Steering Complex Innovation

OVERVIEW:Participation in self-organizing networks of firms that exist to carry out the repeated innovation of complex technologies is becoming increasingly important. To achieve and maintain leadership, these networks must achieve a mutually reinforcing fit among organizational core capabilities, complementary assets, learning, and linkages to the external environment. Three distinct patterns have been identified within which these networks operate: transformational, normal and transitional. Each presents its own management opportunities and requirements, but all call for a premium to be placed on exploratory, experimental approaches to decision making.