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Finding the organizational sources of technological breakthroughs: the story of Hewlett-Packard's thermal ink-jet

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  • Lee Fleming

Abstract

Which firms are more likely to invent technological breakthroughs, such as Hewlett-Packard's invention of the thermal ink-jet? I induct theory for this question by interpreting the history of the breakthrough as a recombinant and boundedly rational search process. The firm increased its odds of success by generating many high-variance inventive trials; it mixed and juxtaposed diverse technologies, professions and experience, managed by objective and collocated. The firm exploited this variance with effective selection processes, strong socialization norms, deep experience with the components of invention, rapid prototyping and testing, and scientific knowledge and method. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee Fleming, 2002. "Finding the organizational sources of technological breakthroughs: the story of Hewlett-Packard's thermal ink-jet," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 11(5), pages 1059-1084, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:11:y:2002:i:5:p:1059-1084
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    Cited by:

    1. Bruno Cirillo & Stefano Brusoni & Giovanni Valentini, 2014. "The Rejuvenation of Inventors Through Corporate Spinouts," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 1764-1784, December.
    2. Jiang, Lin & Clark, Brent B. & Turban, Daniel B., 2023. "Overcoming the challenge of exploration: How decompartmentalization of internal communication enhances the effect of exploration on employee inventive performance," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Pina e Cunha, Miguel & Rego, Arménio & Clegg, Stewart & Lindsay, Greg, 2015. "The dialectics of serendipity," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 9-18.
    4. Vittori, Davide & Natalicchio, Angelo & Panniello, Umberto & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio & Albino, Vito & Cupertino, Francesco, 2024. "Failure is an option: How failure can lead to disruptive innovations," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    5. Runbo Zhao & Huiying Zhang & Marina Yue Zhang & Fei Qu & Yunlong Xu, 2023. "Competitor-Weighted Centrality and Small-World Clusters in Competition Networks on Firms’ Innovation Ambidexterity: Evidence from the Wind Energy Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Alva Taylor, 2010. "The Next Generation: Technology Adoption and Integration Through Internal Competition in New Product Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 23-41, February.
    7. Wang, Yuandi & Ning, Lutao & Chen, Jin, 2014. "Product diversification through licensing: Empirical evidence from Chinese firms," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 577-586.
    8. Ivan Savin, 2021. "On optimal regimes of knowledge exchange: a model of recombinant growth and firm networks," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 16(3), pages 497-527, July.
    9. Richard Arend, 2009. "Defending against rival innovation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 189-206, August.
    10. Inchae Park & Yujin Jeong & Byungun Yoon, 2017. "Analyzing the value of technology based on the differences of patent citations between applicants and examiners," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(2), pages 665-691, May.
    11. M. C. Guardo & K. R. Harrigan, 2016. "Shaping the path to inventive activity: the role of past experience in R&D alliances," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 250-269, April.
    12. Marić, Josip & Opazo-Basáez, Marco & Vlačić, Božidar & Dabić, Marina, 2023. "Innovation management of three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology: Disclosing insights from existing literature and determining future research streams," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    13. Grazia Cecere & Muge Ozman, 2014. "Innovation, Recombination and Technological Proximity," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 5(3), pages 646-667, September.
    14. O'Reilly, Charles A., III & Tushman, Michael, 2007. "Ambidexterity as a Dynamic Capability: Resolving the Innovator's Dilemma," Research Papers 1963, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    15. Kaplan, Sarah & Tripsas, Mary, 2008. "Thinking about technology: Applying a cognitive lens to technical change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 790-805, June.
    16. Samuel C MacAulay & John Steen & Tim Kastelle, 2020. "The search environment is not (always) benign: reassessing the risks of organizational search," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 29(1), pages 1-23.
    17. Lee, Kyung Yul & Jung, Hyun Ju & Kwon, Youngsun, 2024. "Boundary-spanning technology search, product component reuse, and new product innovation: Evidence from the smartphone industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    18. Tan, David & Roberts, Peter W., 2010. "Categorical coherence, classification volatility and examiner-added citations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 89-102, February.
    19. Natalicchio, A. & Messeni Petruzzelli, A. & Garavelli, A.C., 2017. "Innovation problems and search for solutions in crowdsourcing platforms – A simulation approach," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 64, pages 28-42.
    20. Grazia Cecere & Muge Ozman, 2014. "Technological diversity and inventor networks," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 161-178, March.
    21. Codini, Anna Paola & Abbate, Tindara & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio, 2023. "Business Model Innovation and exaptation: A new way of innovating in SMEs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    22. Sam Arts & Lee Fleming, 2018. "Paradise of Novelty—Or Loss of Human Capital? Exploring New Fields and Inventive Output," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(6), pages 1074-1092, December.
    23. Alessandra Scandura, 2019. "The role of scientific and market knowledge in the inventive process: evidence from a survey of industrial inventors," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 1029-1069, August.
    24. Max-Peter Menzel, 2008. "Dynamic Proximities – Changing Relations by Creating and Bridging Distances," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 0816, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2008.
    25. Xiao, Fenglong, 2022. "Non-competes and innovation: Evidence from medical devices," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).

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