessibility, and complexity of measures. An integrative and holistic innovation capability assessment framework should include all aspects of innovation. This study attempt to address this gap, the lack of a holistic innovation capability assessment framework (HICAF) in project-based firms, by (a) reviewing the literature on innovation, innovation assessment, and measurement areas (b) through a qualitative case study exploring the factors promoting innovation in project-based firms (c) integrating the findings into a holistic assessment framework (d) generating items, in form of a statement, to address the underlying construct of each identified factor (e) applying the proposed framework within an organisation and statistically validating the instrument to achieve item homogeneity. Internal consistency reliability estimates have been utilized to produce a final framework consisting of 57 statistically validated items and eight theoretically grounded categories with 19 corresponding factors promoting innovation, also called enablers, in technology-orientated project-based organisations. In addition to the identified literature findings, the case study resulted in two new enablers, time management, and quality, which are not necessarily specific for project-based organisations, rather specific for the observed organisation. The performed case study is insufficient for determining whether there are any specific enablers for project-based organisations. The advantages of HICAF lies in its simplicity due to practical applicability in a large scale and facilitates managers to diagnose the organisation and recognize true symptoms to then apply appropriate treatment and remedies. A frequent application of HICAF can also help to study the effect of specific treatment and remedies in relation to innovation capability.

L’innovation est une variable souvent discutée en droit de la concurrence. L’innovation prédatrice l’est beaucoup moins. Peut-être est-ce dû au fait que les termes sont euphémiques : l’innovation est généralement conçue comme étant prédatrice par nature dans la mesure où son objectif est la création ou l’amélioration d’une chose existante dans le but qu’elle surpasse la chose d’un tiers. Peut-être est-ce parce qu’étudier l’innovation et ses mécanismes est un exercice souvent décrit comme étant complexe. Peut-être est-ce parce que le développement rapide des marchés liés aux nouvelles technologies s’est accompagné d’un courant doctrinal, en Europe comme aux États-Unis, qui prône la nécessité de retirer le droit de la concurrence de cette matière. Peut-être, enfin, est-ce parce que les décisions de justice n’ont que trop peu utilisé ce vocable d’innovation prédatrice, ce qui a conduit la doctrine à n’y consacrer que peu d’études, limitant d’autant plus son utilisation par les juridictions et autorités de concurrence.Reconnaître un régime à l’innovation prédatrice est pourtant l’une des nécessités de ce début de 21ème siècle en terme de droit de la concurrence. Les pratiques qui s’y rattachent surviennent régulièrement et visent à supprimer la compatibilité des technologies d’un tiers avec celles d’une entreprise dominante ou à altérer le fonctionnement de technologies concurrentes. Le droit de la concurrence doit y apporter une réponse. L’enjeu est considérable, mais il n’en demeure pas moins que le concept d’innovation prédatrice – que nous définissons comme l’altération d’un ou plusieurs éléments techniques d’un produit afin de restreindre ou éliminer la concurrence – est aujourd’hui ignoré ou mal compris du plus grand nombre.Les règles ainsi imaginées doivent être communes à plusieurs systèmes juridiques dans la mesure où les pratiques d’innovation prédatrice sont généralement mises en œuvre sur plusieurs continents à la fois. Notre étude prend le parti d’analyser les droits européen et nord-américain de la concurrence parce que leurs racines sont homologues et parce que les pays concernés justifient du PIB le plus élevé au monde.Le régime que nous exposons s’articule autour de deux étapes principales. Il s’agit pour commencer de rejeter toutes les règles per se en la matière, parce qu’elles ne répondent pas aux défis nouveaux du droit de la concurrence. Seule l’application d’une règle de raison structurée organisée autour de trois filtres permet le prononcé de décisions adaptées dans chaque cas d’espèce tout en éliminant les demandes pour lesquels aucun risque concurrentiel n’est envisagé.Un test amélioré de l’absence de justification économique doit ensuite être mis en œuvre pour toutes les pratiques qui ont un effet anti-concurrentiel au moins possible sur le plan théorique – celles qui ont passé les filtres – et qui méritent donc d’être analysées. Ce test, qui permet de ne condamner que les seules pratiques anti-concurrentielles, autorise par conséquent l’élimination des erreurs de type I et II. Il participe également d’une simplification d’un droit de la concurrence devenu parfois illisible. Une nouvelle étude – sur la base du test proposé – des plus grandes affaires européennes et nord-américaines en matière d’innovation prédatrice permet d’illustrer son efficacité.Il nous est enfin apparu nécessaire de traiter de la question de la sanction – ou remèdes – des pratiques d’innovation prédatrice. Il ressort de notre étude que le respect du choix stratégique de l’entreprise en matière d’interopérabilité doit être reconnu comme un principe immuable. Également, les modes alternatifs de sanction ne doivent pas être systématisés et le développement de la « soft law » doit prendre une direction nouvelle qui soit davantage centrée sur l’accompagnement des entreprises très innovantes. / Innovation is often discussed in antitrust law. Predatory innovation is less considered. Perhaps it is because predatory innovation is considered euphemistic: innovation is generally seen as being predatory by nature insofar as its objective is the creation or improvement of an existing product in order to surpass the product -another. Perhaps it is because studying innovation and its mechanisms is often described as a complex exercise. Perhaps it is because the rapid development of high-tech markets, in Europe and in the United States, was accompanied by a doctrinal movement, which preached the need to remove antitrust laws. Perhaps, finally, since court and competition authorities have only minimally termed predatory innovation, this has led the doctrine to devote minimal studies, thus resulting in the limiting of its use by courts and competition authorities.Recognizing the existence of predatory innovation is one of the great necessities of the early 21st century regarding antitrust law. Predatory innovation practices occur regularly and aim at removing the compatibility of third party technologies with those of a dominant firm or at impairing the functioning of competing technologies. As of today, antitrust law provides no answer to these strategies. The stakes are high; the concept of predatory innovation – which we define as the alteration of one or more technical elements of a product to limit or eliminate competition – is currently ignored and/or misunderstood greatly.This thesis focuses on European and North American antitrust laws because their roots are homologous and these countries represent the highest GDP in the world. With predatory innovation practices frequently implemented on several continents at once, overarching rules need to be extended to several legal systems.The regime we exhibit is organized around two main stages:The first implies to reject every related per se rule because they do not meet the new challenges met by antitrust law. Only the diligent implementation of a structured rule of evaluation organized around three filters will ensure appropriate decisions and the elimination of requests for which no antitrust issues are envisaged.Once evaluated by the three filters, an improved test of no economic sense must then be applied to all practices which have theoretical anti-competitive effects and determined fit to be further analyzed. This test, which specifically condemns anti-competitive practices, is a simplification of currently unreadable antitrust law and when applied will lead to the elimination of type I and type II errors. A new study – based on the proposed test – of the most notorious European and North American predatory innovation cases illustrates its effectiveness.The second addresses sanctions – or remedies – to predatory innovation practices. It appears that respecting the strategic choice of companies in terms of interoperability should be recognized as an immutable principle. Also, negotiated procedures shall not be systematized and the development of "soft law" must take a new direction aiming at supporting highly innovative companies.