Forward-looking External Search as a Driver for Innovation: An Empirical Analysis of the Value Contribution of Different Search Strategies for Corporate Foresight

Description

In this empirical analysis Sara Polier investigates forward-looking external search strategies and their impact on the value contribution of corporate foresight. Based on a mixed method approach combining a quantitative and qualitative analysis of large, R&D-intensive firms, the findings reveal a general positive influence of different search strategies with respect to the scope (i.e. breadth, depth, and distance) and direction of search (i.e. market, science, and intermediary-driven) on the role of foresight as a driver for innovation. This relationship is found to be mediated by a firm’s exploratory learning capability, which appears to facilitate the effective transfer of external future-related knowledge into valuable outputs. Front Matter ....Pages I-XX Introduction (Sara Polier)....Pages 1-6 Theoretical Foundations of Organizational Search and Corporate Foresight (Sara Polier)....Pages 7-20 The Research Field of External Search (Sara Polier)....Pages 21-42 Research Questions and Hypotheses for the Empirical Study (Sara Polier)....Pages 43-60 Empirical Study on Forward-looking External Search (Sara Polier)....Pages 61-179 Discussion of Findings (Sara Polier)....Pages 181-198 Conclusion (Sara Polier)....Pages 199-207 Back Matter ....Pages 209-322