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”OPEN INNOVATION AND THE LINK TO

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT”
Stefan Hrastinski, Uppsala University
Mats Edenius, Uppsala University

August 2009
”OPEN INNOVATION AND THE LINK TO
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT”
Stefan Hrastinski, Uppsala University
Mats Edenius, Uppsala University

August 2009

The field of knowledge management has gone through


several stages of development throughout the years. Now we
believe that open innovation may have a lot to learn from
analyzing this process.

Three generations of progress.

less regardless of the container it


The open innovation paradigm happens to occupy and independent
suggests that organizations of particular context.
increasingly need to team up with
other organizations and customers in The second generation turned
developing and refining ideas, attention to how knowledge could be
services and products (Vanhaverbeke, generated (e.g. Wenger, 1998) by
2006). Most agree on
that knowledge sharing letting people from
and collaboration are “The open innovation different disciplines
key processes of open field can learn much or specializations
innovation. Such from the knowledge come together. In the
processes have been
the focal point of
management field in late 90s, the merits
and limitations of
knowledge order to avoid re-
these two
management research inventing the wheel.”
for many years. In fact, perspectives were
we believe that open commonly debated.
innovation advocates can learn much
from the knowledge management During the third generation, which we
field in order to avoid re-inventing the are still experiencing, many have
wheel.
realized the complementarities
between the two generations.
Knowledge management has
experienced at least three Information technologies can be used
generations. The first generation was for both storing and analyzing ideas,
built on the assumption that and to support sharing as well as
knowledge can be stored and generating knowledge. Thanks to new
distributed by using information information and communication
technologies (e.g. Nonaka & Takeuchi,
technologies, this relation has
1995). This kind of knowledge was
supposed to be possible to distribute become of more immediate
without any distortion. Knowledge importance.
was regarded as “existing” more or
”OPEN INNOVATION AND THE LINK TO
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT”
Stefan Hrastinski, Uppsala University
Mats Edenius, Uppsala University

August 2009

For example, a system successful in technologies for innovation, which


supporting users in sharing support sharing and applying
knowledge would be even more knowledge over time and across
geographical boundaries. Virtual
useful if it could also provide collaboration for innovation can be
sophisticated tools for storing and defined as “the interaction of
analyzing the shared knowledge. individuals from distinct knowledge
domains, separated by time and
space, and in which they share and
In the open innovation field, we combine their knowledge to develop
distinguish similar developments. and implement creative ideas” (Yates
Currently, there are two parallel 2007, p. 1). And as we know, new and
perspectives of practice and research, creative ideas often lead to
which are similar to the first two innovations.
knowledge management generations
mentioned above. The first What is new about open innovation,
perspective of open innovation as compared with knowledge
emphasizes storage and distribution management? We believe that a key
of knowledge. For example, Dodgson difference is that we have moved from
et al. studied how new technologies small scale collaboration towards
for data mining, simulation, mass collaboration in communities
prototyping and visual presentation with thousands or even millions of
can support open innovation. They users. Another difference is that the
define innovation technology as focus has been broadened and we are
“information and communication nowadays seeing many people as
technologies [that] enable the potential contributors to new
exchange of distributed sources of knowledge. For example,
information in the open innovation organizations inspired by open
process” (p. 333). Data mining and innovation are commonly asking their
searching support the sharing of data customers for support while the
from internal and external sources, knowledge management field has
while simulation and prototyping traditionally been more focused on
support experimentation with ideas inter-organizational knowledge
that eventually can become sharing. A third difference is that the
innovations. tempo has increased significantly.

The second perspective of open


innovation is focused on collaboration
”OPEN INNOVATION AND THE LINK TO
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT”
Stefan Hrastinski, Uppsala University
Mats Edenius, Uppsala University

August 2009

Drawing on the two current open


innovation perspectives, we believe
that the field is ready to move “Technologies from the
towards a third perspective. People first open innovation
commonly use information stream, such as data
technologies to share ideas, mining, simulation,
experiences and generate knowledge
in online communities, but they do prototyping and visual
not necessarily turn this knowledge presentation, can be
into innovations. Interestingly, very useful in enabling
technologies from the first open
innovation stream, such as data
opportunities for
mining, simulation, prototyping and reflection and analysis
visual presentation, can be very useful in order to synthesize
in enabling opportunities for shared knowledge and
reflection and analysis in order to
synthesize shared knowledge and turn it into great
turn it into great innovations. Prepare innovations.”
for the next generation of open
innovation in which opportunities for
collaboration and analysis will be
combined in exciting ways! ¶
“OPEN INNOVATION AND THE LINK TO
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT”
Stefan Hrastinski, Uppsala University
Stefan Hrastinski is a Research Fellow and Director of Master Studies at the Department of
Information Science, Uppsala University, Sweden. He received his PhD in Informatics from Lund
University in 2007. Stefan’s research interests include open innovation, and collaborative learning
and work. He is associated with the Swedish IT-User Centre and the Research School of Management
and IT.

Mats Edenius, Uppsala University


Mats Edenius is Visiting Professor and director at Swedish IT-User Center, Uppsala University. He
received his PhD in 1996 from Stockholm University. His research interests lie within the areas of
information technology and knowledge management. At present, he is involved in different projects
about information technologies and open innovation and collaboration processes.

Further reading

Dodgson, M., Gann, D., & Salter, A. (2006). The role of technology in the shift towards open
innovation: the case of Procter & Gamble. R&D Management, 36(3), 333-346.

Vanhaverbeke, W. (2006). The Interorganizational Context of Open Innovation, in Open


Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm, H. Chesbrough, W. Vanhaverbeke, and J. West,
Oxford University Press, p. 205-219.

Yates, D. (2007). Technology support for virtual collaboration for innovation in


synchronous and asynchronous interaction modes. Doctoral dissertation, University of
Southern California.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge:


Cambridge University Press.

Open Innovation
From the Open Innovation Forum’s perspective open innovation involves all aspects of
creating new business opportunities by engaging end-users in co-creative activities. Web
2.0 technologies has caused electronic collaboration to evolve, hence paving the way for
companies to invite customers and employees to be involved in the refinement of their
offerings. Ideally open innovation will create win-win situations where users get services
that are more oriented to their needs and organizations will offer services that are more
desired by the market.

The Open Innovation Forum


The Open Innovation Forum aims at being a knowledge hub and rallying point for user-
oriented open innovation, where innovation experts and researchers can collaborate on
improving theories and practices, while open innovation novices are invited to follow, or
take active part, in the development of the area.

www.openinnovationforum.com
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