Engage engineers as designers to generate new meanings in concept generation

Fabien Jean (), Pascal Le Masson () and Benoit Weil ()
Additional contact information
Fabien Jean: CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Pascal Le Masson: CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Benoit Weil: CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: The meaning of a product is the profound psychological and cultural reasons people use the product (Verganti 2013). The original meaning resulting from such design-driven research is often compromised when handed-over during concept generation (Dell'Era et al. 2011). Literature gives three models of interactions between designers and their network, i.e. networkers use their knowledge as filter, provide designers with knowledge, or are willing to restructure their knowledge base. Our research question "What is an effective marker event of radical innovation of meaning in concept generation?" is investigated through a multiple case-study comparing 35 marker events in a single organisation. The analysis confirms that meaning attributes are lost when networkers use their knowledge as filter, but surprisingly actors lose attributes even when they adopt methods to prevent it. We also found four main mechanisms for networkers to proactively hand a new meaning. Where the canonical model of gate meeting prevents hand-over to experts, our model of Generative Gate Meetings performs better. Finally engineers play a key role when they elaborate Technology Pretexts which are instrumental for exploring value propositions integrating new meanings. Lastly, we synthesise managerial implications in a process model of concept generation for radical innovation of meaning. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is unique in investigating technology epiphanies in such a technology-intensive organisation as SAFRAN and drawing significant bridges between functional innovation and design-driven innovation.

Keywords: Design; Design-driven innovation; KCP; value model; value proposition; Technology Pretext; Generative Gate Meeting; Technology Environment; actor network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-06-23
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01148387v1
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in R&D Management Conference 2015, Jun 2015, Pisa, Italy

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-01148387v1/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01148387

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().