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Why learning from failure isn't easy (and what to do about it): Innovation trauma at Sun Microsystems

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  • Välikangas, Liisa
  • Hoegl, Martin
  • Gibbert, Michael

Abstract

Summary Popular parlance suggests that 'you learn more from your failures than from your successes'. However, when it comes to failed innovations in organizations, we find that the proverb is not always true. We suggest that instead, failure may often lead to innovation trauma, an inability to commit to new innovations due to severe disappointment from previous innovation failures. We discuss innovation trauma in the context of Sun Ray, the thin-client computing innovation that came out of Sun Labs at Sun Microsystems. Sun Ray was too closely associated with an earlier, highly publicized failure called JavaStation, and never really got a chance to prove its mettle. We suggest overcoming innovation trauma is a critical but underappreciated aspect of innovation management in companies such as Sun Microsystems that depend on continuous innovation for their competitiveness. Thus the concept has significance beyond this particular case study in that it points to the role emotions play in innovation failure and to the need for managers to mediate such potentially traumatic experiences in order to sustain innovation after serious failures.

Suggested Citation

  • Välikangas, Liisa & Hoegl, Martin & Gibbert, Michael, 2009. "Why learning from failure isn't easy (and what to do about it): Innovation trauma at Sun Microsystems," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 225-233, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eurman:v:27:y:2009:i:4:p:225-233
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    Cited by:

    1. Aysun, Uluc, 2024. "Technology diffusion and international business cycles," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    2. Aysun, Uluc, 2020. "Volatility costs of R&D," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    3. Nair, Lakshmi Balachandran & Gibbert, Michael, 2016. "Analyzing inconsistent cases in Management fsQCA studies: A methodological manifesto," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 1464-1470.
    4. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2011. "Learning from the failures of others: The effects of post-exit knowledge spillovers on recipient firms," MPRA Paper 89223, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Appio, Francesco Paolo & Capo, Francesca & Annosi, Maria Carmela, 2024. "Not all (innovation) failures are created equal: A typology of companies’ responses to the consequences of innovation failure," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    6. Gölgeci, Ismail & Murphy, William H. & Johnston, David A., 2018. "Power-based behaviors in supply chains and their effects on relational satisfaction: A fresh perspective and directions for research," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 278-287.
    7. Freisinger, Elena & McCarthy, Ian P., 2024. "What fails and when? A process view of innovation failure," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    8. Baxter, David & Trott, Paul & Ellwood, Paul, 2023. "Reconceptualising innovation failure," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(7).
    9. Kashan, Alireza Javanmardi & Lay, Janine & Wiewiora, Anna & Bradley, Lisa, 2022. "The innovation process in mining: Integrating insights from innovation and change management," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Julien Cusin & Juliette Ducros-Passebois, 2015. "L’apprentissage émotionnel à distance de l’échec. Le cas de la Cité mondiale du vin et des spiritueux," Post-Print hal-03240450, HAL.
    11. Khalil Rhaiem & Nabil Amara, 2021. "Learning from innovation failures: a systematic review of the literature and research agenda," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 189-234, February.
    12. Mamouni Limnios, Elena Alexandra & Mazzarol, Tim & Ghadouani, Anas & Schilizzi, Steven G.M., 2014. "The Resilience Architecture Framework: Four organizational archetypes," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 104-116.
    13. Qun Chen & Ji-Wen Li & Jian-Guo Liu & Jing-Ti Han & Yun Shi & Xun-Hua Guo, 2021. "Borrower Learning Effects: Do Prior Experiences Promote Continuous Successes in Peer-to-Peer Lending?," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 963-986, August.
    14. Qun Chen & Ji-Wen Li & Jian-Guo Liu & Jing-Ti Han & Yun Shi & Xun-Hua Guo, 0. "Borrower Learning Effects: Do Prior Experiences Promote Continuous Successes in Peer-to-Peer Lending?," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-24.
    15. D'Este, Pablo & Amara, Nabil & Olmos-Peñuela, Julia, 2016. "Fostering novelty while reducing failure: Balancing the twin challenges of product innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 113(PB), pages 280-292.
    16. Williams, Allan M. & Rodríguez Sánchez, Isabel, 2024. "Knowledge mobility after tourism entrepreneurial failure: Life after death?," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    17. Deryck J van Rensburg, 2013. "Is Strategic Entrepreneurship a Pleonasm?," Journal of Management and Strategy, Journal of Management and Strategy, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(1), pages 15-27, February.
    18. Corvello, Vincenzo & Troise, Ciro & Schiuma, Giovanni & Jones, Paul, 2024. "How start-ups translate learning from innovation failure into strategies for growth," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    19. Coccia, Mario, 2023. "New Perspectives in Innovation Failure Analysis: A taxonomy of general errors and strategic management for reducing risks," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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    Keywords

    Innovation Failure Learning;

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