When and how does going beyond direct customers facilitate innovation success?
This research aims to address the complexities and barriers when firms need to utilise indirect customers by examining when and how firms can network beyond their direct customers in order to identify and mobilise resources needed in this context.
Project overview
Innovative firms in the business-to-business markets face complexities and barriers when they need to utilise indirect customers for capturing the commercial values of their innovation.
This research aims to address the issue by examining when and how firms can network beyond their direct customers in order to identify and mobilise resources needed in this context. UK manufacturing industries with high-to-medium technology intensity is the focus of the investigation.
This research adopts a multiple case study approach with embedded multiple firms as a network. Multiple sources of qualitative data will be content analysed, followed by a qualitative comparative analysis. This research aims to provide a more fine-grained understanding of how network position affects the way in which firms strategically sense and seize demand market insight for innovation value capture. It provides practical implications for firms to assess their current market linking practices and evaluate necessary investments in such practices.
Funding
This project has been funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Small Research Grant.
Key research activity
38th Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Conference, 31 August to 2 September 2022, Florence, Italy
