Diversity in open innovation practices - towards a framework of classification

Abstract

In this thesis, I aimed to explore one possible dimension for classifying open innovation practices. Namely, I used data from four case studies of companies with open innovation programs to investigate the types of partners they involve in their activities. The case studies were based mainly on semi-structured interviews that I personally conducted with the managers responsible for open innovation at these companies. In addition, documentation on the companies' open innovation activities from different sources was studied whenever available in order to increase the credibility and future testability of my results. How did the companies in question go about selecting their open innovation partners? Moreover, is there a relationship between partner types and certain open innovation activities? By focusing on the type of partner, I explored the process of partner selection in open innovation and the feasibility of applying this as a means of identification and classification of the various facets of open innovation as well as their different personalities, utilities, and characteristics.

Our analysis of the investigated cases revealed a lack of systematic processes for partner selection in open innovation. None of the four companies, which, varied in size, open innovation strategy and management, sought actors for its innovation activities according to predetermined criteria. Instead, our results indicate a contingent process of partner selection that is subject to change on a case-by-case basis. Alas, our results indicate t