The Thai automotive industry was the third largest industry in the country and contributed nearly 12% of Thai GDP in 2010. Thailand is projected to be in the world’s top ten vehicle production countries by 2015. In 2011, the country produced 1.8 million vehicles and 600,000 units were for domestic consumption. The luxury car industry in Thailand represents roughly 5% of the total automotive market in 2011. Luxury car consumption in Thailand reached its peak in 1995 with the domestic consumption of 23,265 units. In 1997, Thailand triggered the world economic meltdown by devaluing the Thai currency. Consequently, luxury car sale volume then dropped to 3,383 units in 1998. Since then Thailand’s automotive industry has gone through a series of changes through political unrest (military coup – 2007, red shirt protest - 2010), global economy (US sub-prime crisis - 2008), and natural disaster (Japan’s tsunami – 2011, Thailand’s mega flood – 2011). For the past decade, luxury car sales volume has stagnated at around 10,000 units, despite Thailand’s GDP averaging growth of 7%. The study of the Thai luxury car industry provides a unique opportunity to probe the industry led by international firms entering fierce competition to win local consumers. This study looks through consumers’ buying criteria and reasons why Thai consumers purchase highly priced luxury cars. The study explores the roles of innovations in the Thai luxury car industry. When services are packaged with core products, this package attempt is classified as ‘service encapsulation’. The study explores the role of service encapsulation in Thailand and the key players who deliver values of service encapsulation. A mixed research methodology approach was used, starting with 30 face-to-face interviews with executives who run Thai luxury car companies and other key stakeholders. Findings and outcomes are used to design the questionnaire of ‘Service Encapsulation in Thailand Luxury Car Industry’. The survey includes 206 survey participants. Outcomes from the qualitative and quantitative parts are integrated with the literature on innovation and service innovation to come up with a Service Encapsulation Commercialization Framework. The framework aims to provide insight on the interplay among four key elements: internal parties, external parties, social factors and service encapsulation enablers, based on the original work of Sundbo and Gallouj (2000). The study provides insights on how organizations can maximize returns on innovation through service encapsulation, by using the Thai luxury car market as a case study.

Micro-enterprises have traditionally been connected with goods vending or trading in developing countries. But, increasingly micro-enterprises are emerging which centre on information and communication technologies (ICTs) where such micro-enterprises tend to connect ICTs into low income customers. Literature suggests that these enterprises are often unstable and have elements of informality, but they undertake innovative practices which are central both to building ICT-based livelihoods, and more widely to support the adoption of ICTs by low income users. Literature analysis suggests there are also gaps in knowledge around ICT micro-enterprises, particularly in understanding the link between innovative activity of micro-enterprises, and the wider conditions in ICT sectors. This thesis looks to explore these issues with the aim to build clear policy relevant understanding to enhance ICT micro-enterprises and low income-focussed ICT sectors. Innovation system models are adopted which are well suited to analysing interactive activities around ICT innovations, but these models initially require some refinement to fit in with the low income delivery of ICTs. This is done through integrating notions of ‘inclusive innovation’ which consider innovation from the perspective of wider development outcomes, and allow integration of a more diverse range of actors and processes around innovation. These models form the basis of qualitative study on the mobile phone sector in Kenya, with findings providing significant new insights. Firstly, empirical work is used to examine inclusive innovation models and refinements to innovation systems models are suggested based upon empirical work. Innovation needs to be conceptualised in minor processes, as well as the inclusion of wider intermediary actors and a more contextual examination of relations and institutions. Secondly, drawing on this model, it is found that the innovative activities of a range of systems actors, including micro-enterprises are vital to push innovations to be more inclusive. Thus, relationships that enable interactive learning between system actors, notably between ICT producers and demand-side intermediaries can support innovation. Crucially, where ‘reverse’ flows around innovation can be enabled and supported, then innovation tends to become more inclusive. Thirdly, policy plays a role in inclusive innovation. In one sense, conventional policy approaches in systems models hold: coherent underlying policy drives competitive markets. However, evidence also suggests that specific ‘inclusive’ policies for low income market might be successful. From a wider institutional perspective it is also important to analyse policy weaknesses which can lead to problems amongst ICT micro-enterprises, and these can be detrimental to an inclusive innovation system. In sum, this thesis makes contributions in a number of areas. Conceptually, it extends system models and offers one of the few empirically grounded studies of inclusive innovation, drawing on this ICT case. Thus, these findings potentially have applicability to examine other innovations in low income markets in developing countries. For ICT sectors with a focus on low income consumers, this work highlights new policy relevant approaches to analysing such sectors and provides knowledge about how to push innovation in the ICT sector which is more inclusive, particularly by better consideration of the important role of ICT micro-enterprises.

Cette étude propose une analyse substantielle des relations entre le droit de la concurrence et l’innovation. L’innovation est un processus dont les effets sur les marchés sont difficilement prévisibles et qui constitue un objet singulier pour le droit de la concurrence. Les pouvoirs de marché, les aides d’État, la coopération inter-entreprises et les concentrations peuvent être des facteurs de promotion de l’innovation, alors que le droit de la concurrence y est rétif. Pourtant, on peut envisager de réorienter le droit de la concurrence, au-delà de son rôle de « gardien des marchés », comme un outil de promotion de l’innovation. Le droit européen de la concurrence devrait alors assumer ce nouvel objectif, et rechercher un équilibre subtil entre l’incitation à l’innovation et la stimulation de l’innovation / This thesis provides proposes a substantial analysis of the relationship between competition law and innovation. Innovation is a process whose effects on markets are difficult to predict and which is a singular object for competition law. Market powers, state aid, inter-firm cooperation and mergers could be promotive factors factors in promoting for innovation, while competition law is restive inflexible. However, it is possible to consider envisage reorienting reframing competition law, beyond its role as « guardian of the markets », to a tool to promote innovation. European competition law should undertake take on this new objective and seek a subtle balance between incentivising and stimulating innovation

Young people, emerging out of the foster care system, often struggle to become productive and self-sustainable adults in society. They are at high risk of being trapped in poverty and unemployment for their entire adult life because they are unable to make a successful transition out of the foster care system to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore how social entrepreneurship can be utilised to establish a developmental transitional service to facilitate the successful transition to adulthood of youth in foster care. The research participants were purposefully selected and comprised social workers and foster youths based in the township and the former homelands of the Free State. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and focus groups and was analysed using content analysis. The study found that the current model of the foster care system is not designed to facilitate and support foster youth to make a successful transition to adulthood. This may be ascribed to the following: ● The legislative requirements imposed on this population group, ● The lack of preparatory transition services and ● The limited capacity of social workers to address the needs and challenges of foster youth. The study concludes that intervention is needed in the foster care system to prepare, equip and support foster youth to become productive and self-sustainable citizens. Through the application of the social entrepreneurship framework, this study demonstrates how existing resources and new actors can be leveraged to provide a developmental transitional service that will serve to promote the resilience of youth in foster care and assist them to break the cycle of poverty.

In order to support Social Innovation, Social Designers advocate for the use of collaborative design methodologies, inclusive design processes, which produce innovative design outcomes and inclusive societies. While there is a large amount of literature on this topic from a European and US perspective, there is little understanding regarding the effect large social disparity between stakeholders has on these types of engagements. The researcher describes this as cross-boundary collaborative design for social innovation, where "boundary" refers to social and collective identity such as, gender, race, class, etc., which is a reality in most South African collaborative design engagements and a gap in the literature. Thus, this thesis explores this gap by asking the research question, what practices, mindsets and interpersonal interactions help to support effective cross-boundary collaborative design for Social Innovation? In order to answer this question, the researcher conducted 32 interviews followed by a single focus group with disparate stakeholders engaged in these types of initiatives. Using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach and applying the lens of Appreciative Inquiry to her interview questions, she recorded narratives that focused on moments of effectiveness within these cross-boundary collaborative design engagements. What emerged from the data was a strong link between the quality of relationships between the disparate stakeholders and the effectiveness of the collaborative design process - what she described as "generative" relationships (connections built on trust, vulnerability, friendship and respect) that blurred the social boundaries between the participants and helped them move across the social divides with ease. This in turn increased the generative nature of the collaborative design process. Furthermore, these generative relationships were often established outside of the design process, in a preliminary phase (pre-project) before a design engagement began because this phase allowed the stakeholders to focus solely on building relationships, instead of generating design solutions. However, the importance of generative relationships does not feature strongly in the current collaborative design literature. Instead, it focuses mainly on developing communication methods as a way to support boundary crossing and views relationship building as a secondary by-product of a good communication method. This thesis, however, concludes that in order to support effective cross-boundary collaborative design engagements, this process should be flipped and attention be given to first building generative relationships that can then help to support the effectiveness of the cross-boundary communication methods and ultimately improve the over all crossboundary collaborative design process.

Der Aufsatz untersucht, ob die Innovationsbereitschaft, gemessen am Risikoverhalten von Unternehmen bzw. von Führungskräften in Krisen im Vergleich zu Chancensituationen unterschiedlich ist. Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage wird empirisch getestet, welcher Zusammenhang zwischen Ertragschancen und Risikobereitschaft besteht. Mit Hilfe der empirischen Bilanzanalyse wird festgestellt, daß die klassische Risk/Return-These (bis auf eine Ausnahme) empirisch nicht bestätigt werden kann. Anhand einer Befragung von 230 Führungskräften wurde deutlich, daß sich diese in Krisensituationen risikofreudig verhalten, d.h. Prozeß- bzw. Produktinnovationen anstreben. In Chancensituationen zeigten die gleichen befragten Führungskräfte ein risikoscheues Verhalten und damit eine geringe Neigung, Innovationen zu initiieren. / In the article it is asked if the willingness of companies or managers to innovate is different in a crisis compared with a chance situation. The willingness to innovate is indicated by the risk taking behaviour of mangers. To answer this question the risk/returnpattern of companies and managers is analyzed. The analysis of published accounting data of 212 German companies shows that the classical risk/return-thesis does not hold (there is only one exception) for German companies. Interviews with 230 managers prove that they behave as risk takers in crisis situations and as risk averters in chance situations. This means that they try to innovate if the company faces a crisis and they tend to avoid innovations in chance situations.

In the last two decades, Innovation in healthcare has brought about a significant transition from the conventional methods relating to activities within the healthcare system such as medical record journaling and patient diagnosis and additionally to the way clinical care is delivered to the patients. Service innovation as opposed to product innovation is the integration or positive increment of new or existing services cumprocesses in the system through the introduction of new methods, techniques, or abstract services. Healthcare industry is primarily a service driven sector. As compared to other industries it is unique given its setting. It is emotionally vulnerable, highly sophisticated and encounters life-death situations on a daily. Service innovation holds the key for large private multi-speciality to move forward.As of now, numerous challenges plague the healthcare sector such as increased healthcare costs, reduced monetary and ethical quality of clinical value care. Service innovation holds the key especially for large private multi-speciality to move forward towards. Inclusion of ancillary services such as rehabilitation,testing, nursing, emotional care coupled with digital service innovation (Telemedcine, Electronic health records, billing systems) overcome challenges of efficient billing, remote diagnosis, emotional burnout, and high medical expenditure for patients.The purpose of this thesis to underline the need for service-based innovation and its framework in correlation to a complex healthcare system. Case of an upcoming super-speciality Venkateshwara hospital located in New Delhi, India is analysed to answer the research question and understand theoretically the conflicting nature of barriers of different stakeholders involved in the process. Currently, most literature is centred around the importance of product innovation, with lacking focus on concept of service science. The study fills the gap by providing an exhaustive approach of defining service-based innovation within healthcare setting and addressing difference between product drive logic and service dominant logic. Additionally, a new service model is implemented utilizing NK Kauffman model and Greenhalgh’s (2008)eight pillar model.Since the Hospital is a private entity, paradox specific to healthcare that is “ethical vs economical” conundrum is assessed through primary empirics. Complexity of a tertiary healthcare organization is addressed in relation to the level of interrelatedness between services innovation. Venkateshwara as a multispeciality service system ranks into a highly complex organisation with high interrelatedness between varying components. Study is qualitative with explorative nature. Primary data is collected via semi-structured interviews and physical observation of the organization, while secondary data is collected via official website and brochures. Triangulation method serves the purpose of data analysis and rigour. Data Analysis section uses thematic coding to generate themes and complexity of Venkateshwara Hospital is mapped through component and interrelatedness graph.The discussion section puts forth detailed overview of over-arching and sub-themes coupled with collected data(Primary and secondary) to highlight the significance in need for service innovation. Results formally answer the research question. New services such as value-based care and telemedicine are discussed. Challenges specific to Venkateshwara hospital are put forth and categorized by needs of different stakeholders when implementing the service innovation framework. Concluding remarks include future need of service innovation. Lastly, theoretical, and practical implications of the study are provided.

Organisations in all spheres of industries are facing constant change and need to be innovative to carve out a competitive market share. Knowledge is universally recognised as the organisation’s most valuable asset and strategic resource. The competitive business environment is impelling organisations to utilise and strengthen their knowledge capital in order to manage these changes. The relationship between knowledge management and innovation is not well understood and there is a need to explicitly examine this relationship explicitly. The objective of this study is to focus on the internal environment of listed companies in South Africa and determine to what extent knowledge management practices can contribute to an organisational culture of innovation and whether or not these practices are antecedents to innovative behaviour by knowledge workers Senior members in these companies were contacted by email and requested to access a questionnaire that was available via a Web address and complete the questionnaire. All completed questionnaires were analysed, using Item analysis, multiple regression and discriminant analysis. Results show that knowledge management practices: the organisation's science and technology human capital profile and the organisation is flexible and opportunistic are important predictors of innovativeness in organisations that are perceived to have an organisational culture of innovation.

This research aims to analyse the direct and indirect effects of human capital, social capital and customer capital on the different types of innovations via organisational capital in the service sector. It also examines the interaction among the different types of innovations including product, process and organisational innovations and tests the role of human capital, social capital and customer capital in supporting organisational capital. This research employs the first stage of Actor Network Theory named problematisation to justify the research model. This study adopts a positivism philosophy, a deduction approach and a quantitative method as the research methodology. Hence, a questionnaire was used to gather data from 198 managers in the Egyptian banks (54% response rate). Structural Equation Modelling by Partial Least Square (warp PLS 3.0) was applied to test the research hypotheses. The research findings indicate that product, process and organisational innovation are positively associated with organisational capital. It is found that social capital and human capital have direct and indirect positive effects on both product and organisational innovation via organisational capital. It appears that social capital and human capital do not have a direct influence on process innovation whereas organisational capital fully mediates the relationship between social capital, human capital and process innovation. The study explores the direct and indirect positive effects of customer capital on three types of innovation through organisational capital. Additionally, organisational innovation has a positive relation with process and product innovation, which is significantly associated with process innovation. The most significant influence of intellectual capital is on product innovation, followed by organisational innovation, whereas the least significant influence is on process innovation. Moreover, the results also show that there are no significant differences between the public and private banks in terms of the path coefficients. The effect size of organisational capital on product and process innovation in the private banks is substantially larger than it is in the public banks. In the same way, the private banks have relatively larger effect sizes for human capital on product and process innovation via organisational capital than those in the public banks. Unexpectedly, in the public banks, the positive effect size of customer capital on product and process innovation via organisational capital is larger than it is in the private banks. This study has contributed to intellectual capital, innovation and service sector literature. It explores many benefits for the managers of the banks. It suggests that they should view intellectual capital as a catalyst for the different types of innovations. For example, banks should maintain and promote social connections amongst their employees to support innovation and to foster the cohesion of informal organisation.

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