Innovation and the self-reinforcing circle

Published: 2016

An exploration of the dominant academic management discourse of innovation.

Authors: Beata Segercrantz Helsinki University, KE Sveiby Hanken School of Economics, Karin Berglund Stockholm university

The analysis shows that the dominant academic management discourse energizes an accelerating, self-reinforcing circle, which focuses on creating organizational benefits while only hinting at the destructive effects. Such effects propagate through organizations/society, sometimes re-creating what was positive in one context as undesirable consequences in another.

The paper provides a research framework that interconnects competing discourses of innovation by broadening the scope to include the societal systemic and destructive effects of the self-reinforcing circle.

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