Im Spannungsfeld zwischen Risiken und Chancen: Eine Methode zur Ableitung von Handlungsempfehlungen zur Öffnung der Produktentwicklung

Integrating external knowledge, either information on solutions or needs, into the product development process has a variety of benefits. But next to the opportunities, which can be realized by integrating external sources, the opening of the R&D process also bears risks. This is one of the reasons why many R&D managers oppose the opening of their processes. In recent years the existence of an ideal point of openness for each company has been found. Here, risks and opportunities are in equilibrium, hence opening a company beyond that point would not increase its innovativeness.

Taking this into account the objective of this study is the development of a methodology to produce recommendations, which help companies open up their R&D processes, controlling the related risks, and as a result benefit from the arising opportunities.

In the beginning of the study the term Open Organization is defined by using an empirical interview study. It is shown that the term Open Organization is much more related to the opening of processes and the change in a company’s culture than with structural and organizational changes. In the following part a model is developed, which generates recommendations for companies willing to open up their R&D processes. Using a quantitative approach in a first step, companies are grouped, the collaborative behavior within the groups is investigated and norm-strategies are developed. Companies, which are in search of advice, will be allocated according to their characteristics to one of the groups and the norm-strategies within one group will help to generate first recommendations on how to transform from a closed to an open organization. In a second, but qualitative study, the Virtual Openness of companies is calculated by using a risk/ opportunity logic and compared to the Real Openness, which can be measured in the company directly and which shows the actual collaborative culture. Comparing the differences between the Virtual and the Real Openness a set of recommendations can be produced.

In contrast to a vague prediction about the optimal point of openness, at which risks and opportunities are in equilibrium, the developed methodology generates concrete recommendations for companies, which are on their way to open up their R&D processes. The recommendations depend on the industry a company is part of, the collaborative partners the company works with and the process step within the R&D process.

By being interdisciplinary and close to the market´s needs of the industry, this study generates new knowledge in the field of Innovation Management. It provides a new definition of Open Organization, which is based on an empirical study. The developed methodology with its algorithms to generate the recommendations is a new approach to the problem of opening up a company’s R&D process. Unlike other approaches, this methodology does not develop just a fuzzy point of ideal openness but specific recommendations. Finally, by validating the methodology and analyzing its weaknesses, fields for future research are identified.