Absorptive Capacity for Open Innovation Communities - Learnings from Theory and Practice

Potential of open innovatioin communities are manifold, but the question of systematically capturing value from these communities has rarely been researched. We therefore develop a value appropriation framework form absorptive capacity theory and apply in to the case of Ubuntu Brainstorm, one of the Internet's biggest open innovation communities. This theory integration contributes to bothe research strams. Open innovation can be embedded into a broader theoretical context, and a deeper understanding of real absorption processes can be developed. Need for future research and guidelines for practice in regard to improving a company's value appropriation from open innovation communities are offered.