Publication records

In an age where manufacturers are challenged to increase production with fewer resources and get their finished products to market sooner, mature manufacturing systems envisioned by I4 promise to rev up production lines, help turn out goods faster, and crunch delivery times and cost .

Research Summary
Whereas prior innovation and strategy literature studied how attentional and search dynamics influence the creation of inventions, we examine how these same processes affect the impact of inventions after their creation. We theorize that inventions classified in “high‐contrast” technological categories garner more attention by potential users and, hence, accrue more citations than otherwise‐equivalent inventions classified in “low‐contrast” categories. We test this hypothesis via three studies. First, we estimate citation‐count models among all USPTO patents granted between 1975 and 2010. Second, we conduct a “twin patents” test comparing inventions patented both at the USPTO and at the EPO. Third, we examine minute‐by‐minute search logs from a sample of USPTO examiners. These studies support our hypothesis and extend current understandings of attentional and search dynamics in the innovation process.

Managerial Summary
Patents that receive more citations tend to have greater economic value and greater impact on future technological developments. We show that the number of citations a patent receives does not only depend on its inherent technological value, but also on seemingly neutral classification decisions affecting the likelihood that it will be noticed by potential future users. We test our arguments via three related studies. Our results demonstrate that inventions classified in “high‐contrast” technology classes garner considerably more attention – and hence citations – than twin‐inventions classified in “low‐contrast” classes. The key managerial implication is that, whenever feasible, nudging an invention towards higher‐contrast classes will increase its future worth. The key policy implication is that maximizing categorical contrast across technology classes will help users identify relevant prior patents.

© 2021 Strategic Management Society

This paper sheds fresh light on our 2010 paper How Open Is Innovation by taking into consideration notable developments in innovation over the last decade. The original paper developed four types of openness: sourcing, acquiring, selling, and revealing. Reflecting on important technological, organizational, and societal changes in the past decade, we highlight how these changes prompt novel questions for open innovation. While the core features of the original framework still stands, there are many new questions that have emerged in recent years. We end by chartering a path for future research that emphasizes opportunities, costs and tradeoffs between different modes of open innovation, the need to better understand the nature of data, new organizational designs and legal instruments, and multilevel aspects and relationships that affect the extent and nature of openness.

With permission of Elsevier

In our respective fields as a management educator and actor-turned-executive-coach, we have accrued decades of experience in training business professionals to enhance their stage presence at work. When remote working became the rule rather than the exception, we came together to explore what the multi-million-dollar performing arts industry can teach us about mastering virtual communication.

Lea Block has tried to initiate digital transformation at Seuzach AG, a large global provider of medical devices for the health care industry. As marketing director, she has identified major shifts in German health care that demand that Seuzach changes its ways of approaching customers. Instead of targeting the specific needs of doctors in hospitals, Seuzach should rather address the new decision makers: the CEOs, CFOs, or CIOs of hospitals, who have a different buying logic. Seuzach should also leap into the future players in the industry through the application of digital innovations which allow for data driven, cloud-based digital services and business models that integrate data across the whole product range. In Seuzach's matrix organization (global product responsibility, supported by regional sales) Lea wants to convince the heads of marketing for the different product businesses to change. She seems to be able to quickly convince her colleagues of what she calls 'digital C-level marketing.' However, as soon as work is supposed to start, she realizes that commitments were less strong than she assumed. A few weeks later, Lea is clearly told that there will be no support for her. The short case study is set when Lea realizes the failure of her digital transformation initiative.
The case discussion allows analyzing and discussing various mistakes in the areas of: (1) defining an attractive vision and strategy; (2) reading and playing the organizational culture, power and politics; (3) leading from a peer-position, with a diversity profile (gender and age); (4) communicating a digital transformation initiative successfully; and (5) managing the stakeholders.

Key teaching/learning objectives:
(1) defining an attractive vision and strategy for a digital transformation initiative
(2) reading and playing the organizational culture, power and politics
(3) leading from a peer-position, with a diversity profile (gender and age)
(4) communicating a digital transformation initiative successfully
(5) managing stakeholders

Networks are resilient, but a year of remote work has taken its toll on organizations.

The Dual Career Negotiation is a two-party, multi-issue role-play based on the true story of a real couple. Alma and Pierre (not their real names) are employed by the same company, Rikoff Projects, a French firm specializing in the design and construction of large-scale infrastructure. When Alma is assigned to a major project in Kuala Lumpur, Pierre seeks a position with Rikoff in Malaysia to support her career progression and enable them to live together. Then her project is cancelled. The company no longer has a job for Alma in Kuala Lumpur, only for Pierre. It can offer her a position in Dubai at a higher rank and higher pay – equivalent to their current earnings combined – but can’t offer Pierre a job there. If they stay in Kuala Lumpur, Alma has no job so their income will be halved. If they move to Dubai, Pierre has no job but Alma’s new salary will almost double what they currently make. The couple need to discuss what to do about their respective careers and their future together.

Teaching objectives

The role-play enables students to practice managing interpersonal relationships while simultaneously handling the substance of a negotiation. The teacher should cover the following points when de-briefing the class: • How traditional gender roles and family responsibilities intersect with professional careers • The unequal division of labour – unpaid in the home – within dual-income couples • A gender gap in expectations and perceptions of careers and family responsibilities • The importance of clarifying unstated assumptions regarding career prioritization • Managing the substance, the relationship, and the process of communication in a negotiation. The case comes with PowerPoint slides. The script to accompany the slides and supporting references can be found in the notes underneath each slide.

The Dual Career Negotiation is a two-party, multi-issue role-play based on the true story of a real couple. Alma and Pierre (not their real names) are employed by the same company, Rikoff Projects, a French firm specializing in the design and construction of large-scale infrastructure. When Alma is assigned to a major project in Kuala Lumpur, Pierre seeks a position with Rikoff in Malaysia to support her career progression and enable them to live together. Then her project is cancelled. The company no longer has a job for Alma in Kuala Lumpur, only for Pierre. It can offer her a position in Dubai at a higher rank and higher pay – equivalent to their current earnings combined – but can’t offer Pierre a job there. If they stay in Kuala Lumpur, Alma has no job so their income will be halved. If they move to Dubai, Pierre has no job but Alma’s new salary will almost double what they currently make. The couple need to discuss what to do about their respective careers and their future together.

Teaching objectives

The role-play enables students to practice managing interpersonal relationships while simultaneously handling the substance of a negotiation. The teacher should cover the following points when de-briefing the class: • How traditional gender roles and family responsibilities intersect with professional careers • The unequal division of labour – unpaid in the home – within dual-income couples • A gender gap in expectations and perceptions of careers and family responsibilities • The importance of clarifying unstated assumptions regarding career prioritization • Managing the substance, the relationship, and the process of communication in a negotiation. The case comes with PowerPoint slides. The script to accompany the slides and supporting references can be found in the notes underneath each slide.

Since its foundation 30 years ago, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has developed into an internationally and nationally recognized center of competence for IT security. With a steady increase in tasks, the discussion about the governance of the office has become stronger - many voices are calling for greater independence of the BSI. The article examines the reasons for and options for greater independence of the agency. As a result, it argues for a further development of the agency's governance that represents a balance between independence and political responsibility.

[Seit seiner Gründung vor 30 Jahren hat sich das BSI zu einem international und national anerkannten Kompetenzträger für IT-Sicherheit entwickelt. Mit stetigem Aufgabenzuwachs ist die Diskussion über die Steuerung des Amtes stärker geworden – viele Stimmen fordern eine größere Unabhängigkeit des BSI.]