Breakthrough and The “Long tail” of Innovation Arashdeep Singh CINE, 11 th January 2008
11th January 2008CINE The Author Lee Fleming Associate Professor of Business Admin Harvard Business School
11th January 2008CINE Lone Inventor Vs Collaborative Team Who gives a break through ? Does diversity in a team help OR hurt ? Knowing science gives more breakthroughs or just incremental progress ? The Questions
11th January 2008CINE Innovation A new combination of components, ideas or processes Innovator is a tinker, trying various options with the existing stuff Most of the innovations are useless (Histogram of creativity)
11th January 2008CINE How to deal with it Don’t forget the process Three measures –Shots on goal –Average score –Maximum score
11th January 2008CINE Loners Vs Teams Lone Inventors Fewer Novel Combinations More variable, hence more radical No immediate shunning Collaborators Help each other to generate ideas More information spread None is superior than other. Depends on culture
11th January 2008CINE Diversity – Help or Hurt “Multidisciplinary collaboration” eg Xerox More variance more chances of failure as well as breakthrough Depth Vs Breadth
11th January 2008CINE Role of Science Complex Interdependence and Multidisciplinary collaboration Good for technological landscape - explains components and their relations Facilitates diffusion of innovation
11th January 2008CINE Managerial Challenges Look at the three measures - Improve Serendipity and Control
11th January 2008CINE Thanks