Inbound innovation across the organizational life cycle : A multiple case study

Sammanfattning: The digital sector is often described as rapidly evolving, hence organisations within it need to remain innovative in order to cope with the changes. However, the traditionally closed approach towards innovation has been increasingly criticized. Inbound innovation is an alternative approach described as the purposive pursuit of gaining external knowledge for product enhancement and new product development. This knowledge can be gained by using tools such as innovation contests and creating innovation communities. Through a multiple case study focusing on three companies within the digital sector, this thesis explores a potential connection between how these companies use inbound innovation in regard to the different phases in the organizational life cycle. The data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, and analysed using a cross-case analysis method. This thesis found that the examined organisations, each specified in different phases of the organisational life cycle, uses inbound innovation differently. Furthermore, as the examined organizations progress through the organisational life cycle a shift, from using inbound innovation to optimize execution towards using it to find new growth options, was found.