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The characteristics of information contributing to the resolution of technical problems arising during thirty on-going innovations in British industry have been studied with the aim of determining the patterns of information flow consonant with successful innovation. A number of findings have emerged: 1) Information obtained from literature contributed as much as that from personal contact. The innovation process is most efficient when these two sources are used in a mutually supportive fashion. 2) Different sources are selectively used to obtain different types of information. The choice of appropriate sources and in an appropriate order has a considerable impact on the innovation process. The choice pattern improves with the higher levels of education of the problem-solver and of the research intensity of the firm: 3) No direct correlation was found between the frequency of use of a source and its relative contribution to the innovation. Some vital pieces of information are obtained from sources infrequently used. Implications for researchers and management are drawn.
Johnston et al. (Sat,) studied this question.