Open Innovation under the Lenses of Complexity Theory

Andrea Grimaldi

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: To fuel growth, innovation is essential, but it can be a difficult process that requires significant investments of resources. In today's highly competitive market, many businesses are turning to Open Innovation (OI) to gain the knowledge they need. However, OI is a complex system where individuals exchange a wide range of information, sources, and knowledge. Additionally, the interdependence among independent agents involved in OI exchanges affects their behaviors, leading to uncertainty and risk. Thus, OI brings complexity to businesses, and the best approach to understand and manage this complexity is Complexity Theory (CT), which is particularly suited to examine these phenomena. However, few studies have adopted CT to study OI. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the principles, patterns, and conditions of OI to find a way to manage it properly. With a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of research published through March 2024, it has been possible to establish a connection between OI and CT. The results prove this connection and find the following advice to manage the OI process: adopt a holistic perspective (complex thinking), encourage self-organization, embrace two different kinds of ambidexterity (permeable boundaries and exploitation/exploration), and create positive feedback loops.

Keywords: Open Innovation; Complexity Theory; Complex Adaptive System (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B5 O31 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-07, Revised 2026-03
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