Why Firms Need to Manage Their Innovation Partners Based on Their Motivation
- Resource Type
- RTM Publication
- Publish Date
- 08/19/2024
- Author
- Bernhard Lingens
- Topics
- Alliances and Collaborations, Innovation
- Associated Event
- Publication
Firms are increasingly conducting innovation jointly with external partners so they can achieve innovations they could not achieve alone. This approach reduces investments and opens up novel opportunities, but it also highlights the importance of managing and selecting the proper partners. We identified three partner types: Free Riders, Passengers, and Copilots. According to our research, these partners have distinct behaviors and need to be managed differently based on their motivation. We introduce each partner type, distinguish them according to their motivation, and present strategies on how to manage them effectively.
Bernhard Lingens is an adjunct associate professor at Aalborg University Business School (DEN) and head of Area Innovation at University of Lucerne, Switzerland. He also heads the consulting practice for innovation management at Detecon Consulting Alpine. Previously, he was head of the Helvetia Innovation Lab, University of St. Gallen, worked as a management consultant at Roland Berger, and was a visiting researcher at Imperial College London. He has a PhD in business innovation from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. His research focuses on theory and practice of ecosystem management and strategic innovation management.