New Challenges in Innovation-Process-Management. A Criticism and Expansion of Unidirectional Innovation-Process-Models

Abstract

Innovation-Process-Models have become an increasingly important issue of research. The main point of criticism on process-models is that innovation- processes are not rigid and phases do not run compulsorily linear, but rather in recursive loops and with disruptions. Therefore, existing unidirectional innovation- process-models need to be modified. The aim of this paper is to develop a cyber- netic innovation-process-model, which is based on the famous concepts of Wheel- wright/Clark (Innovation-Funnel) and Cooper (Stage-Gate-Process). Suitable measuring-instruments are required to gain the central cognition of cybernetics that viable systems have an invariant structure. This paper sheds light on shortcomings of already existing unidirectional innovation-process-models and as current studies promulgate, such as Vanhaverbeke already 2013 pointed out in his work “Rethinking Open Innovation beyond the Innovation Funnel”, it is time for a new step forward by enriching and broadening Open Innovation. A possible next step thus can be the implementation of a cybernetic innovation-process-model. Keywords