Study goals
Effectively developing radical innovation (RI) is critical to the long-term survival of many organizations However, many firms continue to struggle with its discovery, development, and commercialization This paper aims to provide an integrated discussion on RI models through the complexity theory perspective
Relevance / originality
The papers’ relevance relays on exploring how the principles of complexity can be useful in generating insights about to the existing models of RI management.
Methodology / approach
A systematic literature review was conducted based on the literature connecting innovation management and complexity, and was structured into three stages: planning, conducting and reporting. This process resulted in 25 RI models that formed the basis for the analysis.
Main results
The main results shed light on the use of complexity concepts regarding four main topics: i) fuzzy front-end activities; ii) RI project management; iii) network-based learning; and iv) the role of project champion.
Theoretical / methodological contributions
This paper provides a broad view of complexity-based applications to RI management, connecting its principles with the managerial challenges of RI, and considering the importance of innovation within organizations.
Social / management contributions
This paper may contribute to develop tools to operationalize the knowledge about complexity in innovation management practices, to provide more in-depth analysis of RI managerial challenges, and to support discussions on how complexity-based approaches can help in managing RI in theory-and-practice.