Innovating as a texture of practices

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the social ways of doing business innovation in actual conditions of complexity. By applying the concept of practical accomplishment, innovating is seen as "a texture of practices," that is, a set of practices resting on other practices. We use the metaphor of texture to develop a fresh conceptualization of innovating. A texture is made up of a weft and a warp; the warp concerns the vertical threads that run along the length of the yardage and the weft refers to the horizontal threads that run from side to side. In innovating as a texture, the weft represents the practice of co-creating and the warp represents the practice of weaving. The multiple connections in actions that arise at the cross points of warp and weft allow the big picture to emerge. This conceptualization goes beyond the economic stance to emphasize the social-contextual nature of innovating, in which establishing relationships and giving them specific forms within a situated practice activate knowing. The focus shifts to the activities, actors, and resources involved in sociomaterial and cultural practices in which innovating occurs. In this realm, innovating emerges as a continuous process.