Enablers and Facilitators of Reverse Innovation - Evidence from Western Multinational Corporations
Type
applied research project
Start Date
October 1, 2011
End Date
September 30, 2012
Status
ongoing
Keywords
Emerging Markets
Frugal Innovation
China
Global R&D
Description
The burgeoning phenomenon of reverse innovation - i.e., low priced, good-enough products developed in emerging countries which are taken to the markets of developed countries - has recently attracted much academic and managerial attention.
Although extant literature provides numerous examples of reverse innovation, most are anecdotal and scarce on empirical insights. Existing scientific literature on the internationalization of innovation is still based on the conjecture that western technology-intensive companies leverage and exploit home-generated knowledge to foreign markets. Thus, current literature lacks empirical insights on how Western MNCs implement strategies, structures, and processes as well as build up capabilities that enable the development of frugal innovations and subsequently their ‘reverse' diffusion to markets in developed countries.
The purpose of the research projecth is to respond to this gap and to explore the phenomenon of reverse innovation for Western MNCs. In particular, the research aims at identifying strategy, structure, process, and capability related patterns that mark prerequisites for enabling and facilitating reverse innovation.
The research project is financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and will be realized in close collaboration with researchers at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
Although extant literature provides numerous examples of reverse innovation, most are anecdotal and scarce on empirical insights. Existing scientific literature on the internationalization of innovation is still based on the conjecture that western technology-intensive companies leverage and exploit home-generated knowledge to foreign markets. Thus, current literature lacks empirical insights on how Western MNCs implement strategies, structures, and processes as well as build up capabilities that enable the development of frugal innovations and subsequently their ‘reverse' diffusion to markets in developed countries.
The purpose of the research projecth is to respond to this gap and to explore the phenomenon of reverse innovation for Western MNCs. In particular, the research aims at identifying strategy, structure, process, and capability related patterns that mark prerequisites for enabling and facilitating reverse innovation.
The research project is financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and will be realized in close collaboration with researchers at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
Leader contributor(s)
Widenmayer, Bastian
Partner(s)
Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Funder
Topic(s)
Reverse Innovation
Frugal Innovation
Method(s)
Qualitative Research Methods
Range
HSG Internal
Range (De)
HSG Intern
Division(s)
Eprints ID
208721
Funding code
PBSGP1_138764