Between company and network practices: mirroring innovative ideas

ABSTRACT

Research has demonstrated the importance of business networks for innovation. Recent studies on innovation contribute to a better understanding of internal network processes and how network members can use their network position to benefit from these processes. However, knowledge about what role business network innovation plays in the organisations of network members is lacking. The aim of this study is to increase understanding of how business network innovation emerges and spreads to network members. It is suggested to focus on the practices of member companies in order to understand how network innovation changes these practices. Two case studies in the tourism sector are used in this study to develop Michel Foucault’s concept of mirroring to explain how network innovation emerges and spreads from the network to companies. The results suggest that owing to its formative, directional, long-term and dynamic nature, the mirroring process can better capture the network–company context than other perspectives on the spread of innovation.

KEYWORDS:

• Business network
• spread of innovation
• network practice
• company practice
• mirroring

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Olga Høegh-Guldberg http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7404-8005

Notes

1 Arena Programme: http://www.arenaclusters.no/the-arena-programme/.