A synthesis of contemporary organisational innovativeness perspectives

The main objective of this research is to highlight the need to conceptualise the theoretical construct of organisational innovativeness. This paper examines the existing definitions of innovativeness, and provides a conceptual framework that considers this topic from an organisational perspective. The similarities and differences of innovativeness and capacity to innovate are reviewed and a synthesised conceptualisation of organisational innovativeness is offered. A literature review examines innovativeness taking a broad perspective of the topic in terms of research and practice as well as conceptualising the relevant organisational constructs. By comparing research methods and approaches at different levels of analysis, we found that studies from an adoption stage in the marketing field can be re-mapped into one main specific group: firm or organisational innovativeness. A conceptual framework incorporating was found to illustrate the possible distinction among innovativeness and capacity to innovate on the one hand, and the difference between product innovativeness and organisational innovativeness on the other hand.