Purpose - Given the existing obstacles to succeed with the front end of innovation, and the possibility to learn from the operations of hidden champions with their relative high rate of success in the market, this study aims to investigate how Nordic small and medium-sized hidden champions manage their front end of innovation. Method - The study is a multiple case study that uses an exploratory approach. A total of 19 interviews were conducted in two waves and across eleven organizations from the Nordic region. The collected data was analyzed through a thematic analysis. Findings - The thematic analysis resulted in two themes: Innovation Management and Stakeholder Management, that each centralize on different aspects managed. Central to the findings was the involvement of customers and external organizations into the front end of the innovation process. The findings built the foundation to a framework on enabling factors for the front end of innovation and thereby how other organizations should improve their front end of innovation. Moreover, a process framework is also presented which conceptualizes how organizations should operate their front end of innovation efforts. Theoretical contribution - This study adds to the literature by providing insights on how hidden champions manage their front end of innovation, confirming findings from other regions and adding to existing literature on the importance of involving customers in the front end of innovation process. Moreover, the study conceptualizes the factors that enable hidden champions to succeed in their front end of innovation. Managerial contribution - This study provides an overview of how managers can structure their front end of innovation process to increase the chances of successful innovation management. Limitations and future research - This study focuses on small and medium-sized hidden champions, thus the generalizability of this study may not apply to larger organizations. Therefore future research is proposed for large hidden champions to examine if the findings in this study are applicable for them. This study also examines hidden champions in a B2B context, therefore future research should be conducted regarding hidden champions in B2C to examine the applicability of our findings in that field.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:ltu-107612 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Hedlund, Jonathan, Kristensson, Elias |
| Publisher | Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik, konst och samhälle |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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