CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O atual debate sobre a funÃÃo social da universidade tem evoluÃdo em torno do seu papel empreendedor, entendido como uma atuaÃÃo mais direta e participativa, voltada ao desenvolvimento social e econÃmico por meio do incentivo à interaÃÃo com o setor industrial e da produÃÃo e comercializaÃÃo de tecnologias. Neste sentido, a cooperaÃÃo entre universidade e indÃstria para pesquisa e inovaÃÃo assume papel fundamental, e à o objeto de estudo desta pesquisa. A despeito da extensa literatura nacional e internacional dedicada ao tema, nÃo foram identificados estudos que se destinassem a mapear a percepÃÃo dos gestores acadÃmicos de pesquisa acerca do fenÃmeno, o que se mostra oportuno pelo nÃvel estratÃgico em que eles atuam e pela relevÃncia das decisÃes que tomam. Destarte, o objetivo geral do trabalho foi verificar a relaÃÃo entre os fatores antecedentes da cooperaÃÃo universidade-indÃstria e a propensÃo da universidade a cooperar, a partir da perspectiva dos gestores acadÃmicos de pesquisa. Primeiramente foram desenvolvidas escalas de mensuraÃÃo para cada determinante identificado na revisÃo de literatura. Em seguida, foi realizada uma survey com uma amostra de 125 gestores acadÃmicos de pesquisa, de 109 universidades e institutos federais brasileiros, em que apenas duas unidades da federaÃÃo nÃo estiveram representadas. Por meio de anÃlises fatoriais exploratÃria e confirmatÃria, as escalas foram validadas, viabilizando o teste de um modelo estrutural explicativo da propensÃo à cooperaÃÃo com uso de modelagem de equaÃÃes estruturais. Os resultados confirmaram (i) a influÃncia positiva dos benefÃcios da cooperaÃÃo â incorporaÃÃo de novas informaÃÃes aos processos de ensino e pesquisa, obtenÃÃo de recursos financeiros adicionais e aumento do prestÃgio dos pesquisadores e suas instituiÃÃes â sobre a propensÃo da universidade à cooperaÃÃo com a indÃstria; (ii) a influÃncia positiva da solidez da parceria, medida em funÃÃo do comprometimento dos pesquisadores, da confianÃa no parceiro industrial e de adequados processos de comunicaÃÃo; e (iii) a influÃncia negativa das diferenÃas culturais e institucionais entre universidade e indÃstria sobre esta propensÃo. NÃo foi validada a influÃncia positiva (iv) da reputaÃÃo em pesquisa e transferÃncia de tecnologia e (v) da captaÃÃo de recursos para pesquisa aplicada sobre a propensÃo à cooperaÃÃo. Adicionalmente, atravÃs de uma anÃlise de regressÃo linear mÃltipla, verificou-se que (vi) o acompanhamento do desempenho das parcerias pelos gestores acadÃmicos, (vii) a confianÃa no parceiro da indÃstria, e (viii) o prestÃgio do pesquisador sÃo variÃveis explicativas da propensÃo da universidade à cooperaÃÃo com a indÃstria. Considerando a distribuiÃÃo geogrÃfica da pesquisa acadÃmica brasileira, o estudo traz à tona um abrangente panorama da percepÃÃo dos gestores de pesquisa das principais instituiÃÃes de ensino superior do Brasil acerca das parcerias com a indÃstria, o que lhe conferiu carÃter inovador e permitiu a proposiÃÃo de uma agenda de pesquisas no campo / The current debate on the social function of the university has evolved around its entrepreneurial role, seen as a more direct and participative action, focused on social and economic development by encouraging the interaction with the industrial sector and the production and commercialization of technologies. In this regard, cooperation between universities and industry for research and innovation assumes a fundamental role, and it is the study object of this research. Despite the extensive national and international literature devoted to the topic, studies intended to map the perception of the academic research managers about the phenomenon had not been identified, which seems opportune given the strategic level at which they work and the relevance of the decisions they make. Hence, the general purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the university-industry cooperation antecedents and the university propensity to cooperate, from the academic research managersâ perspective. Firstly, measurement scales have been developed for each determinant identified in the literature review. Then, a survey was conducted by addressing a sample with 125 academic research managers, from 109 Brazilian universities and federal institutes, in which only two Brazilian states were not represented. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the scales were validated, enabling to test an explanatory structural model for the propensity to cooperation, by using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed (i) the positive influence of the cooperation benefits â like incorporating new information to the teaching and research processes, obtaining additional funds and increasing the prestige of the researchers and their institutions â on the university propensity to cooperation with industry; (ii) the positive influence of the partnership solidity, measured by the commitment of researchers, trust in the industrial partner, and appropriate communication processes; and (iii) the negative influence of the cultural and institutional differences between university and industry on such propensity. The positive influences (iv) of reputation in research and technology transfer on the propensity to cooperation has not been validated, as well as (v) that of the fundraising for applied research. In addition, through a multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that (vi) the partnerships performance monitoring by academic managers, (vii) the trust in industry partner, and (viii) the prestige of researcher are explanatory variables for the university propensity to cooperation with industry. Considering the geographic distribution of the Brazilian academic research, the study brings up a comprehensive overview of the perception of research managers from the main higher education institutions in Brazil about the partnerships with industry, which conferred to it innovative character and allowed to propose a research agenda in the field.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-19T11:50:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Zattar2011.pdf: 596540 bytes, checksum: 356fb3ebad7553ec509c87285089c3d3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-30 / An enlargement of the analytical scope of the open innovation model is proposed in order to highlight the information micro-processes involved in innovation development. With this purpose, an illustrative experiment was conducted taking into account a selected text about open innovation. Information science and other theoretical-conceptual approaches were used to develop a meta-analysis of the text in order to demonstrate the relevance, advantage and complementary nature of this alternative approach. Some aspects of innovation were analyzed, in order to identify its main characteristics and, at the same time, place the analysis focus on the open innovation model. An specific literature related to the knowledge generation, the learning dynamics, information regime and networks was used. From these theoretical and analytical foundations it was possible to identify areas in the open innovation model in which to accommodate a deeper and more detailed analysis of particular aspects, such as the role of the information channels, the information flows through the networks, the actors learning process and the information regime. / Propõe uma ampliação do escopo analítico do modelo de inovação aberta de modo a focalizar os micro-processos de informação envolvidos na inovação. Com esse propósito foi empreendida uma experiência ilustrativa a partir de um texto selecionado sobre inovação aberta, em que são utilizadas abordagens teórico-conceituais da ciência da informação e outras áreas relacionadas, demonstrando a pertinência e a vantagem para o aprofundamento e alcance desse modelo. Foram analisados alguns aspectos da inovação focalizando o modelo de inovação aberta, de modo a identificar suas características principais. Foi também discutida, com base na literatura especializada, as abordagens referentes à geração do conhecimento, às dinâmicas da aprendizagem, ao regime de informação, às redes de informação, entre outros. A partir desse aporte teórico e analítico foi possível identificar os lugares do modelo de inovação aberta que poderiam acomodar uma análise mais profunda e detalhada sobre determinados aspectos como: os canais de informação, o fluxo de informação nas redes, o processo de aprendizagem dos atores, o regime de informação nos ambientes de inovação.

Os custos elevados de aquisição de conhecimento, a intensificação da concorrência e a necessidade de aproximação do consumidor vêm estimulando empresas a buscar formas alternativas de aumentar seu potencial de inovação pela integração de usuários. No entanto, a literatura e o senso comum convergem ao afirmar que nem todo usuário está habilitado a trazer conhecimentos que sustentem a vantagem competitiva das inovações. Nesse contexto, emerge a figura do lead user que, por definição, é capaz de sentir necessidades de produtos e serviços ainda não expressos por usuários regulares. Esses conhecimentos, quando adequadamente absorvidos, trazem benefícios expressivos às empresas que os incorporam ao DNP. Sabendo que as formas de incorporação de usuários apresentam variações, este estudo se destina a entender como empresas de diferentes setores absorvem conhecimentos de lead users por diferentes práticas de integração. Para tanto, foi escolhido o método de estudo de casos múltiplos incorporados, observados em três multinacionais de grande porte: Natura, Whirlpool e Microsoft (Bing). Ao todo foram avalidados cinco modos de integração distintos, escolhidos a partir de duas formações: individual (conhecimentos isolados de usuários distintos) e coletivo (conhecimentos articulados em discussões em grupo), analisados pelos métodos de indução analítica com síntese cruzada de dados. Os resultados mostraram que as categorias teóricas utilizadas para observação inicial do fenômenol: parâmetro de identificação e técnica de seleção (aquisição); mecanismo de interação (assimilação); mecanismos de socialização (transformação) e sistema de formalização (exploração) apoiaram parcialmente o entendimento das atividades do processo e, por esta razão, precisaram se complementadas pelas categorias emergentes: criação de contexto, motivação (aquisição); estímulos, parâmetro de observação, interpretação (assimilação); definição de papéis, coordenação de processos, combinação de conhecimento (transformação) e gestão do conhecimento (exploração), coletadas na fase empírica Essa complementação aumentou a robustez do modelo inicial e mostrou como a absorção de conhecimentos pode ser avaliada pelas dimensões absortivas. No entanto, as análises intra e intercasos que se seguiram, mostraram que esse entendimento era insuficiente para explicar a capacidade de absorção por diferentes práticas, uma vez que o fenômeno é influenciado por fatores contextuais associados tanto à prática de integração quanto ao modo como cada empresa se organiza para inovar (tipo de acesso ao colaborador). As reflexões teóricas realizadas a partir desses resultados permitiram contribuir com a teoria existente de duas formas: I) pelo entendimento estendido das atividades de absorção necessárias para incorporação de conhecimentos de lead users e III) pela proposição de um modelo conceitual amplo que abarcou diferentes práticas de integração considerando também os antecedentes de inovação, as atividades absortivas e os fatores adjuntos, inerentes a cada prática. Esta pesquisa objetiva contribuir para o conhecimento teórico sobre inovação e motivar reflexões que possam ser úteis para gerentes e executivos interessados em aprimorar suas práticas e processos de captação de conhecimentos de lead users. / The high costs of acquiring knowledge, the increased competition and the need for consumer approach has stimulated companies to seek alternative ways to increase their innovation potential by integrating users. However, literature and common sense converge to say that not every user is able to bring knowledge to support the competitive advantage of innovations. In this context, the picture emerges of the lead user that, by definition, is capable of sensing needs for products and services not yet expressed by regular users. This knowledge, when properly absorbed, bring significant benefits to companies that incorporate the DNP. Knowing that the forms of incorporation users have variations, this study aims to understand how companies from different sectors lead absorb knowledge users for different integration practices. Thus, it was chosen the method of multiple case study incorporated, observed in three large multinationals: Natura, Whirlpool and Microsoft (Bing). In all, we avalidados five distinct modes of integration, chosen from two configurations: individual (individual knowledge of different users) and collective (articulated knowledge in group discussions), analyzed by the methods of analytic induction cross-synthesis of data. The results showed that the theoretical categories used for the initial observation phenomenological: identification and parameter selection technique (acquisition); interaction mechanism (assimilation); socialization mechanisms (transformation) and formalizing system (exploration) partially supported the understanding of the process activities and, therefore, had to be complemented by emerging categories: context of creation, motivation (acquisition); stimulus parameter of observation, interpretation (assimilation); definition of roles, coordination processes, combination of knowledge (processing) and knowledge management (holding) collected empirical phase This supplement increased the robustness of the initial model and showed how the absorption of knowledge can be assessed by the absorptive dimensions. However, intra- and intercasos analysis that followed showed that such an approach was insufficient to explain the absorption capacity for different practices, since the phenomenon is influenced by contextual factors related both to the practice of integration as to how each enterprise is organized to innovate (type of access to the employee). The theoretical reflections made from these results allowed to contribute to the existing theory in two ways: I) by understanding extended the absorption activities necessary for incorporating lead users of knowledge and III) by proposing a broad conceptual model that encompassed different practices Integration also considering the innovation history, the absorptive activities and deputy factors inherent to each practice. This research aims to contribute to the theoretical understanding of innovation and motivate reflections that might be useful for managers and executives interested in improving their practices and lead users knowledge capture processes.

The modern financial industry includes fast-changing technology, new regulations, and markets where companies at times find themselves at disadvantage. This study focuses on how organizations can build competitive advantage, particularly by drawing on the open innovation concept. We conceptualize its relationship to competitive advantage as a strategy of using and developing dynamic capabilities in business ecosystems. This view is empirically analysed through qualitative data from four organizational actors in the financial technology (fintech) sector, using semi-structured interviews and a case study approach. The results of the study show that there is a so-called fintech business ecosystem where collaboration and openness generate new opportunities and new innovations. It also shows that the capabilities networking and scanning, investment processes and an open, agile organizational culture are essential to gain advantage of the opportunities in the business ecosystem. In building competitive advantage from open innovation process, these capabilities provide speed and are necessary to find external resources that can effectively be united with internal key resources, creating unique resource combinations. This indicates that companies should focus on activities that enable these capabilities.

Utifrån en föränderlig omvärld har allt fler organisationer insett att de inte kan agera oberoende av omgivningen. Förändringarna beskrivs ofta i termer av mer intensiv konkurrensen, kortare livscykler för produkter och tjänster samt ständig teknikutveckling. Internet och den digitala transformationen har dessutom skapat en övergång till den digitala ekonomin vilket omvandlat grundläggande antaganden för flertalet affärsmodeller. Den intensifierade konkurrensen, teknologiska utvecklingen och ökade rörligheten av kunskap har resulterat i att allt fler organisationer måste analysera sitt sätt att organisera och styra innovationsarbetet för att öka innovationsförmågan. Mot bakgrund av de förändrade spelreglerna bör det ifrågasättas om interna innovationsprocesser är den mest framgångsrika strategin för att generera förutsättningar för en ökad innovationsförmåga. I linje med detta visar en tydlig trend under de senare åren att allt fler organisationer utforskar och efterfrågar kunskap från ett omfångsrikare spektrum av källor än tidigare. Detta åskådliggörs genom hur allt fler organisationer utnyttjar kunskapsflöden från nätverk utanför den egna organisationens gränser. Innovationsprocesser som fångar kunskapsflöden utifrån ett nätverkssynsätt ger upphov till nya potentiella fördelar för innovationsförmågan. En av de möjliga fördelarna beskrivs som kombinationen av interna och externa kunskaper. Förskjutningen från interna till mer öppna innovationsprocesser, innebär dock att innovationsstyrningen måste förändras. Med öppna innovationsprocesser har det uppdagats nya utmaningar, något som till stor del grundas i den bärande idén om involvering av flertalet individer. En central utmaning handlar om att styra öppna innovationsprocesser utan formell auktoritet över samtliga individer. Syftet med denna studie har därmed varit att identifiera och analysera vad som kännetecknar öppna innovationsprocesser och styrningsaspekterna för att öka innovationsförmågan. Utifrån en litteraturstudie upprättades ett styrningskoncept för att analysera, förklara och utveckla begrepp inom öppna innovationsprocesser. Styrningskonceptet kan beskrivas som ett paraply under vilket författaren samlar praktiska aspekter som kan utnyttjas på olika sätt för att styra en öppen innovationsprocess med målsättningen att öka innovationsförmågan. Den empiriska delen omfattar en fallstudie innehållande nio stycken intervjuer av innovationsstyrningen inom Lindholmen Science Park. Det är en internationell samverkansmiljö för forskning och innovation. Resultatet påvisar vikten av en flexibel styrning där fokus riktas mot ständig följsamhet gentemot den externa kontexten. Dessutom poängteras ledningen av till synes oförenliga paradoxer, där vikten av att vara ”både och” för att hantera olika motsatsförhållanden konstateras som viktigt. Dessutom fastslås betydelsen av ledare som frigör den inneboende innovationskraften genom nyfikenheten att lära och ett varaktigt fokus på att etablera relationer för att bygga tillit. / Based on a changing environment, more organizations have realized that they cant act independently of the environment. The changes are often described in terms of more intense competition, shorter life cycles for products and services and constant technology development. Internet and digital transformation has also created a transition to the digital economy which transforms assumptions for most business models. Intensified competition, technological development and increased mobility of knowledge, has resulted in that more organizations need to analyze the way they organize and manage innovation efforts to increase the capacity for innovation. In view of the changing rules of the game, it should be questioned whether internal innovation processes are the most successful strategy to generate conditions for increased innovation capabilities. In line with this, a clear trend in recent years points out that more organizations explore and demand knowledge from a wider range of sources than before. This is illustrated by how more organizations utilize knowledge flows from networks beyond the boundaries of their own organization. Innovation processes that capture knowledge flows based on a networking perspective gives new potential benefits for the innovation capabilities. One of the possible benefits is described as the combination of internal and external knowledge. However, the shift from internal to more open innovation processes, means that the innovation management must change. With open innovation processes, new challenges has been discovered, largely based on the supportive idea of involving more individuals. A central challenge is to control open innovation processes without formal authority over all individuals. Thus, the purpose of this study has been to identify and analyze what characterizes open innovation processes and governance aspects in order to increase the innovation capabilities. Based on a literature study, a management concept was established to analyze, explain and develop concepts in open innovation processes. The management concept can be described as an umbrella under which the author brings together practical aspects that can be utilized in different ways to manage an open innovation process with the aim of increasing innovation capabilities. The empirical part comprises a case study containing nine interviews of the innovation management within Lindholmen Science Park. It is an international environment for research and innovation. The result demonstrates the importance of flexible governance, focusing on constant compliance with the external context. In addition, the management of seemingly incompatible paradoxes is poached, where the importance of dealing with different opposites is found important. In addition, the result underline the importance of leaders who releases the inherent power of innovation by curiosity for learning and a sustained focus on establishing relationships to build trust.

Co-creation is a new approach to the development of videogames, films, television, music and other creative services. It is a manifestation of open innovation paradigm where the firm collaborates with customers in new service development (NSD) activities. Firm can either co-create with individual customers, or with customer communities. Customers may substantially contribute to ideation, design, production, testing, marketing or distribution of a new or existing service. Customer networks, because of their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, contribute to the development of services. They have a potential to innovate, as their ideas come from the outside of the organization and reflect their need-related knowledge. Via co-creation a firm can also learn about unarticulated or future customer needs, and what kind of service features they would pay the most for. Co-creation has also benefits for marketing. By inviting customers to participate in their activities, firms can capitalize on positive word of mouth and increased value ascribed to their services. They can also engage in new models of raising finance, i.e. crowdfunding. We studied thirteen videogames firms in North America and in Western Europe. Our goal was to gain insight into their NSD activities when customers were also involved. We observed those studios’ co-creation practices, tracked their communications with customers, and spoke to employees in all levels and functions of those firms. We also participated in various related events. We identified three ideal types of co-creation practice: structured, semi-structured, and loose, and ordered the firms into three cases according to these types. We investigate the main factors that determine co-creation’s practice in firms, as well as firms’ ability co-create. This includes a firm’s propensity for and style of co-creation. We identify four relevant co-creation competences which, together with funding arrangements and organizational culture, influence co-creation. We find that co-creation can occur via formal, as well as informal channels. Informal co-creation takes place on the level of individual interactions between employees and customers (and is linked to hidden innovation), while formal relies on the strategic use of contests, volunteer programs, as well as other legally-regulated exchanges. Firms can use co-creation in NSD to source ideas from the customers, as well as to enhance their marketing by redefining customer relationship. Still, co-creation also has a profound transformative effect on the organization itself. We identify the sites within a firm that are affected by co-creation. Those sites go beyond just the content of the service, and include functions of the firm that normally are hidden from customers (back-end and service design functions). The new service development is also affected. Similarly, the way that firm interacts with its customers is transformed, too.

Cette recherche explique comment il est possible d’utiliser le concept de crowdsourcing dans le but de générer un modèle d’affaire innovant. Le terrain d’étude retenu est composé de données primaires et de données secondaires. Les données primaires sont issues d’un grand distributeur franco-iranien installé en Iran. Des données secondaires et permettant des comparaisons proviennent de 5 autres grands distributeurs dans le monde. Notre analyse permet alors de définir les apports du crowdsourcing pour chaque type de distributeurs. / This research explains the applications of crowdsourcing phenomena by generating an innovative business model canvas for a French-Iranian hypermarket retailer in Iran after analyzing the business models of five hypermarket companies worldwide (one Americans, one Japanese and three French hypermarkets). The following research question has been considered for this research: How retail companies can use crowdsourcing to be more innovative in order to enhance their competitive advantage?

The thesis focuses on potential use of social networks in supporting innovation activities within companies. The main objective of the paper is to clarify the relationship between innovation activities in companies and its possible support by social network followed by presentation of suitable social networks which allows developing contacts, communication, sharing and cooperation in innovative activities. The objective is fulfilled by defining social networks and innovation; analysing related innovation activities of companies and its possible support through social networks; introducing appropriate social networks; evaluating innovative environment for business and examining awareness and applicability of these innovative concepts: open innovation, innovation marketplaces and collaboration platforms in Czech companies. The main contribution of the thesis is defining social networks in relation to innovation activities of companies, that gives the reader insight into the topic of social networks and innovation; designing an assessment framework of social networks that support innovation and creating an overview of existing social networks that enables innovation activities, which should help companies in easier orientation within services and functionality that analyzed web portals offer. The theoretical part of this paper defines the terms of social networks and innovation, and then explains the relationship of social networks and innovative activities. The theoretical part is followed by an overview of existing social networks that can be used as a support for innovation. The paper then focuses on the innovation environment in the Czech Republic in comparison to Sweden. The last chapter examines the awareness and applicability of social networks in supporting innovation activities in Czech companies.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-06-17T20:42:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Marco Antonio Costa da Silva.pdf: 1788996 bytes, checksum: bea31a3e14867cdae75eb7bde5b8a5f3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-17T20:42:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marco Antonio Costa da Silva.pdf: 1788996 bytes, checksum: bea31a3e14867cdae75eb7bde5b8a5f3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-28 / Companies using open innovation find significant barriers in managing externally acquired technologies incorporation process, which is a critical challenge in evaluating technology investments. The central objective of this research was to construct and validate an incorporation model of technological innovation from external sources based on the assumptions of open innovation. The models that address open innovation processes in the literature are vague and imprecise in relation to the incorporation process and do not address important issues related to culture for innovation, absorption, and dynamic technological capabilities that are important theoretical foundations for innovation and contribute decisively to the incorporation process. The methods used in exploratory research proposed were quantitative. Data were collected by applying a structured questionnaire to managers of 1750 technology-based companies from various sectors of the economy, with a sample of 111 responses. Data analysis was performed using the software SmartPLS, by applying structural equation modeling with partial least squares and the template paths. It was found that the proposed initial model was validated almost entirely with minor adjustments. It could be concluded that the development of a culture for innovation, coupled with the construction of mechanisms for prospecting and processing of external sources of innovation, technological capability accumulation, and the ability to reconfigure internal resources, are important foundations to increase business efficiency in incorporating innovations/external technologies. / As empresas que utilizam a inovação aberta encontram significativas barreiras no gerenciamento do processo de incorporação de tecnologias adquiridas externamente, o que consiste um desafio crítico na avaliação de investimentos em tecnologia. O objetivo central desta pesquisa foi construir e validar um modelo de incorporação de inovação tecnológica de origens externas com base nas premissas da inovação aberta. Os modelos que tratam de processos de inovação aberta encontrados na literatura são vagos e imprecisos em relação ao processo de incorporação e não abordam questões importantes relacionadas à cultura para a inovação, às capacidades de absorção, tecnológica e dinâmica, que são fundamentos teóricos importantes para a inovação e contribuem de forma decisiva para o processo de incorporação. Os métodos empregados na pesquisa exploratória aqui proposta foram de natureza quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados com a aplicação de um questionário estruturado para gestores de 1750 empresas de base tecnológica de diversos setores da economia, com uma amostra de 111 respostas. A análise dos dados foi realizada com a utilização do software SmartPLS, mediante aplicação de modelagem de equações estruturais com mínimos quadrados parciais e o modelo caminhos. Constatou-se que o modelo inicial proposto foi validado quase em sua totalidade, com pequenos ajustes. Pôde-se concluir que o desenvolvimento de uma cultura voltada para inovação, associado à construção de mecanismos de prospecção e transformação de fontes externas de inovação, do acúmulo de capacidade tecnológica e da capacidade de reconfiguração dos recursos internos, constituem fundamentos importantes para aumentar a eficiência da empresa na incorporação de inovações/tecnologias externas.

Purpose – This study has two different purposes. First, we aim to understand and describe the new phenomenon of extreme openness within the area of open innovation by answering the following question: How can this new concept of extreme openness within the Fuzzy front-end be understood and described? The second purpose of this study is to investigate how Fuzzy front-end activities can be held at a distance by answer the following question: Which technology-based communication can facilitate distance-based Fuzzy front-end activities? Method – This study was conducted as an abductive single case-study of the Fuzzy front-end process where extreme openness is performed at a multinational conglomerate company. Interviews have been held with both employees at the case company as well as external actors.  In total, 41 interviews were conducted, where 35 were unique respondents. The results were generated through the use of thematic analysis.  Findings – The findings from the study are summarized in two different frameworks in which the first framework explains the phenomenon of extreme openness and gives insight into why and how large companies provide innovation power to external actors. The second framework illustrates which communication technologies to use in the Fuzzy front-end process and provide necessary information about needed functionality and criteria when having Fuzzy front-end activities distance-based.  Theoretical and practical implications – The study provides implications for research on open innovation by empirically explicating the new phenomenon of extreme openness and connect the open innovation literature with the social exchange theory. Our findings reveal that business-to-business relational exchange can result in future benefits and that top managers can use this strategy to build long-term relationships and achieve financial improvements. Further, we also provide implications into the research on the Fuzzy front-end by empirically clarifying functionality and criteria that are specifically needed when having these activities distance-based. Our result provides implications relevant to both top managers and project managers. Limitations and future research – The study is limited by a single case study of the new phenomenon of extreme openness and which communication technology to use in distance-based Fuzzy front-end activities. We recommend future research to validate and extend findings from this study in new contexts.