K.U.

Leuven
Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics

Syllabus

Innovation Management and Strategy

2013 - 2014

Prof. Dr. Bart Van Looy

Managerial Economics, Strategy and Innovation

Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics
K.U.Leuven
Naamsestraat 69
3000 Leuven
bart.vanlooy@kuleuven.be
00.32.16.32.69.01 (T)
00.32.16.32.67.32 (F)
Teaching Assistant: Jelle Braes HOG, Office 03.140
Jelle.Braes@kuleuven.be

Contents of the syllabus

The course provides the participants with a broad overview of the various concepts, topics,
approaches and instruments relevant to the management of innovation and technology. The
course consists of 3 major parts:
Part 1: Technology and innovation management: Key concepts and insights
Part 2: Models of the innovation process and innovation strategy (firm level)
Part 3: Operational issues in innovation management (people & projects)
Each part provides the students with a grounded, scientific approach towards important
aspects of the innovation process. As a consequence, major scientific as well as applicationoriented articles are provided as reading materials for each module.
The first part highlights the disciplinary roots or origins of the innovation process. More
specifically, we highlight economic studies of the innovation process. These studies delve
deeper into the work and insights of Joseph Schumpeter on the role of entrepreneurs and
established companies and market pull and technology push dynamics. In addition we will
elaborate insights on the level of innovation systems including the relevancy of (support)
policies (e.g. patent systems) as well as the role of research centers and universities within
such systems.
The second part develops models of the innovation process and examines the strategic
management of technology and innovation on the level of the firm. Both defining an
innovation strategy and implementing the innovation strategy by means of concepts and
practices such portfolios (including selection criteria for innovation projects and programs)
and technology roadmaps will be discussed. Major issues in organizing the effective
implementation of innovation strategies will be introduced. We will also look at the nature
and relevance of alliances and cooperation for the innovative performance of the firm.
The third part discusses the management of day-to-day operations in innovation
environments. We discuss the following themes: (1) organizing innovation activities and
projects, (2) critical success factors in managing innovation projects, (3) the concept of
project performance in innovative settings, (4) techniques and approaches to support project
management in innovative environments, and (5) the management of innovative teams and
professionals.
Grading and exam
The grading consists of two parts.

1. 40% of the final grade is based on a paper each student has to write (guideline: 10/15

pages A4, Times New Roman, single-spaced). Papers need to be developed in small
teams (5 to 6 students). All contributors will receive the same grade (on the paper). More
details on the elaboration of the paper will be provided during class and through Toledo.

2. 60% of the grade is based on a written exam at the end of the academic year. This exam
will consist of three to four open-ended questions to be addressed.

Notice that if you fail for the individual exam, you fail overall; points of the paper will only be
added if you pass for the individual exam.

Part 1: Technology and innovation management: Key concepts and Insights

1. BAUMOL W. (2004) Entrepreneurial Enterprises, Large Established Firms and

Other Components of the Free-Market Growth Machine. Small Business
Economics, 23, 1.
2. ABERNATHY W. & UTTERBACK J. Patterns of Industrial Innovation. In:
Readings in the management of Innovation. M. Tushman & W. Moore (eds.),
Second Edition, Harper Business.
3. PINCH, T. & BIJKER, W. (1987) The social construction of facts and artifacts: or
how the sociology of science and the sociology of technology might benefit each
other. In; The social Construction of Technological Systems, Bijker W., Hughes T.
& Pinch T. (eds), MIT Press.
4. AHUJA G., LAMPERT C.M. & TANDON V. (2010) Moving beyond Schumpeter.
The Academy of Management Annals, 2: 1, 1
5. GUELLEC D. (2007) Patents as an Incentive to Innovate. In: The economics of
the European Patent System. Oxford University Press.
6. DOSI G., LLERENA P. & LABINI M. (2008) Does the European Paradox still
hold? Did it ever?
7. MOWERY D. & SIMCOE T. (2002) Is the Internet a US invention?an economic
and technological history of computer networking. Research Policy, 33, 13691387
8. VAN LOOY, B. (2009). The role of universities within innovation systems; an
overview and assessment. Review of Business and Economics, 1.
9. GARUD R. , TUERTSCHER P. & VAN DE VEN A. (2013) Perspectives on
Innovation Processes. The Academy of Management Annals, 7:1,775-819
Part 2: Innovation at the level of the firm: innovation strategy

10.WHEELWRIGHT S.C. & CLARK K. (1992) Creating Project Plans to Focus

Product Development. Harvard Business Review, 70, 2, 70-82.
11.COOPER, Robert G. G. "New Problems, New Solutions: Making Portfolio
Management More Effective." Research technology management 43.2 (2000):
18-33.
12.GRANDSTRAND O. (1999) Chapter 7:.Intellectual Property Policies and
Strategies. In: The economics and management of intellectual property. Edgar
Elgar Publishers.
13.BOWER, J.L. and CHRISTENSEN, C.M.(1995) Disruptive Technologies,
Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995.
14.OREILLY C. & TUSHMAN M. (2004) The ambidextrous organization. Harvard
Business Review, 74-81.
15.VAN LOOY B., MARTENS T. & DEBACKERE K. (2006) Organizing for

continuous innovation: On the sustainability of ambidextrous organizations;

Creativity and Innovation Management, Vol. 14, No. 3: 208-221.
16.TRIPSAS M. (1999) Unraveling the process of creative destruction:
complementary assets and incumbent survival in the typesetter industry.
Strategic Management Journal, 18, 119-142.
17.VAN LOOY B. & VISSCHER K.J. (2011) Organizing Innovation within Incumbent
Firms: Structure Enabling Strategic Autonomy. Review of Business and
Economics, Vol. LVI, p. 147- 167.
18.CHESBROUGH H. (2003) The era of Open Innovation. MIT Sloan Management
Review, 35 41.
19.FAEMS D. , JANSSENS M., , MADHOOK A. & VAN LOOY B Toward an
integrative perspective on alliance governance: Connecting contract design,
contract application, and trust dynamics, Academy of Management Journal,
2008, 51(6), 1053-1078.
20.von HIPPEL, E. (1986) Lead users: A source of novel product concepts.
Management Science, 32, 7.

Part 3: Operational issues in innovation management

21. BROWN, S. L. & EISENHARDT, K. M. (1995) Product development: past research,
present findings, and future directions. Academy of Management Review, 20 (2): 343378
22. ALLEN, T.J. Communication Networks in R&D Laboratories, R&D Management, 1971,
Vol. 1, pp. 14-21.
23. ALLEN T. (2001) Organizing for Product Development. MIT Working Paper.
24. ROBERTS, E.B. and FUSFELD, A.R., Critical Functions: Needed Roles in the
Innovation Process, in Career Issues in Human Resource Management, p. 182-207,
1982, Prentice-Hall.
Epilogue:
Getz I. & Robinson A. (2003) Innovate or Die: Is that a Fact? Creativity and Innovation
Management, Volume 12, Issue 3, Page 130-136 - September 2003

Relevant Background Material (Supplementary)

Journals Technology and Innovation Management:

Research Policy
Journal of Product Innovation Management
R&D Management
Scientometrics (patents/publications)

Journal of Creativity and Innovation Management

Management Journals in which interesting articles on innovation management are to

be found regularly:

Academy of Management Review

Academy of Management Journal
Strategic Management Journal
Organization Science
Management Science
Harvard Business Review
Sloan Management Review
California Management Review
Administrative Science Quarterly

Books:

Strategic Management of Innovation and Technology, edited by Burgelmann,

Maidique & Wheelwright, McGraw-Hill. Fifth Edition, 2008.
Managing Innovation, Tidd & Bessant. Wiley & Sons. Fifth Edition, 2013.
The Human Side of Managing Technological Innovation. R. Katz (Editor), Oxford
University Press. Second Edition, 2003.
Managing strategic innovation and change: A collection of readings. Oxford
University Press Edited by Tushman, M. L. & Anderson, P.C.. Second edition, 2004.
The Economics of Industrial Innovation, C. Freeman & L. Soete. MIT Press. Third
Edition, 2000.
The Management of Innovation, Volume I & II. Edited by John Storey, Edward Elgar
Publishing, 2004.
The Oxford Handbook of Innovation. Edited by Fagerberg, Mowery & Nelson, 2004.
Oxford University Press.